The Getty Villa

The Getty Villa

The Getty Villa is a gorgeous museum in Malibu that houses J. Paul Getty's collection of ancient works. There are approximately 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities, including sculptures, vases and gorgeous jewels. Also impressive is the architecture which was constructed to re-create a first century Roman country house, the Villa dei Papiri. So don't forget to take a walk around the grounds. There are apparently 300 different plants throughout the gardens. It is easy to get overwhellmed with the extensive collection of art- so you can
enhance your visit with a GettyGuide audio player, available for $5 at the Pick-Up Desk on Floor 1 of the Museum. The player features insightful commentary from curators and conservators on over 150 works of art in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa and in special exhibitions.

The Getty Villa is a must see-- plus tickets are free- so there is no excuse!

Greek, Egypt, 300 - 100 B.C.
Gold and glass

Admission
Admission to the Getty Villa and to all exhibitions is FREE. An advance, timed ticket is required for each adult. And parking costs $10.

Get your tickets and find out more about the museum here: www.getty.edu

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Brooklyn Museum: Target First Saturdays.

This past Saturday I attended Target First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum. This was like no event I had ever been to before, and was truly a phenomenal experience. Aside from the museum being an amazing physical space with an impressive selection of art, this cross-cultural event brings in thousands of people from all the NYC boroughs. Every first Saturday of the month, the Brooklyn museum is free and there is a showcase of art and live music with a huge dance party in the ballroom. There is food, drink, and the museum is open to the public until 11:00 PM. This event which as explained in the title happens every fist Saturday of the month. During the colder months, it is indoors, however, during the summer it becomes a large scale outdoor festival.



The music playing in the ballroom was Afro-funk and the atmosphere was so energetic and positive. The crowd was unbelievably diverse with people of all ages, ethnic groups, and socio-economic backgrounds. The cafe was serving food and drinks which was the only thing about the event that required purchase. There were also various events that went on the entire week before at the Brooklyn Museum in conjunction with First Saturdays including free movie screenings, musical performances, and literary discussions.



We had an amazing time checking out the art, dancing, and people watching. Can't wait for next month!

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P.S.1. Contemporary Art Center

P.S.1. is a division of MOMA which was originally a school that was abandoned, and in was converted to a space for art exhibitions. It housed a variety of performances and exhibits over the years from renowned artists all over the world. P.S.1. became affiliated with MOMA in 2001 and is truly a gem. It is a unique division which lacks the pretentious element often associated with modern art and welcomes a diverse array of people.

There is always something going on at P.S.1. so I decided to go there last weekend and check out the new exhibit. Honestly, I had not been there since New York was hot and sweaty, so it really had been a while. The exhibit which I found to be the most powerful was the video series by Yael Bartana. She is an israeli artist who focuses on peace and conflict in Israel. She had two video displays one showing the building of settlements pre-1948 and on the other screen there were images of bulldozers destroying Arab villages in the West Bank. This presentation of construction and destruction was very powerful.

It was the opening of Lutz Bacher, My Secret Life and there were djs spinning. All in all, aside from getting lost in Queens trying to find it, it was a fun and affordable afternoon!

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LACMA exhibition: BMW Art Cars

Another interesting exhibit going on at LACMA right now are the BMW art cars. It is on view though tomorrow. So go stop by if you are in the area. The four cars are on display between the two buildings- near the BCAM entrance. The car seen above was done by Andy Warhol and was actually a performance piece because Warhol painted live before camera. He was inspired by the movement of a racing car and tried to imply wind blowing across the surface with the blurring of the multiple colors together. Click "Read more" to see pictures and more info about the exhibit.

Frank Stella took the most literal approach to his art car. His work is inspired by the cars blue print and technical drawings.

Roy Lichtenstein's car is clearly inspired by his usual art style (made up of Benday dots and flat blocks of color). But he was also influenced by the distance and area in which the car would be traveling, which includes a bright yellow rising sun on the horizon.


Robert Rauchenberg's inspiration for the car was as if it was a mobile museum. He painted the hubcaps as if they were antique plates and he reproduced two famous works of art, Bronzino's "Portrait of a Young Man" and Ingres' "Le Grande Odalisque"

Check out this exhibit at LACMA

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The Art of Two Germany's Exhibit @ LACMA

The Art of Two Germanys exhibit at LACMA, is a fascinating look into post WWII and Coldwar era Germany. Following the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, the nation was divided into four occupational zones (The Soviet Union, The US, Great Britain and France each having a section). The political tensions of these zones ultimately lead to the Cold War, which manifested in the formation of 2 German States in 1949. These two states were: the Western liberal democracy (West Germany) and the Federal Republic of German (East Germany).


When the artwork produced by these two German states are shown together, it is a window directly through their eyes. East German artists painted in a socialist realism art style which served as propaganda for the Communist state. This is juxtaposed by the abstract expressionist style of West German artists (both styles shown below)


One of my favorite rooms is filled with works from the 1960's and 70's, where artists started to experiment with new forms, materials and technologies. When you walk into the room you are greeted by the unmistakable smell of chocolate. It turns out the pastry cart, on the left hand side of the photo, is full of cracking, molding, chocolate lion busts.

While this exhibit can be an emotionally heavy one at times, it is also full of surprises around every corner. It is very large, comprised of over 300 works from 120 different artists (so give yourself an hour or two). It will be at LACMA (in the new BCAM building) until April 19th.

Further Reading:
LACMA: Exhibition information
LAT: Great, extensive review
LACMA on Fire: LACMA Blogger scoop

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17th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition @ FIDM

The popular exhibition features actual costumes from the previous year's most memorable films. This year, the costumes are from a host of fabulous movies, including The Dark Knight, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, The Duchess (pictured above), and so many more--over 22 movies in all!

Being a costume designer AND an alum of FIDM, this exhibit is naturally one of my favorites in LA. It is always so fun to see the costumes up close and personal. It opened to the public Wednesday January 29th and will continue to run until March 29th.

The exhibition is free to the public. Group Tours are available. Visit the FIDM Museum & Galleries online for more information.

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through March 29.

Where: FIDM Museum & Galleries at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, 919 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

Information: 213-624-1200, ext. 2224.

Interview with the museums curator and exhibit info [Ventura County Star]
First Look at the Exhibit [FIDM Magazine]

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A day at the Getty

The Getty is a great place to go to have a picnic, see the exhibits, walk around the rose garden and enjoy the architecture. It is free thanks to the Getty family (though parking is $8). The Getty museum is at 1200 Getty Center Drive. Los Angeles, CA 90049-1687. Phone: +1 (310) 440-7330

Two great exhibits there right now:

Carlo Cignani
Italian, about 1670–1680
Oil on canvas
39 x 39 in. (99.1 x 99.1 cm)
EX.2008.7.9
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

"This exhibition tells the extraordinary story of a small group of artists who changed the course of art history. In the decades after the deaths of the great Renaissance masters, such as Raphael and Michelangelo, the art of painting was thought to have gone into steep decline. But then, in the late 16th century, the Carracci family of painters from Bologna burst onto the scene with tremendous energy and vitality, raising art to new heights."

My favorite section is where they show three different artists painting the same subject: Joseph and Potifar's wife. It's very interesting to see how three different artists portray a subject very differently.

The Limbourg brothers create incredible illuminated manuscripts that are just amazing to see. There is so much detail on such a small page- they even have magnifying glasses at the exhibit.

Limbourg brothers
French, Paris, 1405–8/9
Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum
9 3/8 x 6 11/16 in. (23.8 x 17 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1, fol. 63)

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LACMA exhibition: Vanity Fair Portraits

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr and Joan Crawford, Santa Monica, 1929, Vanity Fair, October 1929, © Condé Nast Publications Inc./Courtesy Condé Nast Archive.

One of my favorite photographs in the exhibit is the one above. Although it was taken in the 20's I feel like it is so timeless and classic. Plus I've never seen Joan Crawford look relaxed and not severe.

The Vanity Fair portrait exhibit is at LACMA right now- through March 1st. So you still have plenty of time to see it! The photographs run from 1918 to 2008. When you see them all together it is a chance to see how things have changed in terms of photography, celebrity, and history. All of the early photographs had authors and political figures as their covers. By the time we get into the 30's-40's we see the change to actors and celebrities.

Julianne Moore as Ingres’s ‘Grand Odalisque’, New York City, Michael Thompson
© Condé Nast Publications Inc. / Courtesy Michael Thompson


La Grand Odalisque by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. 1814

The photographers represented include Cecil Beaton, Harry Benson, Julian Broad, Imogen Cunningham, Annie Leibovitz, Man Ray, Mary Ellen Mark, Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts, Edward Steichen, Mario Testino, and Bruce Weber. All in all the exhibit was very interesting and enjoyable. Definitely a Culturista recommendation. Los Angeles is actually the only stop in the U.S.--after March 1st it continues on its international tour.

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Have you ever wondered what's 'under the dinner table'?

Lady L and I went to see the "Age of the Imagination" exhibit at L.A.C.M.A last week. I am a huge fan of Japanese art--especially from the Edo period, which this exhibit boasted. But to be honest, I was sorely disappointed. There were a few noteworthy pieces, including-- a gorgeous kimono, an original samurai costume and a modern interpretation of the Tales of Genji, told in a series of photographs from a live theater performance. But the exhibition was very small- and while it did make use of the Japanese pavillion's round architecture--it didn't look very different from what has always been in there.


Since the exhibition took us only about a half hour or so-- we decided to pop on over to the new building (which is called the Broad Contemporary Art Museum). I must say- every time I drive by the museum on Wilshire and stare at those light posts- I still think they are under construction and are going to move them. But anyways- I was not disappointed with this collection of contemporary art at all. The rooms are full of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons and Robert Rauchenberg. Enough to keep you very well occupied, shocked, excited and amused. I especially enjoyed by Robert Therrien's "Under the Dinner Table," which is an oversize dining room table (complete with chairs) that the viewer can walk underneath. So if you haven't been already-- go check out BCAM! You wont be sorry.

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