The Central Garden was created by artist Robert Irwin, who referred to it as “a sculpture in the form of a garden aspiring to be art.” One of Mr. Irwin’s best-known landscapes, it is an accessioned work of art that is part of the Getty Museum’s collection.
It features a natural ravine and a plant- and tree-lined walkway that traverses a stream and gradually descends to a plaza where bougainvillea arbors provide scale and a sense of intimacy. Continuing through the plaza, the stream cascades over a stone waterfall into a pool with a floating maze of azaleas. Specialty gardens encircle the pool. All of the foliage and materials of the garden have been selected to accentuate the interplay of light, color, and reflection.
Since the Center opened in 1997, the Central Garden has evolved as its plants have grown and been trimmed. New plants are constantly being added to the palette. Irwin’s statement, “Always changing, never twice the same,” is carved into the plaza floor, reminding visitors of the ever-changing nature of this living work of art.
To celebrate the reopening of the Central Garden, this Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27, 2012, the Getty Restaurant will be offering specially priced Grove Margaritas and Garden Martinis, and the Museum Store will offer 20 percent off Plants in the Getty’s Central Garden, Getty Publications’ indispensable guide and a perfect companion to a visit to the reopened garden.
The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center is open this weekend from 10am until 9pm on Saturday, and from 10am until 5:30pm on Sunday. The Museum is closed on Mondays.