Getty Musem
Time after time, while we were recording"Middle of Nowhere"we found ourselves on Interstate 405 looking up at the Santa Monica Mountains and wondering what could really be up there. The Getty Center was under construction and we always wanted to go see it once it opened.
Over a period of 14 years the new Getty Center took shape while millions of commuters passed by on the highway below. Millions of dollars were invested and thousands of hours devoted to building a center that would bring people from all over the country and all over the world to see the Getty art collection.
Finally the construction of the phenomenal Getty Center was finished and on a recent trip we decided we had to go see it. We made the call to dind out how to get there, etc.
Within minutes the Getty Center called us back and said they would let us in before the center opened for the day.
We pulled up and people were already clamoring to get in. Later we found out that when the center opened in December, there were over 20,000 visitors a day, and it still averages 10,000 a day.
"They’re here," was all that was said by the security guard as we drove through the security entrance on our way to the top. When we entered the courtyard it felt like another world. To your right, as you walk across the 10,000 year-old stone from a remote town in Italy, there is a breathtaking view of L.A., to your left a monorail that brings visitors up from the entrance at the foot of the moutain. We you enter the museum all that goes through your head is WOW!! You can’t decided which is more impressive, the art, the buildings, or the almost excessive security to protect it all.
The way the museum is laid out is also very unique. To get to each different gallery, you have to go across an outside corridor, which was a deliberate plan by Richard Meier, the architect, to connect with the beauty of the natural setting all around the museum. You could spend days looking around, but we only had a short time, so we got an overview of three of the galleries and then stopped at the gardens.
Robert Irwin designed the innovative gardens at the museum. They are the magical backdrop to the museum. As in most of the museum, you catch yourself staring. The amazing landscaping, the way the water flows down the hill through the crisscross pathway, the intricate patterns of azaleas as the centerpiece for the gardens - it was definitely a key part of the experience.
Before we knew it, we need to be on our way because of a typically busy day. When we were leaving we were actually arguing if the Getty Center, or the world renowned Louvre in Paris was more impressive. Well, the art in the Getty is by no means as extensive as the Lourve, but why compare them? So, if you're in L.A. and can make the time, we highly recommend it.
Ike,Tay, and Zac
Email: totallytaylor83@hotmail.com
