The re-opening of the Getty continues getting loads of press on everything from Malibu neighbors complaining of increased traffic to laments about the long wait for tickets. However, a refreshingly positive article by Robert Pincus today focuses on the superb renovations and the experience of wanding the newly refurbed galleries. Here is an excerpt..."Now, with the reopening of the Getty's older site, it can boast an improved showcase for ancient art. The merits of the changes by architects Rodolfo Machado and Jorge Silvetti to the overall site are already being debated. Yet one thing seems clear: They have enhanced the building as a place for art, with the concentration on ancient art, the vast increase in natural light and the intelligent organization.
"When the Malibu museum housed everything from ancient statues to European paintings to photography, it seemed like a clutter box. Now, the displays in its 28 galleries are spacious and the installations elegant. The signage allows you to identify each object by a tiny image rather than a number or letter and cleanly highlights its place on a timeline.
"It's safe to say that nowadays, most people aren't fluent in Greek and Roman history or in the art of either culture. Without condescending to the viewer, the information in the galleries enhances our experience of it.
"Take the gallery devoted to bronze artifacts. They possess a burnished greenish patina that is elegant. But we're reminded that this isn't the color they displayed when they were in use by affluent Greeks or Romans. They were golden in hue.
"Among the things in bronze were storage jars, though that term may conjure up images of vessels stuffed in corners of ancient homes. Not so with some of the stunning examples like "Storage Jar With a Female Figure," dating from 50 to 1 B.C. They housed the wine for dinner parties. Click to read the full article.
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