Yesterday was the end of a nine-year wait for me to see one of my favorite places in the world, the Getty Villa in Malibu. When the Getty Center (see previous blog) opened that year, the Villa closed for renovations and expansion. I believe it was only supposed to be closed for about five years but the time was extended, due in part to litigation from the neighbors. But that is all history now and it was with much excitement, and some trepidation, that I drove up the irregularly (and bumpy) paved driveway with my friends BG and TL. My main interest was in viewing the exhibit "Stories in Stone: Conserving Mosaics from the National Museums of Tunisia." We started out with the "Getty Villa Architecture and Gardens Tour" just to get our bearings. This was definitely a worthwhile introduction. I was impressed with the way they handled the juxtaposition and integration of the old 1970s buildings with the new. TL mentioned the use of travertine that looked like it had been left over from the construction of the Getty Center, a nice touch. We decided to have lunch in the new cafe. I opted for the Villa Salad with chicken, nicely presented with crisp lettuce, a lemon dressing and pistachios, I would order it again. Leaving the cafe it looked like rain was imminent.
We headed for the Mosaics. I have been reading snippets of the books "Tunisian Mosaics, Treasures from Roman Africa" and "Stories in Stone, Conserving Mosaics of Roman Africa." But, of course, there is nothing like seeing artwork in person. Looking at floor mosaics shown on walls perpendicular to their intended position, has always been a problem for me. But given the exhibit space, laying that many mosaics out on the floor would take up too much room. So I have to get my head around what the intended view would have been versus the way I have to look at them in this context. The other troubling point is, of course, that there is no context! These mosaics were parts of buildings just as much as the walls and ceilings. It's like looking at a fireplace left standing when the rest of the house has burned down around it... you have no idea how it related to its surroundings. Nevertheless, there is some value in seeing the mosaics firsthand as if they are separate works of art, like an oil painting. Because I am not likely to be going to Tunisia any time soon, traveling around to all the museums and sites where these are usually housed, this was indeed a treat. I realized I really had learned a lot since starting the Archaeology Program at UCLA a couple of years ago, studying for classes, writing term papers and reading on my own. Being with the mosaics, I felt very much at home and I had an intense feeling that this is the way my life is headed.
Our next stop was "Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity." Not only is the glasswork beautiful and interesting, but the video kiosks sprinkled throughout the exhibit with demonstrations of the making of the various kinds of glasswork enhanced the experience. By the time we wandered out into the open area, the rain had arrived. One of the nice touches at the Getty Villa (and Getty Center) is the provision of umbrella stations where you can pick up a brolly or drop it off going in and out of the buildings.
Of course, I had to stop off at the Museum Store to see if they had any interesting silk scarves, and wouldn't you know it, they had some with a mosaic design. Guess what I am wearing to work tomorrow!
(All photos on this blog copyright roslyn m wilkins and not to be used without permission.)
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