LA puts 'PST' time stamp on art world

Ten years in the making, "PST" was initiated by the Los Angeles-based Getty Foundation and Getty Research Institute with a $10 million-dollar grant to 68 museums and galleries in southern California, making it the region's largest ever cultural collaboration.

The mammoth event opened at the weekend and runs for six months. It includes numerous exhibitions covering topics as traditional and diverse as pop art and sculpture, home design, cars and performance. Backers hope it sheds light on the unofficial story of the Los Angeles' art scene and gives people a comprehensive look at early trends and new voices previously muted by the art world establishment.

"One thing I've been wondering about 'PST' is whether or not it will in fact rewrite the history of 20th Century art by actually challenging that singular narrative," said painter Judy Chicago. "That's what we want to see, real diversity."

The post World War Two period covered by the exhibition is a critical one that brought a spotlight to new names like Ed Ruscha, Richard Diebenkorn and Judy Chicago.