Opening this week is a new exhibition at Kayne Griffin Corcoran Gallery that delves into the lives of the artists working in Los Angeles in the 1960s, with a particular focus on the materials they wielded in their art.

Surface To Air: Los Angeles Artists of the 60s and the Materials that they used is an exploration of surf, sun, sand and sand: the breezy quartet that brought with it the influence of new technologies in this era, grasped eagerly by artists diving into the subjects of process, form and finish.

John Coplans coined the term ‘finish fetish’ late in the 60s, applying it artists like John McCracken and Bill Al Bengston. Others – the likes of Larry Bell, Robert Irwin and Craig Kauffman – were taken by the interplay of light, optics, colour and transparency, their works reflecting water’s treatment of these elements versus air’s.

Larry Bell – ‘Untitled’ (Cube), 1965-1966. Glass and chromium plated steel

With all this in mind, the exhibition title takes on new meaning – salty lifestyles combine with a focus on surface perfection as an era of art that fits the subtle contradictions of Californian lifestyle to a T. Here, curator Robert Dean gives us a flying run-down of the installation.

Tempe Nakiska: What impact did Los Angeles’ sun, surf and sand culture have on artists living in the area in the 60s?
RD: The artists spent almost as much time in their cars, at the beach or chasing UFO’s as in their studios. New materials and fabrication were a continuation of the sport.

TN: What kind of materials are we looking at, specifically, with this exhibition? 
RD: Plastics, acrylics, fibreglass and resins, sheet metal, lacquer sprays. They didn’t have to stretch canvases.

TN: What are the key elements that stand these artists apart from artists living in other areas of the states, and overseas?
RD: Hollywood, sun and glamour. Southern California may be the only spot in the art-world to offer this.

TN: Can you describe the meaning of the phrase ‘finish fetish’?
RD: Surface polish.

Surface to Air: Los Angeles Artists of the 60s and the Materials that they used runs until 5th July at Kayne Griffin Corcoran Gallery, 1201 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019