My Day at The Broad

Image courtesy of thebroad.org & Diller Scofidio + Renfro

The Broad and Walt Disney Concert Hall

Not the best angle.

My dad and I have always enjoyed museums and art galleries.  My other family members, not so much.  When he said he was able to get tickets I was quite excited.  The Broad houses one of my favorite Jasper Johns paintings, some Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, and other famous works.  When we first approached the building, it was like it had a life of its own.  The eye (oculus meeting room) and outer design have this fluidity about it that reminds me of some sort of futuristic living building.  Some might find the building cold and industrial, but I thought it was a great juxtaposition of modern and primitive design.  The inside concrete walls resemble a cave.  I suppose if I were to stay with my "living building" theory, it is much like the arteries and veins.  The second floor is a magnificent space, and the honeycomb-like pattern that veils the building becomes the most amazing skylight (hence that structure being called a "veil").

The lobby & escalator.  Image courtesy of thebroad.org & Diller Scofidio + Renfro

 

Ascending the escalator

A view from the elevator, looking up towards the ceiling (my favorite photo I took)

Two of my favorite parts of the building itself were the elevator and the escalator.  As the escalator takes you up to the top floor, the cave-like concrete tunnel leads to the open sky-lit gallery.  While I'm sure I'm reading far more into it than was planned, I compare it to moving through a new chapter in your life.  Maybe it has something to do with how the light shines at the end of the tunnel.  Then, we get to the elevator.  The elevator looks like a teleporter.  I'm not sure if there was any meaning behind the style, and again, I may be reading far more into these little things than is necessary.  Riding the elevator-  something we often do without any emotions evoked-  was moving (literally and figuratively).  Once you reach the upper level, you are surrounded by white walls covered in famous art pieces, and greeted with the light coming in from the veil.  When you take the elevator down and descend towards the vault, the walls look like just that-- a vault.  I rode the elevator twice to get a different perspective, and found that looking up at the ceiling took on a completely different effect.  it was like going through the lens of a camera, if that makes sense.  

Being able to experience amazing art pieces in a structure that is so "alive" made for an amazing day.  I can't wait to return to see Infinity Mirrored Room, and take another look around.  I always find that I have missed something the first go-around.  The balloon dog (see picture below) is actually quite large, measuring at 121 x 143 x 45 inches.  He was able to make it look, literally, like a giant balloon, creases and all.

Looking out the window

Some of the Featured Works

 

A section of the 82-foot mural:  In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow.  Takashi Murakami.

No Title (Stacked Plates).  Robert Therrien (2010).

No Title (Table and Four Chairs).  Robert Therrien (2003).

From another angle

Jeff Koons giant Balloon Dog sculpture

Non-Objective I.  Roy Lichtenstein (1964).

Tulips.  Jeff Koons.

I was quite sad because I really wanted to see Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room, which is a room lined with mirrors and filled with colored LED lights.  In order to see the installation, you have to book an appointment, BUT, you can only book the appointment once you are at The Broad.  There is no way to do so prior, and all availability was taken by 12noon.  Since our tickets to get in were for 1:30, we (obviously) missed it.  Missing that installation, however, gives us a reason to go back.  When someone was let out or in, you could catch a glimpse of the room.  From what I saw, it looked like a giant Lite-Brite, but with floating lights!