“When I thought of tar as a material, I loved it because on one hand it is this primordial goo,” said artist James Griffith. “At the same time, it’s at the heart of the whole environmental problem. It has a contemporary quality but also an incredibly ancient timeline quality. I just love that.”
Griffith’s new exhibition, “Small Paintings of Infinity,” opens Saturday, July 19, inside the historic 100-inch Hooker telescope dome at Mount Wilson Observatory. The show is on view Saturdays through Oct. 26, from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is $5.
Griffith paints using tar collected from Pit No. 91 of the La Brea Tar Pits, mixed with varnishes and solvents, then applied across wood panels. “It was a total shot in the dark. I’m an artist and not a chemist. I read a lot of books to figure things out. It’s a little bit of alchemy,” he said.
His works feature sweeping starfields, solar flares, and intimate portraits of humans and animals. Featured pieces include “Momentum,” “The Radiant Sun — Origin Story,” and “Small Painting of Infinity No. 7,” all completed in 2024.
Curated by Stephen Nowlin of ArtCenter College of Design, the exhibition bridges science and art. The dome’s historic role in cosmic discovery—and Hale’s 1916 support for preserving the La Brea fossil beds—links Griffith’s medium to the site. A free opening reception was held July 13.
Mount Wilson Observatory, 100 Mount Wilson Circle Road, Mount Wilson. For more call (626) 214-8030 or visit www.mtwilson.edu/events/arts-griffith. On view Saturdays, July 19 through October 26, from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets: $5.
