The Getty Center

One of my favorite places in Los Angeles is the Getty Center, a massive arts center in the hills west of the city.  It's an architectural wonder, which houses some incredible art and also affords some of the best views of the surrounding area.  Here are some photos I shot on my last visit.

The statue of the boy holding the frog is located on the steps leading up to the main entrance of the complex.  You actually park at the bottom of the hill, and take a tram up to the top, where this is one of the first things you see.

There are a number of balconies and terraces throughout the Center, as above.  They offer some spectacular views. I believe the cluster of buildings seen at the right center of this photo is Westwood Village (just behind the pillars would be the UCLA campus).

I have some traditional shots of the central plaza, but I like this one more, where you see some of the activity in the reflection of the windows of one of the galleries. In the foreground is a rock sculpture fountain.

 There are also lots of nice gardens around the Getty Center, as you can see hear.  A few days ago, I posted photos from the Getty Villa, which is an affiliated site, celebrating the classical arts. The Center is more devoted to modernism, and the design of the grounds as well as the buildings are the chief expression of that approach.

Looking north from the Getty Center, you can see the 405 Freeway going up towards Sepulveda Pass (that's Sepulveda Boulevard running alongside on the right).  Based on my experience (not all that extensive), that counts as very light traffic in LA, especially on that particular road (this was a Saturday morning).   

Sunday Funnies

This week, I feature another of the great New Yorker cartoonists-- Peter Arno, whose work appeared for decades in that magazine.  Here are a few examples of his work.

 "Well, if you ever need us again just give us a ring."

 "I'm afraid as a kid star he's through"

 "Now let me tell you about my troubles!"

"I hate to think of waking him. He didn't get in till all hours."

 "In the interests of science, Miss Mellish, I'm going to make a rather strange request of you."

A Quote for Sunday

This comment by Mark Twain (1835-1910) is undoubtedly true-- I wonder how many conditions can replace the premise here, so that the rest remains true? 

"The man who sets out to carry a cat by its tail 

learns something that will always be useful and 

which never will grow dim or doubtful."

Cool Song

I always liked this song by Sebadoh, but I never realized there was an "official" video for it.  I wonder if this ever played on MTV?  Either way, here it is for your listening (and viewing) pleasure...

Riding the Wild Surf

 

 Actually, the surf wasn't all that wild the afternoon I  stopped to take these pictures at what I think was Topanga State Beach in Malibu.  Trying to capture the action of the waves and the surfers is a great photo exercise, and I think these turned out pretty good (with a little cropping and exposure adjustment).

I like the curl of the wave I captured in this one.  I don't know what the debris is out beyond the surf-- it might just be seaweed. If it's not, then you have to admire (or scratch your head over) the surfers going out into the garbage.

In addition to the guys with their boards, there was also a huge pelican swimming out from where I was shooting, but I couldn't get a shot that looked like anything other than an old log (mainly because he was between me and the sun, so every shot came out totally backlit). 

Saturday Morning Cartoon

I always liked Droopy Dog, with his deadpan delivery and Tex Avery's wild visual gags.  I was also a sucker for anything with a western theme when I was a youngster, so this cartoon was right up my alley:

Saturday's Quote

Today I share an insightful allegory from the renowned Irish politician Edmund Burke (1729-1797):

"Because half-a-dozen grasshoppers under a fern make the field ring with their importunate chink, whilst thousands of great cattle, reposed beneath the shadow of the British oak, chew the cud and are silent, pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field; that of course they are many in number; or that, after all, they are other than the little shrivelled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome insects of the hour."

Cool Song

As far as I'm concerned, Nina Simone is at the top of the list of female vocalists. She's great on ballads, politically charged songs, covering classic rock or jazz... really anything.  Here's a bouncier number than she was typically known for, and she nails this one too...

Yet More Friday Family Blogging

I don't put up enough photos of Raechelle (mainly because I don't see her as often as my other nieces and nephews), but here's a nice shot from that same old memory card mentioned in the previous posts.  Looks like she was getting ready for Christmas.

Soup Diary 120323

I've fallen a bit behind on keeping everybody up-to-date on the soup I've been eating.  That's not because I'm eating less soup, just rarely having anything new or noteworthy.  On my recent road trip, I had soup every couple of days at least, but it was usually something I've commented on before, like the Chicken Tortilla Soup at Baja Fresh (which actually does seem to taste better the closer one is to Mexico), or something fairly nondescript, like the Split Pea at the Ellis Island Casino in Las Vegas (as part of the still phenomenal steak dinner special). Bean Soup seems to be coming back as a regular option, as it was the soup de jour at a couple places I stopped: Jan's in Beverly Hills and Izzy's Deli in Santa Monica (where I also had a Cobb Salad that came in a bowl bigger than my head). The picture above is of the Creamy Tomato Soup which is a March staple at the Souplantation and raved about in many places.  I've had that before too and wasn't impressed.  But it was awhile ago (the chain only exists in the Southwest, apparently), so I stopped in at the location in Phoenix to give it another try and I wasn't any more convinced of its greatness.  They actually have several varieties available (it's an all-you-can-eat soup and salad bar), so I also tried the Chicken Stew which was mediocre, and the Pinto Bean (there it is again) which was the best of the lot in my opinion.  Souplantation is a nice option because you can load up (I went the evening I visited the Mariners camp, and I hadn't eaten since very early that morning), but I wouldn't really recommend it for its soups, which all taste mass-produced. They advertise that they are made from scratch, and I believe that's probably true, but if you need to keep six or seven pots full for however many hours the place is open, it's got to be hard to give each batch a little individual attention. Oh well... this weekend I'll be in Helena, with the promise of something really good from Steve's Cafe.  Stay tuned...          

New Hal Crowther Column

As noted here a number of times in the past, I'm a fan of the cultural critic Hal Crowther, who has a new column out on the primaries.  If you'd like to take a look, you can find it here. 

More Friday Family Blogging

Here's another shot off that misplaced memory card, of Marenka and Gerik.  Again, I apologize if this is a repeat (I know I've seen it before!), but I like it too much to err on the side of caution.

Friday Family Blogging

It's possible I posted this one before-- Maria, Natalie, Ben, Thomas, Joseph, and Sara (and me in the reflection) at Virginia City-- but I just stumbled across it on a memory card, so maybe. It's one of my all-time favorites, so even if it was up here before, I don't mind showing it off again.

Friday Philosophy

Some good advice from the philosopher and educator John Dewey (1859-1952):

"Since changes are going on anyway, the great thing is to learn enough about them so that we will be able to lay hold of them and turn them in the direction of our desires. Conditions and events are neither to be fled from nor passively acquiesced in; they are to be utilized and directed."

A Good Song

I should have posted this last week along with the photos I put up from my own trip to Arizona. Oh well, better late than never.  Mark Lindsay, some of you may recall, was the lead singer of Paul Revere & the Raiders-- this was his first solo hit:

Toonerville Thursday

I believe that Little Woo Woo is the youngest citizen of Toonerville that Fontaine Fox featured in his classic strip.  But she's just as colorful as her older compatriots, as you can see.

A Thought for Thursday

A little something to think about from the British poet and adventurer Lord Byron (George Gordon Noel, 1788-1824):

"It is singular how soon we lose the impression of what ceases to be constantly before us. A year impairs, a luster obliterates. There is little distinct left without an effort of memory, then indeed the lights are rekindled for a moment - but who can be sure that the imagination is not the torch-bearer?"

Pretty Song

I don't know what all the clutter embedded in this video is about, but just ignore it and listen to one of the Byrds greatest songs (though not a hit for some reason) as well as one of the best compositions by Gene Clark (who also handles lead vocals here):

Statues at the Getty Villa

Another one of the spots I visited on my recent road trip was the Getty Villa in Malibu, California.  It's a replica of an estate in ancient Pompeii that sits on a bluff overlooking the pacific and houses a wonderful collection of ancient art, mostly from the Greeks and Romans.  I took the opportunity it provided to work on my portrait skills.  

I don't believe there was a name on the first statue seen above, but the woman is Athena, which is set up in an alcove near the entrance of the estate and visitors are encouraged to touch it to get a sense of the different textures employed by the sculptor in shaping the work.  Kind of rare for a museum, especially given the statue's age. 

It's unfortunate that this statue has not weathered the years so well, since it's quite striking.  It's one of a group celebrating the ancient muses of Greek culture.

 I can't remember now if this was a statue of Zeus or Hercules, but I'm reasonably sure it was the former.  There are so many statues on display, including multiple versions of the most famous figures, that it was difficult to keep them straight (plus I was more interested in seeing if I could take an interesting picture of them than memorizing their identities).

I believe this last sculpture was also unnamed, and was out in the garden (I'll post some pictures of the grounds in another day or so).  He looks frightened, which seems an odd expression in comparison to the other works I saw there. 

Wednesday's Words

Today I've selected a line from the Brazilian author Paulo Coelho to share:

"Dreams nourish the soul just as food nourishes 

the body. The pleasure of the search and of 

adventure feeds our dreams."