I love days like yesterday.
I made reservations for The Broad Museum in downtown LA.
It opened about three years ago and although I have visited several times, my husband was a Broad virgin.
I booked at lunch time so we could take a break.
The usually insane traffic to downtown cooperated and we parked in the museum lot and were 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
The friendly staff let us in early and David was very impressed.
I find the interior compelling…I must have been an industrialist in a prior life.
I appreciate the cement floors, boundless white walls, unfinished ceilings all nestled within the honeycomb exterior.
The tunnel like escalator entrance sucks you in and then spits you out into a wide, bright 2nd floor expanse.
Perched in the middle is a huge, colorful Koons sculpture.
The appeal is that the artwork is perfectly spaced and the visitor is not overwhelmed by a plethora of art on display.
Eli Broad donated $140 million to establish the Broad Museum.
Eli Broad and his wife Edythe, who made his fortune with KB Homes and insurance company, SunAmerica, has collected an immense treasure trove of contemporary art.
I believe there are four warehouses filled with art inside of the building not including what is on display, as well as a separate warehouse in Compton.
I was disappointed when the entrance did not showcase the sculpture of dishes piled on high.
I queried and was shocked to learn that both adults and children constantly tried to climb the piece.
I was outraged.
The guide said that since the museum is free many first time visitors have no concept of decorum in a museum.
Do Not Touch signs are nonexistent so many touch and feel the canvases and sculpture.
Just the other day, an 80 year-old woman went up to a Warhol and ran her fingers up and down the priceless canvas.
The following is a visual tour of some of the art what is presently on view by such acclaimed artists as Koons, Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Kara Walker, Cy Thombly, Keith Haring and many more.
A very interesting video presentation by Icelandic artist, Ragnar Kjartansson, is on display on the first floor.
He invited a group of friends to the historic yet dilapidated Rokeby farm in upstate NY.
The hour long video was recorded in a single take.
Each musician’s performance was recorded simultaneously in different rooms of the mansion.
They all perform the same song with individual nuances. You walk around the room and witness separate performances which resonates as a whole.
After bingeing on masterpieces we stopped at Otium for lunch.
The restaurant is situated next to the museum.
I reviewed Otium when it opened 21/2 years ago and it has maintained its’ high standards.
We lunched on the trademark crispy potatoes.
The falafel was delicate and delicious accompanied by a tatziki sauce.
The burrata and peach salad with pistachios was fabulous.
The blueberry sundae a perfect cold and creamy finish to a delightful lunch.
We fed our minds, eyes and bellies…what could be better.
