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


heritage masks and a neon sign that says KAOS
April 5, 2025 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Join creatives from the KAOS Network to design your very own Illuminated Heritage Masks. In this workshop, participants will create a...


The hand of a person in a suit points to a document held by another person, next to a gavel and scales
April 5, 2025 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Calling independent inventors! Do you have a new invention that you want to patent, a patent application that has recently been rejected,...


a pendulum creates a yellow design on white paper
April 9, 2025 10:30 AM
Explore the laws of gravity and motion with pendulums! Use these simple machines to create unique artwork with stunning spherical patterns...


A smiling Zapotec-American artist with a geometric background.
April 14, 2025 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
How can innovation and invention help us manifest the future we want? Artist and educator Taty Hernandez will guide you through an...


Text 'No Prior Art' over an image of a table with beads and wire and two hands creating with the materials
April 15, 2025 4:00 PM to 5:00 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...


Pendulum with yellow paint dripping to paper creating a design.
April 17, 2025 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Explore the laws of gravity and motion with pendulums! Use these simple machines to create unique artwork with stunning spherical patterns...


A young person on the background of pieces of clothing
April 19, 2025 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Take a dive into the world of sustainable, unique mending. Transform one well-loved (stained, ripped, etc.) item using techniques such as...


clay figurines
April 19, 2025 4:00 PM
Come learn about the development of ceramics technology from the Mesoamerican period to today! Participants will create a clay invention to...


A hand holds a lit lightbulb with polygons floating out of it
April 24, 2025 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
A design patent protects a new, original, ornamental look for an article of manufacture. Learn all about design patents and how to research...


Ceramic items
April 26, 2025 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Come learn about the development of the technology that is ceramics from the Mesoamerican time period to today! Participants will create a...



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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