Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow

I was in L.A. for a couple of days last week, and decided to see the Takashi Murakami exhibit at the Broad while I was there.

Since I arrived before my scheduled entry time, I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood to kill some time.

I took some closer photos of the 2nd Street Tunnel, since I forgot to do so the last time I was in the area.

Afterwards, I went down Olive St. to the Angel Flight Railway which is apparently under renovation at the moment.

Upper station

I went down the stairs next to the railway where one of the cars was placed in a more photogenic fashion.

I'm not sure if this car is Sinai or Olivet.

There are about 150 steps from the bottom of the stairs to California Plaza, then a few dozen more to get to the upper platform.

There's a mission bell at the bottom of the railway, but I'm not sure if it means Hill St. was part of the historic El Camino Real.

Hill St. Entrance

I headed back to the Broad, which is on the corner of 2nd St. and Broadway Ave.

Across the street is the Walt Disney Concert Hall (home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic).

Sempra Energy Grand Stairway
leading up to the
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Community Park

Entry to the Broad is free, but special exhibits like Murakami's have a fee (however, I believe the charge is waived on Thursday evenings). Entry is booked in advance online, and you'll get a QR code to get in.

The exhibit at the Broad includes a dozen or so pieces by Murakami that showcase the motifs that are commonly found in his works. These include his iconic Mr. DOB, Kaikai and Kiki, mushrooms, smiling daisies, flower balls, and skulls.

Mr. DOB

DOB in the Strange Forest (Blue DOB)

Shangri-La Blue/Shangri-La Pink

Flower Matango was inspired by the 1963 movie Matango, which I believe was [loosely] based on The Boats of the Glen Carrig, by William Hope Hodgson.

Flower Matango

End of Line

Nurse Ko²

Hustle'n'Punch By Kaikai And Kiki

Tan Tan Bo a.k.a. Gerotan:
Scorched by the Blaze
in the Purgatory of Knowledge

Often, you can find a self insert located somewhere in his works.

Some of his newer works are influenced by changes in his perception of the people in his life in the midst of the pandemic.

Unfamiliar People

There were also two huge pieces – In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow and 100 Arhats, that really need to be seen in person to appreciate.

I'll post part two about the artwork on the third floor of the museum at a later time, since I have a busy week ahead.

I saw this billboard by LAX