The Norton Simon Museum’s upcoming art show, “Plugged In: Art and Electric Light,” is an exhibition showcasing 20th-century artists who experimented with technology and electricity. Former Cal State LA Professor Walter M. Askin will be featured in this exhibit alongside renowned artists Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Irwin, and Dan Flavin, among others.
Askin is known for works that light up rooms, physically and figuratively, with its natural air of wonder, playfulness, and undoubted skill. Known primarily for his prints, his works also include sculptures, paintings, drawings, illustrated books, and translucent light boxes—polyplanographs.
Askin was a scholar who taught studio art and art history at Cal State LA for 37 years (1956-1992). He was a recipient of the university’s Outstanding Professor Award in 1972. During his tenure, he was responsible for the induction of many innovations on campus, including an artist and book project and several publications involving community events, such as Recuerdos for the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. He loved to make a difference and brought out the best in his students by challenging them to reach new heights with thought-provoking assignments. His influence brought people together by sparking connections among departments, faculty, and students.
Askin’s art is shown in museums and academic conferences worldwide. Domestically, his work can be seen in the Library of Congress, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, The Huntington, and on the famous TAP cards of the LA Metro’s A Line light rail system—formerly known as the Metro Gold Line.
“Walter Askin’s Polyplanograph, part of a series he did in the early 1970s, holds a special place in this exhibition, not only because of Askin’s important voice in the Pasadena art scene and the art world broadly, but because the work was born out of his unique ability to collaborate across disciplines,” said Maggie Bell, associate curator for the Norton Simon Museum. “The polyplanographs achieve their enchanting glow through lightbulbs Askin developed with engineers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which turn on and off using internal timers that prevent overheating and add to the work’s visual impact.”
“Plugged In: Art and Electric Light” is free with museum admission, recommended for all ages, and will be on display from Friday, September 20, 2024, through Monday, February 17, 2025.
California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 24,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
