Leaving the Parelli's in great spirits and looking forward to returning to Jindivick, the drive to Durango airport went quickly. I actually stopped to take this photo - 'the head within the head'.
Lovely countryside and lots of wild sunflowers along the road.
Plans changed and I had a day in Los Angeles. The Getty Centre, designed by the architect Richard Meier, would be one of the most beautiful and spectacular complexes build in the 20th century. It houses the J. Paul Getty Museum and is build on top of a hill overlooking the city and the bay. Parking is at the bottom and access is via a single track tram which wends its way up to the top and, with precision, passes the other tram on its way down at a small double track area.
The Centre is vast and has been built, and is run, with meticulous efficiency and respect for art of all kinds and for the visitors. There is no admission charge so it is available to anyone who is interested.
The museum has various temporary exhibitions as well as a huge permanent collection. After seeing the rather disturbing and confronting photographic exhibition 'Engaged Observers' which shows the works of various war photographers and those interested in the struggles of survival, I joined a talk on the gardens.
Richard Meier designed the gardens and water features within the buildings. The trees are on the same grids that the buildings are designed on. Total precision. These trees are seen from an angle and then straight ahead here only one tree is visible. They are pruned monthly to keep their desired shape.
Robert Irving designed the outside garden. He was an artist with no gardening experience. He describes his work as 'a sculpture in the form of a garden aspiring to be art'. The deepening path zig-zags down a hill through manicured lawn on either side of water, trees and shrubs, to the sunken garden. As one passes from bright light to filtered light the boulders become smaller and the shrubs become larger. There is every shade of green and all types of leaves. As Robert Irwin is an artist and not a gardener he chose the plants according to their colour and shape rather than their rarity. (the trees continually have one in five leaves taken off to ensure the light remains filtered). There are 20 gardeners!
The azalea maze is made up of red, pink and white. At this time of year there is a scant flowering of the red flowers.
Invigorated by the pungent smell of garlic along the back of the maze I returned to the galleries.
Just loved the energy of this eighteen inch high sculpture by Italian born Paolo Troubetzkoy (Russian prince father and American mother). The bronze 'Dancer' is the Russian Countess Tamara de Svirsky.
I will certainly return to the Getty Centre when I am next in L.A. Maybe in different time of year when there will be different sights and smells.
Thanks for sharing. Looks like a great trip.
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