Getty continues its online-accessible series of exhibits and art exploration. Explore the range of online events, podcasts, and articles.
Why is this bird changing color?
In her latest Becoming Artsy video, Jessie discovers that feathers—part of cultural heritage objects around the world—fade when exposed to light. But conservators are performing ingenious experiments in hopes of solving this problem. Do taxidermy birds pass these tests with flying colors?
Androids of the 16th century
“The monk,” as the object is now called, is a seemingly unassuming figure. But beneath his garment he hides a secret: an unseen lever that sets him walking, makes him mutter in silent prayer, even has him snap his head in your direction. In 1977 this 16th-century figure emerged from obscurity and onto the antiquities market, and its discovery has changed the history of robotics.
What if you lived in the Middle Ages?
When you imagine the Middle Ages, what would have been difficult, or fun, about daily life? Inspired by the Getty Center show Play and Pastimes in the Middle Ages, we asked young visitors at the Center to share their thoughts on what they would have liked, and loathed, about medieval times.
Here’s what they said
What happens to art when the weather gets hot?
The evidence of our hot summer temperatures is all around—from brown lawns to dry creek beds. But what if works of art were exposed to great heat? We talked to experts around Getty to find out how high climate temperatures affect art, how Getty keeps art cool and comfortable even in the strongest heat wave, and which types of art are unfazed by sunny days.
Protecting art when temperatures soar
An art fan, music producer, and DJ mixes beats at Getty
Earlier this summer DJ Zen Freeman played two gigs that paired art and music: Coachella Music Festival and a party celebrating the opening of Tim Walker: Wonderful Things. “There’s always kind of a bond between music and art,” says Freeman, who has been a DJ long enough to have played all over the globe at clubs, festivals, Hollywood parties, and fashion shows.
Late summer in our garden
When Robert Irwin designed Getty’s Central Garden, he split it into sections with distinct color palettes. Rich greens, browns, and violets with deep-red accents complement the reddish-brown Carnelian granite walls. “Sometimes it can get to being almost too much,” Irwin said about the garden’s intensity. “It can really rattle your teeth, which…was exactly the kind of abandon I was aiming for.” What colors, scents, and textures are peaking right now in our garden?
Getty’s newest artist in residence
Since 1992, Getty has hosted 37 artists in residence, providing them with dedicated time and space to develop new creative output. This year’s guest is Carolina Caycedo, a Colombian multidisciplinary artist born in London and living in Los Angeles.
The long history of the medieval plague
If you know one thing about the Middle Ages, chances are it’s that a plague swept across Europe in the late 1340s, causing mass death and destruction. Medievalists usually call this specific outbreak the “Black Death.” A new study of victims buried in a London cemetery sheds light on what caused the scourge.
Getty medievalist Larisa Grollemond talks about illness in the Middle Ages
A career devoted to preserving great works of art
Antoine ‘Ton’ Wilmering’s passion for conservation took him from the Netherlands to Taiwan to the Getty Foundation. Now the senior program officer works with colleagues and specialists to help preserve modern architecture and other cultural heritage sites around the world. His weekends? Those are for woodworking with antique tools. “I value objects that are already made,” he says.
A day in the life of Antoine Wilmering
The emotion behind van Gogh’s brushstrokes
In the latest Becoming Artsy episode, Jessie explores the painting technique of impasto by looking at some of Vincent van Gogh’s artworks. Impasto allowed the artist to heighten vibrant colors and add emotion and movement to his paintings. “Violent” moods, he wrote to his brother, required lots of impasto.