4.20 – Written by Bill
who stayed another day with Peter and Izzy.
Another day of sun. Yawn. Today is
Connect-The-Kids-To-Their-Great Uncle-Ronny-Day. First stop, The Getty Center,
which was only in the planning stages when Ronny was Curator of Paintings at
the Getty in the 80s. Nevertheless, that’s where “his” paintings now reside, so
off we go to this temple of art. One of the best parts about the Getty Center
is the approach. You drive to the foot of a hill and park in a capacious
parking structure. Then, you stroll outside to a train platform where helpful
guides show you which line to stand in. A few minutes later, your absolutely
silent automated train arrives and you board for the 5 minute ride to the top
of the hill where the GC awaits. On the way, the voice of James Cuno, Getty
Director, welcomes you and thanks you for visiting. And then there you are,
looking up at a complex of, I think, five separate pavilions connected by a
fountain-strewn plaza. You’re looking up because you still have some stairs to
climb past a couple contemporary sculptures, include a larger-than-life naked
boy holding a frog by its legs in his outstretched arm, to reach plaza-level.
Now for the Ronny-Bought-This-Picture tour. We find Mantegna’s “Adoration of
the Magi” and Dieric Bouts’ “The Annunciation,” two of Ronny’s proudest
acquisitions. P and I are ho-hum about them, but they are impressed by the
realism of Masaccio’s St. Andrew nearby. They also like the squinty eyes in all
the early Renaissance paintings. We reach a long gallery of Impressionists. On
the far wall hangs Van Gogh’s Irises. I explain to P and I that this is the
painting that got Ronny fired because he didn’t think it was worth the exorbitant
asking price so he refused to buy it. Clearly his replacement felt differently.
As we look at it from closer up, we overhear an A.P. Art History teacher tell
her charges, “and here is one of the most famous paintings in the museum!” I
give Peter the hairy eyeball and we move to a much smaller room next door where
two other Ronny acquisitions hang. One
is a moody, semi-abstract landscape by Munch. The other is the huge and
fabulous “Christ’s Entry into Brussels in 1889” by James Ensor. It fills up an entire wall and is filled with
a parade of masked revelers carrying banners with socially-charged messages. A
group of first graders is sitting in front of it while their teacher asks them
what they notice and think. I was about to take a picture of the charming scene
when a guard tells me I can photograph any picture in the room but that one.
Really? Really. We also check out a show of early American photos, which is
pretty interesting. Peter and I particularly enjoy a chart showing the times in
dozens of different American cities: Boston 1:21, New Haven 1:28, New York
1:32, and so forth. It was a different time, indeed. We also enjoy the very architectural garden,
watching dozens of school kids roll down a grassy slope, and expansive views of
L.A.
After departing the Getty, we drive to Pacific Palisades to
get a look at Ronny’s house before it’s sold.
It sits atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific. It didn’t start that way:
50 years ago four houses across the road slid down the bluff and Ronny’s house
has had an ocean view since. Says Peter
after getting out of the car, “Wow, this really IS a nice ocean view. I’ll live
here.” The realtor was nice enough to unlock the door, so we go in and spend 15
minutes or so looking around and lounging in the sun room. Google Maps
recommends that we return to Studio City via Topanga Canyon, which is the long
way around, but a beautiful and lightly-trafficed drive. At the top of the
canyon is a little park overlooking the entire San Fernando Valley. We stop and
admire the view for a few minutes. Peter notices a sign that warns there is a
$541 fine for littering. $541? What?
We dine again at In-N-Out Burger, then drive 20 minutes to
see the chandelier tree in all its illuminated glory. It’s exactly what it
sounds like, a tree whose artist owner has decorated with about 30 chandeliers.
We arrive with great anticipation, but inexplicably, it isn’t lit! We hang
around for a few minutes trying to process our disappointment, then return to
Studio City.
We pack everything in our car the next morning, bid adieu to
our home for the past week, and head out for breakfast at a local joint Peter
finds recommended online. We’re shown to a table outside beneath a huge avocado
tree – ahhh, California. I notice a signed photo of Guy Fieri on the wall,
which thrills P& I. They’re big
fans. We have an extended discussion of Guy F. while eating a delicious meal,
then return to the car and drive to LAX. Driving there on Saturday morning is
much easier than Thursday night, thank god. So long, L.A.
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