Event Blog: Getty Museum

My first visit to the Getty Museum exceeded my expectations for a typical art museum.  First, the architecture of the museum was spectacular.  It overlooks all of West LA and allows a lot of natural sunlight to illuminate all five gallery pavilions.  The buildings, which incorporate 1.2 million square feet of travertine stone, are accompanied by fountains, sunken gardens and terraces.  For obvious reasons, the design of the building was a piece of art.  However, it can also be seen as a piece of scientific work since the design could only be made physically possible by consulting engineers to see if it met building standards of safety.  

 

I’ve always been fascinated with the Middle Ages, so I was really excited to find exhibit featuring chivalry in the middle ages.  One exhibit showcased a large book supposedly preserved since that time.  None of the writing was in English, but the pages weren’t made out of normal paper, maybe more like papyrus, and the pages were brightly colored.  There was a method behind the coloring and took several steps in order to achieve the final result.  Compared to how fast the same results can be achieved now, coloring those pages must have had a designated job practice.  

Minor White’s exhibit on black and white photography caught my attention, partly due to the pun from his name and his type of exhibit.  I’m not too experienced with taking or criticizing pictures, but each picture seemed to focus on showing a new perspective for that scene or object.  Each picture needed the right angle and lighting.  Each picture also probably went through a rigorous editing program done on a computer.   Photography is another great example of combining art and science. 

 

 Works Cited:

"Architecture | Getty Center." The J. Paul Getty in Los Angeles. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014.

 "J. Paul Getty Museum." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 July 2014. Web. 01 Aug. 2014. 

"Getty Mounts Minor White Photography Exhibit." 89.3 KPCC. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2014.

""The Chivalry Project" Remakes Chivalry for the 21st Century." The Getty Iris. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2014.

 "Exhibitions at the Getty." Exhibitions at the Getty. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2014.