Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined at LACMA

Kehinde Wiley, Stil/ Dre Everywhere. 2021,0 Kehinde Wiley; Rashid Johnson, Ciood Kid, 2O21, courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles, @ Rashid Johnson, photo by Martin Parsekian, courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angelesi Cecily Brown, If teardrops could be bottled 2021, courtesy of the artist, O Cecily Brown, Cecily Brown, photo by Genevieve Hanson

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined, an exhibition that revisits groundbreaking music through visual art. Artists often cite music as a source of inspiration, capturing the sonic experience through color and form, or translating musical innovations into their own practices. In this exhibition, a diverse, intergenerational group of contemporary visual artists are in creative dialogue with iconic musical artists. These artists responded to songs and albums released by Interscope Records over the last three decades with works of their own in a range of media. The exhibition will present over 50 artworks by 46 visual artists; a majority of the works are newly commissioned pieces and will be presented for the first time to the public.

Featured visual artists include Cecily Brown, Lauren Halsey, Rashid Johnson, Takashi Murakami, Ed Ruscha, and more; many of the artists are represented in LACMA’s permanent collection. Iconic musicians from the last three decades include Dr. Dre, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Nine Inch Nails, Lady Gaga, and more. A full list of artist and musical pairings is below.

“Artists Inspired by Music celebrates a dialogue between two different art forms across three decades of production,” said Staci Steinberger, LACMA associate curator of Decorative Arts and Design. “The show provides a fresh perspective on influential albums for the present moment.”Touching on LACMA’s ongoing exploration of the intersections of art and music, the museum will present public programs exploring musical expression and movement throughout the run of the exhibition.

“Los Angeles is a creative capital known for many kinds of art forms,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director. “Artists /Inspired by Musics/Interscope Reima ined is an extension of a series of LACMA exhibitions and programs celebrating the relationship between art and music.”