Los Angeles is best viewed, perhaps, from the passenger's seat of a vehicle. And if the aim of Made in L.A. is to shed light on this place through its artists, then it appropriately does so by exposing the great distances and differences between their works. Though some viewers might be frustrated by the lack of obvious cohesion between the projects on display, the presence of a thematic "commonality" would feel remarkably false. After all, neither the artists nor their artworks are necessarily connected to one another by anything other than their home base.
![Top: Meg Cranston, <em>California (Full Size)</em>, 2012. Courtesy of the artist. Above: <em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest Top: Meg Cranston, <em>California (Full Size)</em>, 2012. Courtesy of the artist. Above: <em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest](/content/dam/domusweb/en/art/2012/08/10/made-in-l-a-2012/big_390950_3245_web_MLA-Fisher-011.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![Michele O’Marah, <em>Character Portrait (Isabella Blow, Mario Testino version)</em>, 2012. Photo by Robert Wedemeyer Michele O’Marah, <em>Character Portrait (Isabella Blow, Mario Testino version)</em>, 2012. Photo by Robert Wedemeyer](/content/dam/domusweb/en/art/2012/08/10/made-in-l-a-2012/big_390950_9814_web_Michele-O%27Marah1.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
Now, openings are typically well-attended affairs, but this debut night had a particular vigor to it; its distinction being, perhaps, that the artists in attendance were many and local, and the work on display a surprise
![<em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest <em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest](/content/dam/domusweb/en/art/2012/08/10/made-in-l-a-2012/big_390950_1453_web_MLA-Cain-011.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![<em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest <em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest](/content/dam/domusweb/en/art/2012/08/10/made-in-l-a-2012/big_390950_8944_web_MLA-Forti-021.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![<em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest <em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest](/content/dam/domusweb/en/art/2012/08/10/made-in-l-a-2012/big_390950_4797_web_MLA-Mokgosi-011.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
![<em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest <em>Made in LA</em>, installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Photo by Brian Forrest](/content/dam/domusweb/en/art/2012/08/10/made-in-l-a-2012/big_390950_6280_web_MLA-O%27Marah-011.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)
Made in L.A. 2012
Hammer Museum
Los Angeles
![Nicole Miller, <em>Untitled</em>, 2012, film still. Courtesy of the artist Nicole Miller, <em>Untitled</em>, 2012, film still. Courtesy of the artist](/content/dam/domusweb/en/art/2012/08/10/made-in-l-a-2012/big_390950_7234_web_Nicole-Miller1.jpg.foto.rmedium.jpg)