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LA–the Getty Museum of Art, Part 1
When I told my beloved sister in law, Joyce, that I would be able to come for a long weekend, she asked what I wanted to do! Well, most of all I wanted to be with Joyce and meet her friends, but I thought…hmmm…How about the Getty? I’ve been inspired by photos of the Getty on my friend Deborah’s blog (see here for her pics) and some photos of the Getty in Lura Schwarz Smith’s fabulous book, Secrets of Digital Quilting, From Camera to Quilt (click here to go to Lura’s website, the title links to the book on Amazon or buy an autographed copy from Lura here). Well…get ready folks. I seriously shortened my list of photos…and I still have over 30 to share! So I’m going to break this up into several posts….
The photo above is walking up to the top of the hill to the galleries from the main entrance. To back up a bit, admission is free, but parking isn’t. You must park at the bottom of this tall hill that looks out to the Pacific Ocean, then take one of the frequent trams up the hillside. The sheltered-from-the-elements space is carefully designed to move MANY people efficiently. Here, the maze of waiting lines:
I loved this view of the blue skies through the trees…even the leftover bits from the ivy or clinging vine on the wall seems like art…
And on the tram (blurred the faces since I have NO idea who these people are and can’t ask permission to include their faces!)
Then you see this incredible statue of a swimmer by Aristide Maillol (one of my FAVORITE European sculptors…late 19th c.):
Here is Joyce at the start of our time (before we got pooped and sore feet!) on the way to see the Leonardo exhibit:
The buildings themselves, by architect Richard Meier, are a work of art, and the landscape is another work of art (more on that in a future post). My breath is simply taken away by the stunning lines, curves, shapes, the subtle play of the smooth- and rough-faced stone, the perfect pairing of the color of the stone with the blue of the sky and the green of the trees:
And a better photo (tho gives less of a feel for the grounds):
And more:
Even the white interior balconies, railings and skylights were stunning in their simplicity and line:
And of course the color and contrast in the tables outside–you could buy food there or bring your own and eat in the shade of the umbrellas–love the lines and circles and stripes and shadows and the one blue bottle cap on the chair seat….
WOW! Wait till you see the next photos….
The Leonardo Exhibit, by the way, was phenomenal. Because these works were on loan, photography was not allowed, but I saw ACTUAL journal pages, in sepia ink by the master himself and…drumroll..one was of a DRAGON! He liked dragons, too!!!!!! To think, those pages are over 500 years old, and the lines made were made by Leonardo himself…. utterly mind-blowing!
August 10th, 2010 at 9:27 am
I’m so glad you went! Really… it’s beyond words and pictures, don’t you think? (But I enjoyed yours none-the-less!)
August 10th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
The building design is amazing. Thanks for sharing!
August 11th, 2010 at 1:21 am
Oh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Getty!!! And an LdV exhibit came here a few years ago and it was something. 🙂 Glad you got to enjoy both — what a treat!
August 11th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Wow Sarah! I am very envious, this is one of my favorite museums. Nice photos… Thank you for sharing!
August 12th, 2010 at 7:37 am
The lines of the building are phenomenal! Can’t wait to see more!
August 14th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
I had a visit to the Getty in Jul 2008 with my dd and sil. It was a place I plan to go to again the next time I go to visit them. We each chose a section to visit since there is so much to see. Unfortunately due to heat and health reasons then, I could not stay as long as I liked. I took a ton of photos.