May 31, 2005
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Today’s PHOTOPOST contains a series I shot while at the J.P.Getty Art Museum in L.A. this past Saturday. Included in the over 250 photos I shot are photos of the art itself, the garden and grounds, including shots of the museum buildings, with architecture by Richard Meyer, and I took copious notes concerning the art I did capture so that I can credit the painters and sculptors and give the time frame (I didn’t take notes as to the medium) I spent over five hours there, and as usual, it was very enjoyable. At least two of my favorite paintings hang there, “Spring” by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (shown in last Sunday’s New and Notes column) and Bouguereau’s “A Young Girl Defending Herself Against Eros”which is featured on my Philosophy of Art page of the “Yes But Is It Art? Gallery”
This series of photographs is entitled “Reflections of Art”, and each photo shows a person or persons enjoying the art presented, or in this case, enjoying each other in the context of the artistic presentation. The altarpiece is Italian from the early 1300s. I had the idea of photographing people “posed” in front of their favorite pieces, but opted for unposed shots taken in the moment.
Some of these are not exactly the shots I might have wanted, but I didn’t approach anyone, and therefore nothing is “faked”. All these shots are true assessments of the moment. This woman is considering a bust. Regrettably, I didn’t make note of the artist or period.
I didn’t “stalk” this woman but shot quite a few photos of her serious contemplation of Dosso Dossi’s “The Allegory of Fortune” (1530). In this shot I got the observer but am showing the observed.
In this shot I catch the observer in deep thought in front of the painting. She barely moved for about eight minutes, so engrossed in the experience of viewing Dossi’s work. The painting to the extreme left, “Mythological Scene” is also by Dossi and is one of the museum’s prized possessions. I also have shots of the painting itself, and of this lovely woman gazing upon it’s charms.
I must admit I “followed’ a couple of “interesting characters” around. (But I wasn’t, repeat, wasn’t “stalking” them.) This guy is reading the placard describing Bruggehen’s “Bacchante With an Ape”, a dutch painting from 1627.
Here the art patron from the photo above observes with a studied look the 1585 painting “A Hare in the Garden” painted by Hans Hoffman in Germany.
An elderly gentleman with a cane comes into a room I just left in the Furniture Gallery hanging with tapestries.
This isn’t the shot I wanted to get. I was photographing the clay urns you see to the extreme left when this woman approached the small portrait on the wall and began lovingly observing it from all angles. I didn’t get the shot of her studying the painting up close, but did get this rather interesting shot of her observation from afar as she rocked on her heels.
Another shot that was taken immediately “after” the shot I really wanted to get but missed. The gentleman in the gray shirt was intently pointing out a detail from the Bouguereau (1880). I got the shot immediately after he passed, and this photo makes it look as if everyone is ignoring one of the best paintings in the gallery.
I had to get this view of a photographer attempting to capture the grandeur of Alma-Tadema’s “Spring” from the late 1880s.
This art lover spent many a golden moment admiring the impressionist paintings in one gallery. I didn’t get the painting info for this. (A Manet perhaps?) and I’m not a great fan of the impressionists. I did think it was interesting that hanging at the back of the Impressionist’s Gallery was a painting by Jackson Pollack (which looked strangely out of place, but then again, perhaps it didn’t.) I raised my camera to shoot the crowd in front of the painting and was immediately approached by two docents who raised their hands in front of my lens. In a museum where photography is allowed (non flash of course) the Pollack was on loan from another museum, so I couldn’t take pictures.
I spent the last hour or so in the garden, and will feature photos of the fantastic floral display in a future PHOTOPOST (and will have a Webshots Gallery devoted to my Getty Trip soon) but for this series I close with a shot of a young couple enjoying the presence of Spring in the garden, and “doing what comes naturally” under one of the arbor cages.
Comments (13)
:sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny:
THose are prize shots! They are almost worth the paintings themselves! The study by the artist studied by the viewer.:yes:
~Thoughts through the looking glass~
Ya learn something new every day…art galleries in LA
i would have expected Pryor’s base pipe and Belushi’s needle in any sort of L.A. museuum:giggle:
great idea and well executed. Reader Response Theory in action.
Very beautiful paintings! *sigh* How I wish there was a decent Art Museum near me. Unfortunetly, there really isn’t. I always find it interesting to observe others in that type of situation. I love seeing others reactions and then compare with my own. I like trying to figure out what the artist was thinking when they painted a certain piece and whatnot.
Mike, your study of the human reaction with art is phenomenal and which I ejoyed a lot. In Afrikaans we would say: “Bakgat!!”. I am planing a trip to our local art gallery here in Cape town to copy you …it is difficult to catch that right moment, is it not. Loved your post.
I loved the way you portrayed the art and the person preforming the critique on equal ground. It’s wonderful.
*and the crowd goes wild*:goodjob:
I found it interesting that it took me three reads to feel I’d soaked it in. 1) to glance at the pictures and read the captions 2) to study the people 3) to study the art
Thanks Mike
:nono:Dear Karolyn and Ira, When I packed my camera last week (without the memory stick, duh) and headed for the Getty, I knew that there were always lots of people there, and in my mind was a “photo series” of “viewers” or “observers” as well as the art itself. First I was going to take release forms and try to get “poses” but when I got there (finally) this past weekend I knew I wanted to get “reactions” that were completely spontaneous. As mentioned in a number of shots, what I “wanted” wasn’t exactly what I got.
:goodjob: Dear Keeta, Try the online Art Renewal Center. I go to “online museums” too and this is the best I’ve found. It even tells you where the real art “resides”.
:lookaround:Dear JJ, Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Besides, I’m sure this wasn’t my “idea”. It seems so natural when at a museum with a camera to take photos of the reactions of the patrons.
:spinning:Dear Lady, Thanks so much. I really didn’t think I’d get this positive a response with this entry. I am always surprised when this happens.
:love:Dear Catbert, You are so neat. Three times. I hope you clicked the images, to get the full size ones. (that is when Xanga isn’t being persnickity.) Everybody has a camera in this museum, because it is a private museum and not a city sponsored place like LACMA where you can’t take photos. So it was easy to “get shots” without anybody knowing I was snapping their picture. I wish I had gotten some of the shots I really wanted, and one of the shots I took that was “right on” turned out to be “out of focus”. when I got it into the computer. Dang! I hate it when that happens. (My cataract is prohibiting me from seeing clearly at times, but I’m getting my “second opinion” on the 22nd, so might get the surgery soon.)
that was an interesting photo post of the Getty. I love the Getty, unfortunately there always are so many people there walking around. I usually like to just focus on a few instead of looking at all of them.
have a nice day.
That’s a really interesting concept.
I especially like the first and fifth.
it’s been said already, but i’ll echo -
quite the unique concept…
well well well Mike, you’ve done it again .. always have a delightful post to share with us.
…. hey and who knows.. maybe u meet that special lil someone at the museum one day…
You have no idea how much I enjoyed the time I spent in your site ^_^ … I like how you posted each image with a special comment and how you captured the expressions of the people while entertained by the magic of art. When I lived in NY I visited the museums frequently .. specially the Metropolitan Muesum of Art. I’d spend hours just walking the halls enjoying the different forms of art and history.
and i’m glad your trip was a success this time
blessings
i emphatically agree, you HAVE done it again Michael! I had to study each shot and all its elements in layers as well, it’s imposible not to. And i so loved taking in each piece in that way. So lovely what is mirrored in the faces of those who are observing and studying each piece of artwork. The human condition frozen in the time of a shutter’s passing. Simply beautiful work Michael, i adored each one. Thank you for sharing this.
~Lynxkatt