Reflections 2023
Welcome to "Reflections 2023," my online photo journal for sharing "sketches," works in progress, and insights into my creative practice. I invite you to share your thoughts about these posts via my Contact Form.
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Volume 1: "L.A. Immersion Excursion"
January 2023
It always inspires and motivates me to take in great exhibitions of art. A pre-holiday trip to Los Angeles gave my husband Donn and me a chance to immerse ourselves in museums, galleries, and architecture. I put some images and observations together into a photo travelogue to share with you. Here are just a few highlights from The Broad, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Bergamot Station, The Hammer Museum, and The Getty. I hope you are inspired to get out and see some great art in 2023!
The Broad
Founded by philanthropists and art collectors Eli and Edythe Broad, this museum houses an extensive collection of 20th and 21st Century art including Koons, Basquiat, Rauschenberg, Lichtenstein, Warhol, Cindy Sherman, and many more. Its unique architecture is interesting inside and out and I couldn't resist including the structure in many of my photos.
The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away
This is probably the closest I will come to floating among the stars. The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away is one of two Infinity Mirror Rooms by Yayoi Kusama in the Broad collection. It was a very immersive experience and if you look closely you can see Donn and me among the many souls - many times - perhaps in many lifetimes.
Jeff Koons and Jean-Michel Basquiat
Robert Therrien's "Under the Table" and Lichtenstein's "Goldfish Bowl"
Another Koons against the building's facade.
Infinite Expansion by Mike Kelley
A few more interior architectural studies.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Just across the street from The Broad is the Disney Concert Hall. Donn and I toured the facility when it first opened in 2003 and marveled at Frank Gehry's distinctive architecture. I had to stop for a few photo studies while imagining the experience of a concert here. Maybe next trip!
Bergamot Station Arts Center
Located in a converted railroad station in Santa Monica, Bergamot Station is now a renowned creative arts complex housing over 20 galleries. Some of the galleries were not open at the time we were there, but we managed to take in a few including Galerie XII, William Turner Gallery, Skidmore Contemporary Art, ROSEGALLERY, and Marshall Gallery.
The Hammer Museum, UCLA
Founded in 1990 by Dr. Armand Hammer, the museum's mission/belief is "the promise of art and ideas to illuminate our lives and build a more just world." On display during our visit were an exhibition of Picasso's little known Cut Paper works of art and a visual narration of the life and work of writer Joan Didion. I must have been totally absorbed in the art because I only took this one photo of the Picasso display.
The Getty
The Getty Institution is dedicated to promoting a vital civil society through an understanding of the visual arts. A cultural and philanthropic organization, it has a Conservation Institute, a Giving Foundation, and a Research Institute in addition to its two museums. Of course there were some impressive exhibits on view at the museum including some early Dutch drawings from the 1400s and some Impressionist paintings featuring Van Gogh's famed Irises. I was anxious to see what was on display from their extensive photography collection. It was primarily just one exhibition of the work of Uta Barth. While I enjoyed her various studies of light, I have to say I was disappointed that more work by other photographers in the collection was not on view.
We only had a few hours to spend during our visit. The Richard Irwin designed garden and view of the city were a must!
What do you think?
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