Simon Rodia's Towers (Watts Towers) in Los Angeles, 1967. The Getty Research Institute, Julius Shulman Photography Archive, 2004.R.10. Used with permission

Richard Diebenkorn painting in his triangle studio in Berkeley, California, 1962. Photo by Phyllis Diebenkorn. Courtesy of The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation

Richard Diebenkorn in front of his painting Cityscape in his Stanford University studio in Palo Alto, California, 1963. Photo by Leo Holub. Courtesy of The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation

Richard Diebenkorn in his studio at Main Street and Ashland Avenue in Santa Monica, ca. 1970–71. Photo by Richard Grant. Courtesy of the Richard Diebenkorn Foundation and Richard Grant

George Herms in 1960. Photo by Edmund Teske. Courtesy of and © 1960 Edmund Teske Archives, Laurence Bump and Nils Vidstrand

George Herms in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, 1960. Photo by Edmund Teske. Courtesy of and © 1960 Edmund Teske Archives, Laurence Bump and Nils Vidstrand

Robert Graham working on one of his boxes in the 1960s. Image courtesy of the Robert Graham Estate

Robert Graham working on one of his boxes in the 1960s. Image courtesy of the Robert Graham Estate

Robert Graham in the 1960s. Image courtesy of the Robert Graham Estate

Bruce Conner (in tub), Toni Basil, Teri Garr, and Ann Marshall, 1965. Photo by Dennis Hopper. Courtesy of and © The Dennis Hopper Trust

Ed Bereal in his studio in Los Angeles, ca. 1961. © Ed Bereal. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of George Herms, 2009.M.20.2. Image courtesy of Jerry McMillan and Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica. © Jerry McMillan

Hard Edge group exhibition with works by Ronald Davis and Judy Chicago at Rolf Nelson Gallery in Los Angeles, May 1964. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Rolf G. Nelson, 2010.M.38.2

Announcement for the exhibition Come and See at the Rolf Nelson Gallery in Los Angeles, June 14–July 23, 1965. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Rolf G. Nelson, 2010.M.38.1

Billy Al Bengston polishing an artwork, 1963. © Billy Al Bengston. Image courtesy of Marvin Silver and Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica. © Marvin Silver

Poster for Vija Celmins exhibition at David Stuart Galleries in Los Angeles, February 28-March 26, 1966. © Vija Celmins. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Michael Asher, 2009.M.30.13