OK, here we go – my trip to The Broad (pronounced ‘the brode’). The museum is named for philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, who financed the $140 million building which houses the Broad art collections.
Here it is from the outside
And from inside:
Jeff Koons
I saw a similar sculpture in Bilbao!!
Back to The Broad …
Michael Jackson and Bubbles, also by Jeff Koons
Andy Warhol (of course)
This one by Mark Tansey was one of my favorites.
Forward Retreat, 1986, describes the slipperiness of perception and questions the validity of innovation in art. The central image of horseback riders is painted as a reflection on water. The riders, all outfitted in uniforms of Western powers (American, French, German, and British), represent the nationalities of artists who came to dominate twentieth-century art history. They are seated backward on their horses, focused on a distant receding horizon, and are oblivious to the fact that their steeds trample on the crushed ruins of myriad pottery and objets d’art. With typically dry humor, Tansey implies two conclusions: that art progresses on the ruins of its past and that art making is propelled in part by unconscious forces.
This is ‘right side up’
Here is the same painting upside-down.
There’s a lot going on in that one!
One of my faves – Roy Lichtenstein!
Some cool views out of the ‘windows’
Even the stairwells were cool
OK, so. Yayoi Kusama. First, here’s a link about her:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yayoi_Kusama
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UPDATE 7/30/2020:
I received an email from someone who works at David Zwirner Galleries, who came across this page while doing research about Yayoi Kusama. She requested that I add a link to their web page. I checked it out and there is a lot of great contemporary art with a lot of detailed info about many, many artists including Yayoi Kusama. Check it out!! Spend a day perusing the galleries!
https://www.davidzwirner.com/
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I had been wanting to see these installations for a few years now, and didn’t even realize they were at The Broad until I went onto The Broad’s website to see about getting general admission tickets. I was soooo excited to find out!
This one is called “Longing for Eternity.” It was a pretty short wait, relatively speaking. We each had 45 seconds to look into 3 different holes, each on a different side at a different height.
The lights changed color pretty quickly
The next one is called “Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away.” To get into this one I had to stand in line when I first got to the museum, and then they would text me when it was my turn. I walked around the museum for a little over an hour before I got texted. I was so psyched!!
Once I was texted I got into a shorter line to wait to go in.
We also had 45 seconds for this one. And with this one, it was a room that you actually walk into. And the timing was such that when it was my turn and I walked in, all of the lights turned off for a few seconds – that really messed with my equilibrium. Anyway, here you go. I took a few photos and then put the phone down and just experienced it. These photos don’t do it justice. It took my breath away.
So, after such an artistic coup what better way to celebrate than a martini? I went to this restaurant, which is associated with The Broad, called The Otium.
https://otiumla.com/
I tried a local vodka – Mulholland. It was good!
I didn’t eat there, although the food that I saw looked amazing. I plan to eat there next time I’m in LA.
After my martinis (yes, I had two) I went back to the hotel to freshen up, and then hit the hotel bar for the last time before I headed home. By this time I had befriended a couple of other bartenders, Victor and Johnny. Victor was working on Superbowl Sunday, and he was a Chiefs fan (and had money on the game) so we were talking trash with each other during the game. It was fun. It was nice to always be greeted with “Hey Terri – how was your day today?!”
Anyway, on this night I met two brothers, Mohammed and Mehdi, who formed the band Saint Abdullah. They were due to play The Broad the next night. I was so bummed that I was flying home and wouldn’t be able to go see them!
Here is a link to one of their videos. There are plenty more you can find online. Take a listen!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyv2LvgofQA
What a fantastic trip this was.! And I’m planning to head back to LA in April to take the next level of the breathwork healing.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the trip – talk soon!!