On to the Getty Center

After a few hours at the Villa Getty, any self respecting member of the art army looks for another art museum, church or cultural experience and we were off to the Getty Center. Our GPS had a mind of its own, but we eventually found the parking lot and took the tram up the hill to the campus. What an incredible experience. This architecture is nicely integrated with the site and such a unified vision. A perfect compliment to the Roman villa. Once you pay to park your car, admission to the museum is free.

Jenna's leg was bothering her so Sherri decided to get a wheel chair to make her experience the most comfortable. The light is so intense they have umbrellas to use. The light stone makes sunglasses a must.

The view of Los Angeles competes with the art and architecture for your attention.

Three Graces?and the Villa

When I was at the Villa Getty I had a vision of the mythical three graces.  They appeared above a flowering bush in the garden.  

The birdbath fountain was also hinting to me to redo some landscape architecture on my lawn.  If only I could get the marble......

Unique people at the villa.

You can count on some interesting people at the Villa Getty.  This sculpture is of a harpy.  I don't remember seeing such chicken legs on a female figure out of stone.  Weird, but cool.  

The Roman Ephebe or youth,  is on long term loan from Naples.  It is actually a lamp that imitates the Greek style.  20-10 B.C.  Since it is original bronze, it is pretty impressive.

Of course the best are the two very life- like figures in the garden.

More from the Villa.

The Villa Getty is really the deluxe museum experience.  You can see what the Romans lived like, in a climate and architecture that is pure Hollywood-Roman.   I think even the Romans would appreciate it if they could come back.  The real details include an Egypto-Roman mummy portrait and a fresco fragment.

The real and the artificial merge for pure enrichment.

Even the copies around the grounds show a conceptual use of the artwork that you don't see in Naples, where the original sculptures are on display.

Villa Getty

The first art stop on the L.A. tour was the Villa Getty.  This museum is based on the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum as if it were new.  It shows the genius of Roman design and for anyone interested in historical recreations, this is the place.  

It houses the antique collection of J.Paul Getty and is an ideal place to experience the ancient past.  The Villa Getty only opened as it is, in 2006.  There is a rich collection of sculpture, fresco fragments and objects.  They also had some family friendly activities at two stations on Saturday.  This is a great example of how great a museum experience can be..... and the entrance fee is paying for parking, the rest is free.

The Art Army travels to Hollywood.

A small group of the Art Army went to Hollywood lately to check out the potential for future travels.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the breath of the Getty contribution to the culture.  While the entire L.A. art scene would be impossible to grasp in only a few days, there are clearly some awesome things to see.

The Villa Getty is a model museum and the Getty Center is a truly unique experience for art lovers and both are free!

The city of Hollywood is more of an illusion, but what would you expect.