50 Artists: Highlights of the Broad Collection

Book excerpt: Assembling the voices of cultural leaders and curators, this book shares their insights on some of The Broad collection's most celebrated artists and works For decades, art patrons and philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad have sought to foster public appreciation of postwar and contemporary art. Before founding The Broad museum in Los Angeles, their collection was made accessible by loaning artworks to institutions around the world through The Broad Art Foundation. Since 1984, more than 8,600 loans from The Broad collection have been made to over 500 museums and galleries. In 2015, The Broad collection found a permanent home when The Broad museum opened on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles in a now iconic building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The Broad's permanent collection boasts works from artists such as John Baldessari, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Barbara Kruger, Roy Lichtenstein, Julie Mehretu, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol, among others. In this book, writers and curators give an overview of the very best of The Broad's vast collection, including in-depth essays on five works that have come to define the experience of visiting the museum. This book enriches our understanding of The Broad's art and architecture while also provoking, inspiring and fostering appreciation of art of our time.