Scent as Art

Saskia Wilson-Brown of the Institute for Art and Olfaction has taught workshops at the Getty, inspired by the art and exhibitions on view.

She brings an experimental approach to the field of perfumery, inspired by the belief that scent can and should be used as a contemporary art medium—but that it first needs to be understood as a valid creative medium within a broader historical context.

To her, inspiration is “an initially unremarkable experience that triggers action—often months or even years later.”

Read more about Saskia on The Iris >>

Be Free, Be Big

Reina Hidalgo and Asiel Hardison have been collaborating for 13 years—and dancing almost as long as they’ve been walking. Today they’re professional dancers, teachers, choreographers, and TV producers; Asiel is Lady Gaga’s dance captain, and you may have seen Reina on stage with Rihanna, Pink, or Missy Elliott.

They didn’t choose dance; it chose them. “I was always that one little kid dancing at parties and my mom was like, ‘we need to put her in something‘,” says Reina. Today their creative process “starts with the music inspiring an emotion from your body,” says Asiel. The space of the Getty enhances the process by inspiring them to “be free and big.”

Peek inside Reina and Asiel’s dance studio and take in the Getty air and landscape with them in this #GettyInspired video.

Connect with Reina Hidalgo

Twitter: @REINAHIDALGO521 | Instagram: @reinahidalgo521 | Website: www.reina-hidalgo.squarespace.com

Connect with Asiel Hardison

Twitter: @asielhardison | Instagram: @asielhardison

My Inspiration Is L.A.

my name is: Eric Garcetti

i make: Improvisational jazz

You might not be surprised that mayor Eric Garcetti loves L.A. What you may not know is that he fills his office with the best of Los Angeles creativity—art by Ed Ruscha, furniture by Charles and Ray Eames, photographs by Julius Shulman.

The mayor is also a classically trained pianist, and his office features a piano that belonged to his grandmother. “I turn to this piano in between meetings, maybe when I have a little bit of desk time,” he told us. “Not often enough, but it helps exercise a different part of my brain… and inspir[es] me to get in touch with something that’s more transcendent.”

Hear the mayor’s latest jazz composition and stroll through the Julius Shulman prints outside his office in this #GettyInspired video.

The Victorious Athlete

Italian writer and poet Gabriele Tinti shares his poem about human strength and fragility inspired by the Getty bronze, Statue of a Victorious Youth.

Actor Robert Davi reads “The Victorious Athlete,” by Gabriele Tinti.

LISTEN on SoundCloud

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The Victorious Athlete

where now
is your
garland of olive?
where
your rapid
supports?
where the judge
who placed
on your head
the precious wreath?
we are not even
given to know
who you are
your haughty yearning
is lost in the void
now
the contest is deserted
the shouts and the glory
far away
all is calm
icy silence
cold quiet
there where you are
because
all is vain
and all disappears
and you too
like us
will not be able
to save yourself
from that darkness
that abyss
where there is no more
past or future
where there will be no more
possible memory of man.

Recording and poem courtesy of and copyright Gabriele Tinti, used with permission.

Learn more about the poem and its inspiration >>

The Spirit Blooms

my name is: Simon Toparovsky

i make art: Sculptures and installations

Simon Toparovsky focuses on narrative art. His sculptures begin with wax, clay, found objects, plants, textiles and metals. In Los Angeles, he’s particularly well known for his cast bronze crucifix for the main altar of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, which was consecrated in 2002.

In this #GettyInspired video, Simon tells us how he found a beautiful parallel between his sculpture The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian and a leaf in a newly acquired illuminated manuscript in the Getty Museum’s collection.

Throughout our time with Simon at his home studio, he often spoke of emotion and feeling. “My work shows a Sebastian without a head,” he told us, “it’s not about thought anymore. It’s about devotion and courage.” This sums up Simon and his work perfectly.

Connect with Simon Toparovsky

Website: simontoparovsky.com