Event 3 : LACMA

The last place I went to was the LACMA, arguably most famous for the outside than it is for it’s inside. On the outside lies the world famous “Urban Light” piece, essentially a collection of lamps perfectly symmetrical and placed closely together. It is truly kind of a strange sight to behold, because normally one is used to lamps being singular and here, they’re placed closely together in design.

Since the LACMA was created in 1965, it’s now the largest art museum in the western United States most known for the picturesque Urban Lights, and it’s collections of Asian and Latin American art. When I went to the LACMA, it was vital for me to check out some of these pieces. 

Unlike the Getty, it is extremely easy to get lost in the LACMA. Housing multiple stories and having different hallways without signs, it’s essentially an air conditioned maze. The first part I stumbled upon was Renaissance Art. What differed with the Getty is that the LACMA had architecture around the time period, specifically Gothic Art. There was a doorway from France dated to be around 1450-1500. I marveled at who big it was and I loved looking at the intricacy of the work. Perfectly symmetrical, it incorporated two elements of gothic architecture including decorative style and the ornate, and having a pointed arch. 

It was cool to look at the Gothic Arch because it uses mathematics to construct a stable door, technology to make it, and the final piece is artwork. A perfect example of using multiple concepts we’ve used in class in one piece of art. 

From there, I checked out the Buddha Shakyamuni in the Asian art. A late 6th century piece, it was pretty incredible to see the multiple sculptures and the intricate design. The craftsmanship on all the pieces (including Shiva as the Lord of Dance) was breathtaking and the emphasis on the peace and meditation was nice. As a person unfamiliar with Buddhism, I really liked the pieces and really came to appreciate the artwork and religion. 

What I came away with from the LACMA was the different pieces and their incorporation of multiple concepts we've learned in class. For example, the Renaissance art incorporated technology in techniques like “vanishing points”, and the Asian art had a feeling of two cultures by way of art, math and even nature.  

A great place to visit and an even better place to enjoy a pizza at the LACMA Cafe, I had a great time. 

Event 2 : Getty

Going to the Getty is something that is high on the list for any person visiting Los Angeles. Having not been there, I figured it would now be a perfect time to go! 

Upon arriving to the Getty, I was caught in awe of the detail that the place had. Normal museums have a very old feel to them but the Getty has a more modern feel due to it’s precise mathematical design ranging from the way the bushes and hedges are trimmed to the design of the shuttle going up to the museum. 

One thing that anyone will notice is upon arriving also, is the balance it has between nature and structure. The museum itself is situated on top of a hill amongst many trees and secondly, the way it incorporates water is also beautiful. There’s a giant fountain, placed perfectly perpendicular to the center and falls perfectly in line with the stairs. The angle that it’s set gives a mathematical pinpoint that highlights the excellence of the architecture. 

Walking into the Getty, many of the walls of the building include glass. Glass is used by architects to make space appear bigger and not only does it do that, but it allows the viewers of the Getty to enjoy the sunshine of southern California and the view from the hills. 

I was interested in seeing some paintings from the Renaissance period and checked out many.  What I thought was cool was how many symbols in the artwork there were. So many biblical symbols within the artwork, it definitely was part of the design in nearly all of the artwork. Many motifs reoccured in multiple paintings, including the symbol of the dove and holy grail. 

What I learned at the Getty Museum is how art really has played a role in society. What I appreciated most about the visit was the emphasis art got. Whether it be in the design of the hedges, or the waterworks highlighting the architecture or looking at pieces from hundreds of years ago was that art, as basic as it sounds, makes people happy. You can appreciate the purity of the dove, relax and feel one with nature with the fountains, or feel the warm sunshine and admire the mathematically perfected glasswork the GC offers. 

Loved every moment of it and being free to students,  I highly recommend the Getty. 

Event 1: Pompeii Exhibit

On May 8th, I flew up to Seattle to experience the Pompeii Exhibit with my family. The last time it would ever be in North America, I was really looking forward to going. Held about 20 min from my house, it was at the Pacific Science Center downtown. As you walked into the exhibit, the first thing we were showed is a video of the earthquake and what the day it was like. Back when it happened and Mount Vesuvius blew in AD 79, the exhibit would show what life was like in Pompeii before the eruption and after it erupted. 

Why I really wanted to use it for our DESMA 9 Class is because I wanted to see if Italians back in the first century used concepts that we have learned about in this class. 

To begin with, the sculptures that they had were plentiful. The first room you walked into had the “Imperial Portrait” which was dated to be around 27 BC- 68 AD. What I found interesting was it combined mathematics with art because, the Greek Polycitos believed the total height of a figure should be seven times the height of the head. As you can see in the photo below, the theory is applied here and I found that really interesting. 

My favorite part of the exhibit was the gladiator part. Looking at the shinguards, helmets and everything else had me completely in awe because of the technology they had to make it. The intricate details were mind blowing and often times, they were so elaborate that they depicted stories like the Trojan War. 

The last thing I saw in the exhibit (but forgot to take a picture of) was the medical equipment they used. By far the most intriguing to me, they had a lot of tools for incisions but at the same time, the tools were secondary to the practice of medicine. It said that there were many elite medical practices that only the wealthy could afford and that’s why many of the social status and elite stayed at the top because the money stayed at the top.

Overall, it was fascinating to see things from BC and in the first century and I learned that even back then, the concepts we’ve learned