James Franco packs MOCA for lecture and book-signing

James Franco is as meta as it gets, the ultimate in creative cross-pollination. He’s an actor-turned-artist-turned-author-turned-actor-playing-an-artist-named-Franco in the soap opera “General Hospital." His new self-referential filmic offshoot, “Francophrenia” documents that experience. He’s also been cast in the upcoming Seth Rogen movie, in which he plays -- who else -- the actor-artist-author James Franco.

Drawing on all those areas of interest, Franco appeared at MOCA on Saturday in conversation with art theorist and Rhode Island School of Design digital culture lecturer Francisco Ricardo. The sold-out event –- which drew an appropriately young, hip-looking crowd of roughly 200 -- marked the release of Franco’s new book, “The Dangerous Book Four Boys.” The book is a companion to the 2010 New York exhibition of the same name and collects interviews, photographs and multimedia artworks around the themes of childhood and media, among other things.

Not surprisingly, however, Saturday’s conversation defied compartmentalization and strayed much farther afield. After a somewhat heady and hilarious dissection of Franco’s short film “Dicknose in Paris” (a clip was shown), the conversation ricocheted among topics, including Franco’s love of Faulkner; insider stories about director Nicholas Ray; Natalie Wood and Dennis Hopper during the filming of “Rebel Without a Cause”; and the upcoming MOCA show called “Rebel.” The latter, a high-concept group show that Franco conceived, is inspired by the iconic James Dean film and opens in May. It’s brimming with art world star power with works by Ed Ruscha, Harmony Korine, Damon McCarthy, Paul McCarthy, Douglas Gordon, Terry Richardson, Aaron Young and Franco.

Following the big rock as it arrives at LACMA, tweet by tweet

Culture Monster has followed the 11-day journey of LACMA's giant boulder across four counties with reporter Deborah Vankin. She has kept us up to date with her blog posts, stories and several all-nighters of live tweeting.

Vankin was on the scene again Friday night into Saturday morning as the long, wide caravan traveled the final leg of its 105-mile trip from a Riverside County quarry to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The evening began on Figueroa Street between 63rd and 65th streets.

Along the way, the rock encountered illegally parked cars, low-hanging traffic signals, giant palm trees, gawkers who were both amazed and befuddled, and one former Laker who got to ride along with the rock.

For those just catching up: The 340-ton boulder is protected in shrink wrap and sits in a steel sling on a custom transporter. Its eventual resting place will be as the centerpiece of the museum's permanent art installation, "Leviated Mass," by Nevada artist Michael Heizer. The museum paid $70,000 for the rock itself and is spending $10 million to transport it and build the art installation -- all paid with private donations.

For those who have been captivated by the effort, here is a recap of Vankin's final night of tweets and photos, including one of that former Laker.

 

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Following LACMA's big rock through Long Beach, tweet by tweet

-- Sherry Stern

Twitter.com/@sherrystern

Photo: Ludy Hurtado of Los Angeles takes a muscle pose with the massive plastic shrink-wrapped LACMA rock as it stopped on Wilshire Boulevard. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

The 340-ton rock arrives safely at LACMA, at last

After 11 grueling, and especially cold, nights on the road navigating tight corners, “crabbing” across bridges and narrowly avoiding collision with towering utility poles, LACMA’s monolith has finally arrived.

That is, it arrived at the museum. It “arrived,” in the most general sense, as soon as it left its Riverside quarry and the media hype began to swell.
 
The 340-ton boulder –- still shrink-wrapped, lighted with string lights and resting in a steel sling on its custom transporter –- pulled up to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art at exactly 4:25 a.m., as planned. Its eventual resting place will be as the centerpiece of the museum's permanent art installation, "Leviated Mass," by Nevada artist Michael Heizer.

PHOTOS: Giant rock rolling toward LACMA

At LACMA, the piece of granite stopped opposite Chris Burden’s "Urban Light" sculpture -– a yin of sorts to Burden’s enormous outdoor installation’s yang. The rock was greeted by more than 500 cheering and clapping members of the "levitated masses," who’d been waiting hours for it to arrive.

After a short photo opp -- during which onlookers streamed into the street, some reaching out and touching the boulder --  the transporter rounded the corner onto Fairfax Avenue at 5 a.m., and pulled into the construction site that will be the rock's final home. 

The LACMA Rock: The last night on the road

As the start of its last leg approached, the L.A. County Museum of Art's big boulder and its massive transporter were parked on Figueroa Street between 64th and 65th streets in South L.A., in front of a Methodist church. Neighborhood residents milled on the sidewalk and watched from their porches; truck engines rumbled; members of the news media, some from as far away as Asia, circled the crowd. Helicopters hovered beneath a glowing, full moon.

As the rock has made its way west from a Riverside quarry, interest has swelled, and Friday night the crowd included both serious art lovers and locals caught up in the spectacle.

Scott Fajack, Mary-Austin Klein and J.T. Walker are die-hard fans of the artist who will make the rock into a large outdoor installation at LACMA, Michael Heizer. Fajack and Klein once made a trip out to the artist's Nevada ranch just to drive by. Klein, a painter, said of "Levitated Mass": "It's as much about the process as the art."

Added Walker: "It's a citizen reawareness campaign for LACMA!"

PHOTOS: Giant rock rolling toward LACMA

Petra Lopez, 45, who lives in the neighborhood, said through a translator in Spanish that she thought the rock was "very interesting. I'm gonna wait to see it go."

The rock's caravan set out just after 10 p.m. and is due at the museum between 4:30 and 4:45 a.m. Saturday. Surprisingly, considering the myriad logistical challenges, nothing major has gone wrong on the boulder's journey. "But the last leg is always the hardest," said project manager Mark Albrecht.

"This is gonna be a tough night because of all the distractions, [with] the end being near," he said.

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--Deborah Vankin
twitter.com/debvankin

Photo: The rock's transporter is shown before the beginning of the final leg of the journey from Riverside to LACMA. Credit: Deborah Vankin

LACMA's rock caravan carefully winds its way through Long Beach

As LACMA's boulder made its way through Long Beach on Wednesday night, its caravan was at times between, well, a rock and a hard place.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art's shrink-wrapped monolith is about three-quarters of the way into its journey from the remote Riverside County quarry from which it was blasted to the mid-Wilshire museum where it will be the centerpiece of the artwork "Levitated Mass."

On its eighth night of traveling, the caravan faced its most challenging trip yet. The route along Atlantic Avenue, Ocean Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway was the most densely populated stretch of the trip so far, said workers with Emmert International, the company handling the move.

PHOTOS: Giant rock rolling toward LACMA

Following a festive afternoon block party in the Bixby Knolls arts district, the $10-million caravan hit the road at exactly 10 p.m., but soon came to a standstill due to an overlooked utility pole on Atlantic that was in the way and needed to be removed.

More than 100 people -– truckers, museum workers, police escorts among them -- milled about in the icy night air, most wearing fluorescent vests, as the long line of trucks, their engines rumbling, waited and onlookers snapped pictures. After a delay or more than 40 minutes, the caravan set into motion.

Until it slowed down again.

LACMA rock keeps the party rolling in Long Beach's Bixby Knolls

Long Beach's Bixby Knolls district rocked out Wednesday -- quite literally. Its rock/block party for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's 340-ton boulder was a big success.

The event, which started at noon, had already drawn 15,000 to 20,000 people as of 4 p.m., said Michael Clements, who is Councilman James Johnson's chief of staff.

"This is like First Fridays, but relocated down the street," Clements said, referring to the community's monthly art, music and shopping showcase. "Bixby Knolls is the center of the arts community for Long Beach, and we wanted to celebrate it."

PHOTOS: Giant rock rolling toward LACMA

The carnival-like atmosphere included sidewalk musicians, pop-up art installations and crafts for kids such as -- not surprisingly -- rock painting. Street artists painted wildly different renditions of the rock and its custom bright red transporter. The boulder eventually will be the centerpiece of Michael Heizer's outdoor sculpture "Levitated Mass" at LACMA.

One highlight was a more than 10-foot-high stilt walker, dressed as a Swiss mountain climber. As he lumbered down the sidewalk, towering over the crowd of rock rubberneckers, he bellowed: "I am Klaus. And I think the rock is not so tall!"

The much-publicized boulder, resting in a steel sling on its 200-foot transporter, enjoyed a prime parking spot smack in the middle of Atlantic Avenue. Gawkers streamed by on both sides of the street, snapping pictures and shooting video.

MAP: Follow the route

Businesses such as the Bake n Broil on Atlantic were appreciatively swamped. Hostess Brooke Lapierre said foot traffic today was "ridiculously crazy."

Meanwhile, local artist Douglas Orr, owner of Long Beach's Gallery Expo, said he thought Heizer's art project was cool, but he also balked at its $10-million price tag.

"I would've made them a rock for $1 million," he said.

Emmert International, the company handling transportation of the boulder,
said everything was on schedule for the monolith to take off at 10 p.m. Wednesday. It will travel on Atlantic, then Ocean Boulevard, and it will cross the L.A. River on a bridge at Pacific Coast Highway. It is slated to arrive at LACMA early Saturday morning.

Culture Monster will be riding with the rock caravan, live tweeting throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Follow the tweets here.

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-- Deborah Vankin

Twitter.com/@debvankin

Photo: Block party participants dance on the sidewalk in front of the LACMA rock in Bixby Knolls in Long Beach. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

LACMA's rock gets its own block party in Long Beach

Some neighborhoods throw block parties. On Wednesday, the Bixby Knolls neighborhood of Long Beach is throwing a rock party. And the area is going all-out.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s 340-ton boulder –- on an 11-day trip from Riverside County to the mid-Wilshire museum –- currently is parked in the middle of the road on Atlantic Avenue, between 36th  and 37th streets.

The local business association is throwing an all-out, carnival-like party for the rock Wednesday, complete with river rock painting, stilt walkers and a DJ playing at Patricia’s Mexican Restaurant (first song? Queen’s "We Will Rock You," of course.)

PHOTOS: Giant rock rolling toward LACMA

The party was originally planned for noon to 4 p.m.; but the massive boulder -– resting in a steel sling on its football field-length transporter -- has become such an attraction that festivities have been extended until 7 p.m. Scores of locals and other gawkers have been stopping by on their way to work, and five groups of schoolchildren have already come through on field trips this morning, says the museum.

L.A.’s newest “rock star,” which will soon become part of artist Michael Heizer’s massive sculpture for the museum, “Levitated Mass,” is now more than halfway through its circuitous 105-mile journey. On its most recent leg, it set off at 10 p.m. sharp Tuesday and traveled from South Street and Palo Verde Avenue in Lakewood to its current location in Long Beach.

MAP: Follow the route

The entire 6-mile stretch took just three hours to complete -– it's the fastest that the unwieldy, 100+-person rock caravan has traveled yet. The crew from Emmert International turned in early Wednesday, at 1 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. as planned.

The monolith will pull out of Long Beach at 10 p.m. Wednesday, at which point it will travel along Atlantic Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. It will cross the Los Angeles River on a bridge at Pacific Coast Highway. The Long Beach stint is the most populated, urban stretch of the rock's journey so far -- with far more utilities, such as power lines and traffic lights, to be maneuvered for a clear passage.

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-- Deborah Vankin

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Photo: Children gather at the LACMA boulder's Lakewood stop. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

LACMA rock's week begins smoothly

Sunday night marked the fifth night of travel for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s “big rock,” as it’s been dubbed. The 340-ton, near-two story high granite boulder, now well on its way to the museum to become the focal point of artist Michael Heizer’s landmark sculpture “Levitated Mass,” is now a seasoned veteran of the SoCal roads.

The monolith traveled 11 miles on Sunday night, setting off from Pathfinder Road near Fullerton Road in Rowland Heights a little after 10 p.m., and ending up in the city of La Mirada about 5 a.m. Monday morning.

This most recent stretch of its long, circuitous 105-mile journey from Riverside County to the Mid-Wilshire museum went off without a hitch. The more than 100-person rock caravan traveled along Colima Road, which has fewer sharp turns and steep hills -- cumbersome for the boulder’s 200 foot long transporter -- than on previous nights.

PHOTOS: Giant rock rolling toward LACMA

The transporter is now parked at Leffingwell Road, just west of La Mirada Boulevard, where it will sit for the day.  It sets off Monday night at roughly 10 p.m. headed for the city of Lakewood, where it will park early Tuesday morning.

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--Deborah Vankin

Twitter.com/@debvankin

Photo: The rock for Michael Heizer's "Levitated Mass" during its 11-night journey. Credit: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times

The LACMA Rock: the weekend report

Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s in-transit boulder –- now four nights into its 105-mile journey from Riverside County to the Mid-Wilshire museum –- pulled a double shift of sorts last night.

The most recent driving stint took 4 1/2 hours longer than expected, and the unwieldy, near 100-person rock caravan found itself inching along Pathfinder Boulevard, in Rowland Heights, in the light of day Saturday morning.

The rock was supposed to reach its destination at Pathfinder Road near Fullerton Road around 5 a.m. Saturday, but difficulties traversing several hills last night put the rock behind schedule, the museum said. Additional “push and pull trucks” were needed to guide the transporter up and down the steep hills. And at each juncture, the position of the trucks needed to be reconfigured, which further slowed things down.

PHOTOS: Giant rock rolling toward LACMA

The rock is supposed to travel exclusively at night, on roads closed to traffic, from about 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning. But at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, a decision was made between Emmert International, who’s handling the move, California Highway Patrol and Caltrans to continue driving through the morning until the rock reached its planned destination at Pathfinder Road. It was decided that on this particular stretch of the journey, Pathfinder was the safest and least invasive place to turn in for the day. So the rock caravan continued onward into the morning.

MAP: Follow the route

The transporter parked at 9:30 a.m. One museum representative said there were minor traffic backups for a block or two along Pathfinder, heading west behind the transporter. But Emmert International’s Terry Emmert said traffic on Pathfinder was light Saturday morning, and that the transporter didn’t cause significant traffic delays.

The rock, on its 200-foot long transporter, will remain at its current location until Sunday night, when it will resume its trip at roughly 10 p.m.

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-- Deborah Vankin

Photo: The boulder for Michael Heizer's sculpture "Levitated Mass" during a daytime stop earlier this week. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

The $10-million LACMA rock caravan stops a few miles short

LACMA's massive boulder successfully completed its third night on the road Thursday into Friday with no major glitches, something that continues to amaze observers considering the thicket of logistical challenges involved with moving a 340-ton rock across 105 miles.

Still, Thursday night's stretch of the journey proved a tad more complicated than expected. The rock was scheduled to stop at Chino Avenue and Chino Hills Parkway in Diamond Bar for its daytime break.  But the rearranging of power lines so that the boulder could pass through slowed things down. The rock caravan turned in for the night a little after 3 a.m., two miles short of its intended destination.

PHOTOS: Giant rock rolling toward LACMA

The transporter hasn't yet crossed into Diamond Bar. It's now sitting at Chino Avenue at the 71 freeway.

The unplanned stopping point is not an ideal spot for pedestrian visits, as there's very little safe parking. So the museum is encouraging people  inclined to visit the rock to wait until Saturday. The rock will spend the weekend parked at Pathfinder Road in Rowland Heights, near Fullerton Road. It will not travel Saturday night, so it will remain there until late Sunday night.

The caravan will resume its slow crawl toward the museum Friday, at roughly 10 p.m.

As has been widely publicized by now, for 11 nights the granite rock is being transported from a Riverside quarry to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it will soon become the focal point of artist Michael Heizer's sculpture "Levitated Mass."

MAP: Follow the route

On average, it has been traveling four to five miles an hour, with dozens of Emmert International workers, in glowing vests, traveling on foot behind it.

The entire project –- the art rock, construction of its sculptural site and the move –- will cost upward of $10 million in private donations; LACMA paid $70,000 to the quarry for the rock alone.

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-- Deborah Vankin

Photo: Workers move power lines for LACMA's rock caravan. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times