Explore the cultural contexts of the exhibition London Calling: Bacon, Freud, Kossoff, Andrews, Auerbach, & Kitaj in a film series that draws from different artistic moments that held significance for the artists.
Continue the exploration with a conversation about the “School of London” artists—Bacon, Freud, Kossoff, Andrews, Auerbach, and Kitaj—between Julian Brooks, senior curator of drawing at the Getty and co-curator of the exhibition London Calling; William Acquavella, owner of Acquavella Galleries in New York City; and Andrea Rose, director of visual arts at the British Art Council, about the critical reception and commercial success of the School of London artists.
On November 15, in her only Southern California appearance, celebrated performance artist Marina Abramovic discusses her new memoir Walk Through Walls. Next up, on December 1, Francis Ford Coppola will be at the Getty Center to discuss his new book, Godfather Notebook—the detailed notes and ideas the director recorded when he read Mario Puzo’s novel for the first time. These notes provided the foundation for the classic American film, The Godfather. This will be his only Southern California appearance as well.
The Getty plays host to a gathering of geniuses on December 4. On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the famous MacArthur Foundation fellowships—popularly known as “genius awards”—8 recipients of the award gather to talk about their pursuits in art, science, and religion, three very different quests for understanding.
Most performances and events are free. Parking at the Getty Center is $15 and is reduced to $10 after 3:00pm Don’t forget to take advantage of “Pay Once, Park Twice,” same-day parking at both the Getty Center and Getty Villa for one $15 fee.
Here is a sampling of Fall events at the Getty Center.
Family
Family Festival Saturday, November 12, 10:00am–6:00pm Dive into the wonderful world of color in this all-day, Getty-wide festival that offers color-related games, hands-on workshops, and evocative music, taking you “under-color” for a day of learning and fun. Complements the exhibitions The Art of Alchemy, The Alchemy of Color in Medieval Manuscripts, and The Shimmer of Gold: Giovanni di Paolo in Renaissance Siena.
Film Series
London Calling Film Series Delve deeper into the social and psychological context of the painters featured in the exhibition London Calling: Bacon, Freud, Kossoff, Andrews, Auerbach, & Kitaj, and find, through the lens of cinema, a window into their contemporary world and fascinating obsessions, which funneled into their groundbreaking art.
Part I
Charles Atlas presents: The Legend of Leigh Bowery & Teach Friday, September 23, 7:30pm Renowned video artist Charles Atlas introduces his films The Legend of Leigh Bowery and Teach, both of which feature Leigh Bowery, the Australian performance artist, avant-garde fashion designer, and icon of the 1980s London club scene. Bowery’s striking physical presence was captured by Lucian Freud in a series of unforgettable paintings, two of which are featured in the exhibition London Calling.
Part II
Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin Saturday, September 24, 4:00pm Sergei Eisenstein’s masterwork of world cinema, Battleship Potemkin, is a film that Francis Bacon watched obsessively, and would refer to as a key catalyst for his artistic imagination. Join us in viewing this iconic piece of cinematic history to reconsider it through the context of Francis Bacon’s work, and to meditate on the impact that the striking imagery and emotions, as well as the reality-bending techniques, made on one of the modern era’s most significant painters.
Part III
Free Cinema: O Dreamland, Momma Don’t Allow, Together Saturday, September 24, 7:00pm In 1956, the screening of three groundbreaking documentaries in London sparked a new movement, which came to be called Free Cinema. These films, like the artists of the exhibition London Calling, eschewed prevailing trends to focus instead on people and the significance of everyday life. From signs of the rapidly changing social landscape, to the crumbling sites of a city recovering from war, these films reveal the complex textures and realities of 1950s Britain.
Talks
Auguste Rodin’s Christ and Mary Magdalene: The Creation of a Marble Masterpiece
Sunday, September 25, 3:00pm Anne-Lise Desmas, curator and department head of sculpture and decorative arts, presents an in-depth study of this extraordinary work by one of the greatest sculptors of all time, which the Getty acquired in 2014.
Incorruptible Beauty: Gold and the Alchemy of Color in Illuminated Manuscripts
Thursday, October 20, 7:00pm Manuscripts conservator Nancy Turner highlights manuscripts from the Getty’s collection and survey the variety of materials and methods employed by medieval illuminators.
The “School of London”: Critical Reception and Commercial Success
Saturday, October 22, 3:00pm A conversation about the “School of London” artists—Bacon, Freud, Kossoff, Andrews, Auerbach, and Kitaj—between Julian Brooks, senior curator of drawing at the Getty and co-curator of the exhibition London Calling; William Acquavella, owner of Acquavella Galleries in New York City; and Andrea Rose, director of visual arts at the British Art Council, about the critical reception and commercial success of the School of London artists.
Incarnations: A History of India in 50 Lives
Sunday, October 23, 3:00pm Sunil Khilnani, professor and director of the India Institute at King’s College, London, presents his new book exploring the human dimension of the world’s largest democracy by weaving together stories of 50 figures from India’s history—from ancient scholars to modern artists and filmmakers.
The Alchemy of the Handmade Book
Thursday, October 27, 7:00pm Artists Daniel Kelm and Timothy Ely, who engage with themes of alchemy, chemistry, and the hermetic tradition in their handmade books, discuss the relevance of alchemy for contemporary artistic practice.
Rembrandt: Shedding New Light on an Old Master
Sunday, October 30, 3:00pm Getty paintings curator Anne Woollett, a specialist in northern European painting, discusses some exciting new revelations about Rembrandt van Rijn.
A Golden Palette: Techniques of Renaissance Painter-Illuminators from Siena
Sunday, November 6, 3:00pm Giovanni di Paolo was a master at creating magical effects on panel and parchment in early Renaissance Siena. This illustrated lecture by Yvonne Szafran, senior conservator of paintings, and Bryan C. Keene, assistant curator of manuscripts, explores the painterly materials and range of optical effects that di Paolo utilized over the course of his long career.
Marina Abramovic: Walk Through Walls
Tuesday, November 15 at 7:00pm Tickets available October 13 Marina Abramovic discusses her new memoir, Walk Through Walls, an epic account of her career that involves pushing her body past the limits of fear, pain, and exhaustion in a quest for emotional and spiritual transformation.
Giovanni di Paolo: The 20th—Century Rediscovery of a Renaissance Painter
Thursday, December 1, 7:00pm Tickets on sale November 1 To celebrate the release of The Godfather Notebook—Francis Ford Coppola’s meticulous roadmap that he referred to daily while directing The Godfather (1972), based on Mario Puzo’s bestselling novel—Coppola comes to the Getty to discuss his creative process of turning words into one of the 20th century’s most celebrated films.
Ways of Seeking: Art, Science, and Spirituality
Sunday, December 4, 3:00pm Art, science, and religion are each in a different way engaged by that which lies beyond reach. On the 35th anniversary of the MacArthur Fellowship Program, eight past Fellows reflect on what the Fellowship stimulated them to attempt in their artistic, scientific, and spiritual pursuits. Participants include astrophysicist Andrea Ghez; artists Liza Lou, Elizabeth Turk, and Bill Viola; and quantum physicist Hideo Mabuchi.
J. Paul Getty as Art Collector
Sunday, December 11, 3:00pm Forty years after the death of J. Paul Getty, current and former Getty Museum curators speak about various aspects of his art collecting, and how his legacy impacts the Museum’s collections today. Speakers include Davide Gasparotto and Anne Woollett, curators of paintings; Charissa Bremer-David, curator of sculpture and decorative arts; Kenneth Lapatin, curator of antiquities; and Burton Fredericksen, former chief curator, who worked directly with Mr. Getty.