B Y XENI JARDIN
Beads adorn ordinary tools in traditional complete with razor wire and human figures in
cultures: rattles, pouches, baskets of states of agony, was installed at London’s White
dried grain. But through her beadwork, Cube gallery last spring. “It’s a response to what’s
Los Angeles-based artist Liza Lou constructs going on in the world around terror, and a reflection
life-sized environments that feel anything on the idea of containment,” she explains.
but ordinary. “Beadwork is a slow, quiet practice that counts
Like virtual worlds online rendered one pixel the hours, not unlike someone doing time. Some-
at a time, Lou’s parallel realms grow bead by times when I’m working on projects, I wake up and
bead, often taking years to complete. realize, ‘Wow, eight hours have gone by, and I’ve
Her career as the world’s most extreme fine-art only finished two inches.’ That narrowness of
beader didn’t take shape overnight, either. Born in moment-to-moment focus can drive you insane.”
1969 in New York, Lou moved to California to study In addition to her studio in L. A.’s artsy Topanga
painting at the San Francisco Art Institute, but a Canyon, Lou also maintains a workshop in
trip to a Bay Area bead shop one day changed her Durban, South Africa, where she commissions
plans. Paint and canvas soon gave way to three- assistance on large-scale installations from
dimensional surfaces that absorbed beads like local Zulu beadworkers.
stippled brushstrokes. “I was planning my next piece, and realized —
For Kitchen (1995), Lou collected household if I do this on my own, it will take 75 years. I appliances, then covered them in multicolored bead needed manpower, and I was fascinated with strands. Papier-mâché forms became cereal boxes the rich history of Zulu beadwork, and it all and fruit pies, and beads covered every surface: a came together.” sky-blue sink, a refrigerator, even lowly dust balls Lou rented a dance hall in Durban in 2005, and on the floor. The 168-square-foot installation took began connecting with local craftswomen. They Lou five years to finish, but its completion instantly soon found they had something more in common transformed her into an art star. than the mere mechanics of beading.
Hundreds of volunteer beaders helped Lou stitch “Labor is undervalued everywhere, and the Backyard (1997), a 525-square-foot suburban yard laborer too often ends up discarded,” said Lou. “So with a peyote-stitch garden hose, a beaded Weber much of this craft is about taking pride in doing grill, and 250,000 blades of faux grass. For Star- something well.
Spangled Presidents (2001), Lou beaded 42 black- If you make something concrete as well as you and-white presidential portraits, each wrapped in possibly can, you can’t be tossed away as easily a frame of gold beads. In 2002, she was awarded by the world. It becomes its own merit, its own a MacArthur fellowship.
Her most recent exhibit, which includes Cell, a A close-up of the 525-square-foot Backyard reveals beaded death row prison cell, and Security Fence, excruciating detail.
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