The Getty is a breathtaking museum in Brentwood, perched atop the Santa Monica Mountains with an unreal view of LA below. It opened to the public in 1997, and is free to visit (unless you park on site, which will cost you $20). A rather impressive people-mover takes you from the parking garage, up the hillside to main buildings and gardens. All I could think about as I walked around this slice of paradise, was sheer wealth that must have built the joint in the first place.
If you’ve been following my adventures over the last few years, you know I’m all about the art. But I would have made a trip to The Getty just to see the perfectly manicured expanse. Sculptures are scattered throughout, couples sit on the grassy hillsides sharing bottles of wine, and tourists stand along the perimeters–gazing at the mansions you can see on surrounding hilltops. To be honest, it felt quite European and relaxed. I rather enjoyed the quick hour I spent there. 
As I quickly surveyed the art The Getty had to offer, I kept noticing the strange representations of women. (Not to be confused with representations of female artists, I’m afraid. *see info about Guerrilla Girls) When I learned about the Bechdel Test some years ago, it revolutionized the way I saw women portrayed in the arts from that moment forward. The test itself is rather easy: do at least two women–hopefully with names–talk about something other than a man? Sadly, quite a pathetic percentage of contemporary pieces pass.
Tell me, what do you see in the following artworks that stick out to you? What do you like or dislike?
The description on the plaque beside this piece is enough to give you the creeps. Here’s a direct quote: “Staring with eyeless sockets, this domineering woman–the Eternal Feminine–calmly holds court over a crowd of men fighting for her attention. None of the men represented here–musicians, wrestlers, a bishop, even the artist himself–can resist her temptation. Urgently hashed brushstrokes and strong pictorial diagonals repeatedly lead the eye back to the central figure.”
Say what now?! Told you it’d give you the creeps.
for the love of nike 
Love the Getty. Yes, the grounds and buildings alone are worth the visit.
It’s astonishing! I never knew how beautiful it is there.