MOCA JIVA

The Museum of Contemporary Art is such an overall success with both its new building and first-class inaugural exhibit that I am considerably dismayed to find MOCA following one of the more traditional and inconsiderate of museum practices.

I refer to the handling of labels for works of art.

While the labels shouldn’t compete with the art, I don’t see why I have to go on a treasure hunt and not be able to read the information with relative ease once I have found it.

During one of the member review days, I saw four or five people standing near a work of art. Everyone was looking at the floor. It turns out they were trying to read the label at their feet!

Even when I had much younger eyes, I could never have read a label printed in such small type at about the height of my shoe. One woman actually got down on her knees, but I decided it was never intended I should have that information and moved on.

The irony is that the label attracted more attention than the work of art itself--or do you suppose the museum was trying to tell us something about that piece?

CHARLES M. WEISENBERG

Beverly Hills