Getty Center a cultural Center as a great new attraction in LA
Driving from San Fernando Valley on the 405 freeway south through LA, I found that Los Angeles has been blessed with a bright new star among its myriad constellations of attractions: the Getty Center. This wonderful museum was announced by the media several years before. I was very interested about this new cultural attraction in LA. It was much more convenient for me to reach this place by bus instead of my car, because there is a lot of problems with the parking spaces. I make observations and explorations of the Getty Center, and I saw the Dosso Dossi Exhibition.
The 110-acre Getty Center is set on a dramatic hilltop to the North of the city. It is an entire campus linking numerous independent units dedicated to many different areas of culture. The bus stop is on Sepulveda Ave just before the entrance, which is under freeway. The big sign on the green wall shows that I was at the place of my destination. I went with many pedestrians under the bridge of noisy 405 freeway to the narrow staircase. Many large colorful posters announced the exhibition Dosso Dossi has just opened.
The first impression of the entrance was not pleasant. I pass by parking places with a hundred tourist buses and a lot of visitors. That gives a feeling of something important happening. On the first level is the train station. It is covered by a white light structure without walls, and is opened to the beautiful garden around. I feel great. It was a spacious area with a lot of the green plants, views of the surrounding mountains, small trees, and fresh green lawns. I smelled the flowers and bushes. In the long perspective and the shining sun I saw the main part of the museum on the top of the hill. Suddenly little white wagons arrived like magic. The doors opened and we all were taken to the top. As we went up, we looked at the landscape with hundreds of the beautiful houses, and the freeway full of the cars down below. In the long perspective in the hazy air, I saw high-rise buildings of Century City, and far away - the downtown.
We came to the Arrival Plaza. This plaza looks like huge platforms opened for the views around. Both platforms and surrounding pavilions were open and welcoming. I direct myself to the main entrance which is cylindrical hall, full of the light with transparent glass walls. Through a large opening I enter to the spacious court. The hundreds of fountains were playing in the sun. Inside the court is a joyful and vivid atmosphere, with a lot of light and fresh air, where the people are sitting, talking and eating lunch.
I joined the group of visitors with the guide. She was a young nice oriental lady. She explained that chief among pavilions was the Paul Getty Museum. The other pavilions were the Research Center, the Administration Center, the Headquarters of the J. Paul Getty Foundation, the Getty Information Institute and a multi-purpose; 440-seat auditorium.
The Center was designed by Richard Meier. He received his architectural training at Cornell University. His practice has included major civic commissions such as courthouses, city halls in the United States and Europe, museums, corporate headquarters, housing and private residencies. Among his most well known projects are the High Museum in Atlanta; the Frankfurt Museum for Decorative Arts in Germany; and television Headquarters in Paris.
The architect's principle was to create a rational, measured structure making the best possible use of space, which he achieved by setting the carefully contoured buildings among natural and landscaped gardens, thus creating the impression of a modern town.
She explained to us that the principal destination for most visitors to the Getty Center is the permanent collections of European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts and decorative arts. The building is designed on the principle of the Roman atrium, around which are the five two-story, cubic exhibition pavilions. The Museum is clad primarily in a cream-colored, cleft-cut Italian travertine stone. The travertine is also used for base walls throughout the campus. The museum and other buildings have exterior surface of metal panels which have been molded to fit their more fluid, sculptural forms. The travertine was imported from Italy. This stone was used to build the Coliseum in Rome, Fontana Di Trevi, and many ancient buildings.
During sunset, sun is reflected from the travertine stones. It falls into the atrium, and creates the fascinating gold blue quality of the light. The classical element is highlighted in the patio creations by the main axis of the composition. This axis runs from the entrance across the atrium, ending at the fifth pavilion. From this place is a panoramic view of the city in the valley below, shining in the sun. This view is absolutely amazing. It looks like a view from an airplane. You are flying above an enormous city with thousands of houses, public buildings, shopping centers, and theaters. On the horizon is the mirror of the Pacific.
Currently, the Dosso Dossi exhibition has great popularity. Dossi was an Italian painter living between 15th. and 16th. century. The artist served the Duke Ercole of Ferrara, and painted scenes from Italian Court, Italian landscape, and themes from Greek and Roman mythology in very humorous and satirical style.
His exhibition is arranged on the second floor in the west pavilions. It is close to the atrium. It can be reached by large steps or by lift. All the rooms are large and spacious painted in somber classical style. The purple, dark green, brown and deep violet, were main colors. These colors give a strong background for colorful Dossi pictures, in very heavy, rich, golden frames. Different princess, counts, kings and aristocrats looking on me from the pictures.
I examined the pictures with the mythological scenes. I found that everything the artist painted was beautiful nice and sweet. I have the same feeling when I am looking at the cheesecakes. They taste good and smell good. All scenes were in romantic landscapes with colorful sky, sunset, moon, picturesque rocks, sea shores and fantastic cities. The artist was doing every thing to please and honor the patrons.
The picture titled "Hercules" is the Ferrara king portrait idealized. This particular picture shows his protections over the people with his great coat. I started having doubts. Were all his subjects happy under his rules? What about his cruelty and tyranny ? Did he always protected his own subjects and loved the people as the pictures show us?
A lot of these pictures were so nice that everybody will be happy to have it. The next question is, what is a good criterion for the great art? Maybe such pleasant feelings? Did Leonardo, Michael Angelo, always please their patrons? I ask myself; didn't Pope Sixtus use a stick to beat Michael Angelo? Did Dosso Dossi do the things to be beaten?
The special arrangement was done in the last room. The large photo hangs on the whole wall presenting the Central Market in Ferrara with the City Hall in the middle. The very high tower is standing in the center. All buildings were built from the bricks. The walls are heavy and solid. The town was built in mediaeval time. It was pleasant to have warm and sweet the Dossi paintings in such somber houses.
On the opposite wall was presented scientific research done on the painting titled "Melissa". The scientists made a X-radiograph in natural scale of this particular picture. Melissa is one of the most impressive works of the artist. It is hung in the main exhibition room. The picture is quite large. It is a portrait of the lady. She is dressed in a fantastic rich, and colorful costume. She lives in the Paradise Garden with the strange creatures. My first thought was: what a beautiful picture! But she was a very cruel witch. She changes the human to the strange monsters. The handsome knight was changed into a dog. His human eyes show his tragedy.
The X-radiograph reveals to us how the artist was working and changes his composition. Under the paints is shown the male person standing. Possibly it is the knight in the process of changing to the dog. Nobody knows. Why he reduced this person? Maybe to focus attention on the lady.
The impression from the show was overwhelming. I needed to rest in the best place, which is the Central Garden, designed by artist painter Robert Irvin as I was informed by the guide. The Garden unites elements created by man and nature, in the form of compositions of flowers, cascading waterfalls and stones in the symbolic patterns which are used to create reflections. On the garden plateau, the artist has erected umbrella-like metal frames, providing structures up which climbing plants can grow, giving shade to the benches below for resting visitors. The complex is surrounded by decorative circular forms built of stone which contain different kinds of the cactuses with very unusual shapes.
For lunch I went to the cafeteria. The lunch tasted wonderful. The wide variety of eateries are in the complex, from the exclusive restaurants to the vending machines. The Cafeteria has service on the two lower levels. The top floor has private rooms for small groups as well as a large meeting room. Curved balconies and terraces provide outdoor seating and dramatic views toward the Pacific Ocean. Places are carefully designed so as to give visitors close contact with the gardens to admire unusual flowers and exotic plants.
In the summary it must be mentioned that Getty Center gives to the visitors a wonderful feeling of beauty. That is in line with the philosophy behind the center as a whole, which is dedicated to culture, art and humanism, a ray of optimism brightening the end of our dark century, which was filled with terrible wars, crime, concentration camps and holocaust. May it help to educate future generations in the spirit of beauty and humanism, and to diffuse the aggressive tensions that are sadly a feature of our age. This is the hope that the children and future generations will be educated in these buildings and bring new social ideas and new aspects of culture. After my visit to Getty Center I would recommend it to everybody to explore.
