Behind the Scenes at Stuart Ng Books: Get Inspired -- Power and Pathos Exhibit at Getty Center UPDATED with more photos

Back in July .. there was a review for this exhibit in the LA Times. The review inspired me to go see the exhibit.. and it did not disappoint. Here's a link for the review by Christopher Knight http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-knight-bronze-sculptures-getty-review-20150731-column.html

The pathos of the older boxer .. placed in the room so he is reflecting back on the Virtuous Youth (aka the Getty Bronze).. was highlighted in the review... and deeply moving to experience in person. So much human emotion in both of these works... so much drama and fleshy realness rendered in metal! ... and here are two works that have come across time to be in this room together and echo each other.....

The eyes in the bronze heads of this era were made of marble and glass ... fragile details often lost over time... but this exhibit has several in tact examples. Sometimes there is evidence a head was a specific portrait of an individual. What don't see are the full body of the statue these "portrait heads" were almost always attached to. The heads often appear in museums mounted on bases to display as busts. In many cases, these mounts were added by collectors centuries later....

This exhibit is a unique opportunity to be in several rooms surrounded by so many of these ancient bronze works. Many were lost due to the value of their materials (mostly for re-use for weapons or tools).

While most of the artifacts on display are male figures.. it was encouraging to see this stunning horse head.

The gold tone in image below is just lighting in this particular photograph....it's the same horse head as above..Details on this work suggest it was part of an impressive full-body mounted equestrian statue...

Some women are represented as well....Sometimes these were statues for goddesses... but the Hellenistic era is also a time when women were emerging as influences in politics and as patrons .. and there are individual portrait heads of women from this time included in this exhibit...

One room of the exhibit explains a convention of the time.. where replication of certain works for display in other locations was common..
More on the discovery of some of the works.. and how extraordinary it is to have so many of them together in one show.. .. in this LA Times article by Mike Boehm http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-cm-getty-hellenistic-bronze-20150726-story.html

Photography not allowed in the exhibit hall.. so images above are from the Getty website and searching "Power and Pathos exhibit" on Google Images.

The Getty Center buildings are an imposing fortress...http://www.getty.edu/visit/center/
The achievement of the architecture and materials almost overwhelms the art. So many striking views.. both from the grounds and around them....

This "sci fi" moment happened when some odd looking helicopters flew by in formation. Future Shock invading the temple for art and the ancients...

These were LOUD and wasp-like planes.... Marine Corps. V-22 Ospreys (thanks to aviation buff and artist Russ Vossler for clarifiyng -- from my long shot photos :). These planes are notorious for being difficult to fly -- and they flew by close!
Here's a closer view (via Google Images)

Usually the only futuristic vehicles you'll encounter at the Getty Center are the trams you'll take from the parking structure...

The tram ride includes vistas of the famous 405 Freeway....

The Getty has a stunning garden to wander

After walking.. enjoy al fresco dining with billion dollar vistas....

Even though our Sept and Oct temps have been HOT this year.. the trees know it's fall.....

There are other temporary exhibits on view at the Getty Center right now.. like these..

The courtyard area includes this 3-D map of the grounds... with building info in Braille...

more views around the grounds....

The courtyard water feature has been discontinued due to the So Cal drought.
Here's a photo with the water works... from previous post on the blog...http://stuartngbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/latest-news.html