SLICES OF SCULPTURAL LIFE GET A FEEL FOR L.A.'S 3-D ART AT ARMAND HAMMER.

Byline: Steven Rosen Correspondent

Like the rest of us, artists cannot live by bread alone.

But Matt Johnson may find himself able to live off of the impact of ``Breadface,'' his humorously piquant and unexpectedly poignant contribution to the Hammer Museum's ``Thing: New Sculpture From Los Angeles'' show, for quite some time. The exhibition, featuring some 45 pieces from 20 young artists, is on display through June 5.

``Breadface'' has the makings of a timelessly iconic piece, and there would be nothing better for this show, which the Hammer hopes makes a statement about the vitality and energy of Los Angeles sculptors, than to give birth to a memorable piece. This could be it.

At first glance, ``Breadface'' appears to be exactly what the title says: a piece of bread with holes torn out to crudely represent eyes and mouth. It's something any of us might do or watch a child do. Yet, were that all ``Breadface '' was, it would be pretentious and conceptually smug, but Johnson has instead built a sweet (sweetbread?) tribute to the process of chance discovery.

For a start, the piece isn't really bread. It is a life-size plastic cast, painted a golden brown with oils. The craftsmanship is impressive. But so is its installation, which gives it an impact far beyond its size. Resting in isolation on a white wall pedestal, about neck high with the average adult, it commands the respectful attention of a church reliquary or a king's crown. It is a secular shrine - to the imagination.

That alone is reason enough to recommend ``Thing.'' But as it is, ``Breadface'' is only the show's best small piece. And even here, it has competition from another creation by Johnson, ``Two Orange Peels. '' (It's really cast bronze.)

The exhibit's grand showstopper is big - as big as a 1950 Mercury hot rod. It's called ``Sweet and Lowdown,'' and it was inspired by a photo of such a car. Ceramist Kristen Morgin has created an amazing work using unfired clay, wood, wire, cement and glue. It's an earthen car in a delicately organic and seemingly crumbling state. The impact of seeing it is like coming across a recently uncovered post-nuclear-war artifact. Its decay is beautiful for reminding us of what we once had but lost.

And don't miss her ``Piano Forte.'' Similar in construction, it is a skeletal, ruined piano that somehow still connotes elegance and grace. It's as if it is haunted by the ghost of music - a dream-state of an artwork.

``Thing's'' title suggests that sculpture today is all sorts of things. It is neither just representational statuary nor oversize, abstract metal conglomerations. The title also connotes irreverence and a spirit of fun - both of which are on display in the exhibit.

For instance, on cursory glance, Hannah Greely's ``Muddle'' is a sleeping dog resting across a brown welcome mat. But really it's all one piece, arduously but hilariously put together from coconut fiber and glue.

And Kaz Oshiro's contributions are so deadpan, you don't know what to make of them. His ``Pink Marshall Stack Wall (Three Marshall Double Stacks)'' looks exactly like Marshall guitar amplifiers lined up on the floor. Except they're bright pink - perhaps a sly criticism of the inherent machoism of loud-is-best rock? They're also made almost exclusively from stretched canvas, with a bit of creepy-sounding Bondo (auto-body repair material) for the metallic instrument panels.

Even stranger is his ``Kitchen Project,'' an entire section of depressingly realistic-looking kitchen cabinetry. It, too, is stretched canvas. Can you picture this ``Kitchen'' in your living room?

Oshiro makes his sculpture look effortless by not making it look like sculpture. It's just there. On the other hand, the impressively named Jedediah Caesar makes it look like he moved heaven and earth to create ``1,000,000 A.D.'' There's something positively primal about this piece, which is displayed in sections - slices - along two gallery walls. Starting with a huge concrete ``boulder,'' he threw in all the detritus of his studio and then poured resin atop it. It all swirled and then set like a hardened, blood-red version of Campbell's Chunky Soup.

The Hammer continues on a roll with ``Thing.'' It follows three other smartly curated contemporary shows - ``The Undiscovered Country,'' ``Made in Mexico'' and ``The Last Picture Show.'' In all cases, the shows have displayed a knack for offering new ideas about contemporary art.

THING: NEW SCULPTURE FROM LOS ANGELES

Where: The Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood.

When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; through June 5.

Tickets: $5 adults. Free on Thursdays. Parking is available. www.hammer.ucla.edu. [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Matt Johnson's ``Breadface'' isn't really bread at all - it's made with plastic.

(2 -- color) ``Sweet and Lowdown,'' which looks like a rotting car, is the work of Kristen Morgin, and Kaz Oshiro's ``Pink Marshall Stack Wall (Three Marshall Double Stacks),'' right rear, made of stretched canvas, gives the famed rock guitar amplifiers a feminine hue.