Cityscape

Amara Aguilar

Bright red futuristic robots and tiny army-green toy soldiers stand

ready for battle on a bed of sand in Chris Burden’s “A Tale of Two

Cities,� a new installation on exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art

in Newport Beach.

The installation, which runs through Feb. 11, features a miniature

reconstruction of two cities using more than 5,000 toys from America,

Europe and Japan.

It depicts the 25th century the way Burden imagines it will be--a

world returned to a system of feudal states.

The lines of golden bullets form walls separating each city. Lego

boats, miniature silver mines and sharks embedded in the sand distinguish

the watery shores.

Old buildings and factories just a few inches high, UFOs, rockets, a

space station, baseball field and even a Pizza Hut are some of the

exhibit’s familiar features.

Lush ferns and other plants symbolize the jungle surrounding the

cities.

A mound of earth-tone rocks divide the two cities.

And fighter planes hang from a sky-blue ceiling, darts penetrate the

walls, while tanks and Jeeps the size of a person’s thumb are carefully

arranged in mini army camps on the sandy base.

The installation, which covers 1,400 square feet, provoked a variety

of emotions from onlookers.

Lisa Khatchadourian of Altadena had a chance to see the artwork at

Saturday’s opening. She said it reminded her of Legoland California

amusement park.

“I wouldn’t consider it art. It looks like my son’s toy collection in

a larger scale,� she said.

Others, including Jamie McAllister of Rancho Santa Margarita, thought

the exhibit was very interesting.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The intricacies are

incredible,� she said. “It has a Japanese-comic feel to it. The robots

have a cartoon character feel. It doesn’t feel human to me at all.�

John Fisher of Rancho Santa Margarita viewed the work as a “very

intense social commentary.�

“It’s exciting because it’s multidimensional,� Fisher said, adding

that the artwork demonstrates war is “pointless, evil and a waste of time

and energy.�

Burden, noted for addressing political, social, environmental and

technological change--and known for his fascination with collecting war

toys--may have been trying to convey a message along those tones through

the exhibit, which was first shown in 1981.

The 54-year-old California artist, who graduated from UC Irvine and

interned at the Orange County Museum of Art, doesn’t like to talk to the

media. But his exhibit is getting people talking.

“There’s no question that Chris Burden is one of the

foremostpractitioners of this form of art,� OCMA marketing director Brian

Langston said. “This is a fascinating work and something that everyone

can enjoy and take different things away from--and that’s one of the

characteristics of great art.�

FYI

* WHAT: “A Tale of Two Cities,� an installation by California artist

Chris Burden

* WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays until Feb. 11

* WHERE: Installation Gallery, Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San

Clemente Drive, Newport Beach

* HOW MUCH: $5 for adults; $4 for seniors and students; free for

children under 16 and museum members

* PHONE: (714) 759-1122