A New School Year

At the end of September I returned to the Getty to continue my internship at the exhibition design department. It felt like I was only gone for a week when it was really 3 and a half months. Since leaving for summer, three people moved on to other jobs and the department is now having interviews. I wish I could interview for the designer one position. I seriously considered taking some time off from school in order to apply at the Getty but everyone tells me that the last year of school is important. So I will stick it out and enjoy where I am.

In other news, I went on an office field trip to the LACMA. The exhibit designer of LACMA lead our department on a tour. We arrived at the Pre-Colombian portion of the Latin American art wing. I must admit that I had no idea what to expect. I initially saw the undulating wooden walls, wrapping around the door frames, and thought it was a piece of art. It was impressive. But then I got to thinking; is this decoration or does it serve a purpose?

LACMA pre columbian art entrance

Jorge Pardo, a sculptor, designer and artist, aimed to accentuate the ancient in a unique way. He said the the bright hues (18 colors in all three galleries), would not take away from the pieces which are intrinsically interesting. Personally, I was taken by the oranges and yellows of the first room. The space was striking,  accentuated with Pardo’s ornamental lanterns that had to be hand assembled by the exhibit designers. But that’s just it, it way overpowered the art encased in the horizontal wooden material. With iridescent vertical 8 foot drapes hanging from the ceiling, the gallery looked more like a trendy Los Angeles martini bar that would soon look dated. The contrast between this ultra modern aesthetic and the ancient art was beautiful but I just don’t think it has staying power. When the slates collect dust and the unfinished board is smudged with fingerprints how will it look? In this photo notice how the panels create odd topographical shapes. C’mon the the stand in the center looks like a pregnant woman.

Gallery

I took a few photos of the lamps. I thought they would go nicely with my multi-colored IKEA particle board furniture.

Gallery Lamps

Most of the art was hiding behind these wooden panels.

Art is hiding

However, a nice contrast is created between the sculptures in the center of the gallery and the paneled walls.

ready for my close up