No Prior Art: Illustrations of Invention

September 14, 2024 to May 11, 2025

This new exhibition at Central Library's Getty Gallery and citywide program series explores the intersection of art, science, and invention. From historic artifacts to new contemporary artworks, this project features an eclectic range of stories that explore the nature of human creativity and celebrate the inventive spirit.

Inspired by and drawing from the Los Angeles Public Library's patent and intellectual property resources and how the library provides opportunities for active creation and invention, No Prior Art features the work of more than a dozen artists and inventors, many with ties to Los Angeles. The project includes work from Mixografia, a multigenerational art studio that invented and patented a unique three-dimensional printmaking process; Pippa Garner, a trans artist whose outrageous inventions act as an exploration of the body and a critique of consumerism; and KAOS Network, an Afrofuturistic innovation lab in Leimert Park founded by artist/filmmaker Ben Caldwell, among many others.

 



Upcoming Events


Artwork with circuits beneath with No Prior Art logo
February 25, 2025 4:30 PM
Bring your artwork to life! Learn the basics of circuitry while you create unique and interactive artwork using motors. In this hands-on...


No Prior Art logo, saw, multi-colored shirt, tape measure, paint brush, artist in yellow shirt with arms folded across chest, and soldering iron on a purple background.
March 5, 2025 4:30 PM
Take a dive into the world of sustainable, unique mending. Transform one well loved (stained, ripped, etc.) item using techniques such as...


No Prior Art logo with samples of Circuit Stickers
March 6, 2025 3:30 PM
Let your creativity shine with LED stickers! Learn the basics of circuitry and explore various conductive materials. With LED...


Ceramics Images
March 10, 2025 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Come learn about the development of the technology that is ceramics from the Mesoamerican time period to today! Participants will create a...


small cardboard vehicle on a table
March 10, 2025 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Cut, fold and connect with cardboard and other upcycled materials. Experiment with an assortment of kid-friendly tools to create innovative...


Young girl making clay figures. Impression of a bird on a piece of clay.
March 11, 2025 4:15 PM to 5:15 PM
Kids will play with clay and explore “cause and effect” by creating textures in the clay with different objects like leaves, flowers, maíz...


little girl using a drill
March 13, 2025 4:00 PM
Plan, design, and prototype! Learn to use woodworking tools and techniques to design and build a functional stool or chair. Working alone...


Jewelry making
March 15, 2025 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM
In this hands-on jewelry tinkering workshop, you will learn how to use pliers and wire to make one-of-a-kind pieces out of ordinary objects...


Trains made out of cardboard on tables.
March 18, 2025 4:15 PM to 5:15 PM
Join us to create a cardboard train sculpture. Participants will work both individually and collaboratively using cardboard as a versatile...


2 photos of a child making clay objects
March 19, 2025 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Kids will play with clay and explore "cause and effect" by creating textures in the clay with different objects like leaves, flowers, maíz...



Southern California’s landmark arts event, PST ART, returns in September 2024 with more than 60 exhibitions from museums and other institutions across the region, all exploring the intersections of art and science, both past and present. Dozens of cultural, scientific, and community organizations will join the latest edition, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, with exhibitions on subjects ranging from ancient cosmologies to Indigenous sci-fi, and from environmental justice to artificial intelligence. Art & Science Collide will share groundbreaking research, create indelible experiences for the public, and generate new ways of understanding our complex world. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit pst.art.


PST Art: Art & Science Collide, presented by Getty
Lemelson Foundation logo
National Endowment for the Arts logo
Library Foundation of Los Angeles Logo

This project would not be possible without the generous support of Debra and Norris Bishton, Hope and Stephen Heaney, and Abby Sher. Further support was provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Peck Endowment for Cultural Programs, and the Steve and Judith Krantz Foundation.

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