ART WEEK: GETTY VILLA

I am definitely a sucker for tile, and these floor mosaics at the Getty Villa are my favorite parts of the museum. The mosaics cover the floors, ceiling and walls, providing ornament for indoor and outdoor rooms.

ART WEEK: WHAT'S OLD IS NEW

Since my mom was in town last weekend, and the Getty Villa at Malibu is the perfect destination for out of town guests, we got the chance to visit the museum and check out the architecture tour. We learned all about the Greek and Roman lifestyle from a saucy tour guide. Usually I am a fan of brighter and bolder things, but visiting this museum makes for a perfect Saturday afternoon. The tours are informative and the cafe is a refreshing setting for an alfresco lunch.

My favorite spot on the grounds, is the large garden behind the villa. The corridors flanking the garden are painted with incredible scenery. The recent renovation adds to the antique splendor, with onyx ledges and brass details highlighting the frescoes and mosaics. I enjoy strolling the grounds and imaging what life might have been like during ancient times. It's a pretty amazing replica of a Roman villa, situated on the pacific ocean steps away from local Malibu beach goers. Only in LA!

ART WEEK: LACMA 2

ART WEEK: LACMA 1

The Jorge Pardo Pre-Columbian art installation at LACMA is my favorite gallery of the museum's permanent collection. The modern sculptural walls and color gradations mark a stark contrast against the South and Central American antiquities.

I reread the LA Times Review from when the exhibit first opened, which praised and critiquing its avant guard displays. According to Christopher Knight, "To decorate is not just to embellish but to valorize. LACMA's often exceptional collection of ancient art deserves nothing less -- especially the fine ceramic vessels and sculptures. Pardo's eccentric, unexpected scheme delivers. It accomplishes two feats. Obscure works of ancient art are elucidated, and so is our contemporary experience of them." I, for one, appreciate this sculptural experience, which modernizes classic works and lets us interact with them in a contemporary way.

ART WEEK: JAMES TURREL

The James Turrel retrospective at LACMA is completely spectacular. I love pieces that are true immersive experiences, and Turrel's rooms make light material. The exhibition includes early geometric light projections, prints and drawings, installations exploring sensory deprivation and seemingly unmodulated fields of colored light. The hot pink room was definitely my favorite. I enjoyed listening to Turrel's film, discussing his process and projects. He poetically spoke about the Magnum Opus rooms, "being at the bottom of an ocean of air" helping us "feel the sky."

The fully immersive room at the Resnick Pavilion is worth the wait. The LED projections transform the room from pink to white to blue. The walls dematerialize as you step into the light. It is mesmerizing and striking in its simplicity and beauty. Get your advanced tickets now!