Steel houses, Italian artifacts shown at L.A. museums

  Department of Architecture and Urban Design The "3 Steel
Houses" exhibit at Perloff Hall features photographs and plans of
buildings created by UCLA professor Barton
Myers.

“3 Steel Houses” Perloff
Gallery, UCLA Through March 8

Three of the most notable works by UCLA professor Barton Myers,
from the Department of Architecture and Urban Design, are on
display at Perloff Gallery. The exhibit “3 Steel
Houses” displays the sketches, models, photographs and floor
plans of his three most notable houses. The actual houses are
located in Canada and California and are made from standardized
industrial components. Modest components like steel, glass and
other materials were used in the development of the houses. The
exhibit is intended to show the development of a contemporary steel
house, as well as its economic and environmental benefits. Three
walls create the outlines of the three different houses. A 3-foot
photograph of the Myers residence is visually stunning, but little
exploration of the house’s interior is offered. The
photographs and model of the Toro Canyon house show its unique
versatility. Rolling steel and glass sectional doors are an
adaptation to the California environment. In addition, the roof of
the main house has a groove filled with water, protecting the house
against brush fires while simultaneously providing a pool-like
space for the residents. Sketches from the Wolf house in Canada
outline the different elements that make a contemporary house.
Floor plans illustrate how a house made of industrial shelf
materials foreshadows the development of future housing. The
exhibit could have included more models and other visuals. It is
limited in the offerings it has and all the art pieces can be seen
in a matter of minutes. Michelle Gonzales
“Italy on the Grand Tour:” “Naples and
Vesuvius on the Grand Tour” Through March 24 “Rome on
the Grand Tour” Through Aug. 11 The Getty Museum

Imagine being a young British lad, born in the 18th century to a
rich family. One can find almost everything necessary to be a
respected member of the British haute societé: land,
education, wealth. But one thing lacks in a young man’s
life on the relatively isolated island of Great Britain: culture
… and stuff. This is precisely the reason for the Grand Tour,
which is the subject of the Getty’s new two-part exhibit,
“Italy on the Grand Tour.” The “Grand Tour”
(which saw its peak in the 1740s-1780s) was the last step in the
process toward entering British high society: a pilgrimage to Italy
made by young Englishmen to conclude their education. As a crowning
symbol of their newfound culture, the British noblemen were painted
in a half-imaginary portrait that displays them against a backdrop
of fine Italian sculptures and architecture. It’s a bit hard
not to laugh at the pompousness and absurdity of the mentality of
the Grand Tour, but it is also easy to appreciate why Italy was
seen as the epitome of classical culture. The exhibit is divided
into two parts: “Rome on the Grand Tour” and
“Naples and Vesuvius on the Grand Tour.” Much of the
exhibit is composed of artifacts that noblemen would have brought
back to England with them. Indeed, these travelers created a new
art industry by themselves, purchasing Renaissance-style artwork to
be taken back home. Some examples of this type of artwork are
stunning, though somewhat idealized, with watercolors portraying
Rome as it should be, and some really haunting ones of the volcanic
eruptions of Vesuvius (which was active at the time). Some fine
examples of gems (mostly cameos, bicolored hard stones) are also on
display, along with humorous caricatures of the young noblemen. The
exhibit’s most interesting feature is how it reveals the
continuing influence of ancient culture on the upper class. The
Romans continue to intrigue people even today, and their artwork
has a sort of timeless symmetry and grace that will always be
admired. The exhibit, although filling only two rooms, is well
worth a look while perusing the Getty (although it doesn’t in
itself merit the Grand Tour up the museum’s high hill on the
shuttle). The “Grand Tour” is a fascinating phenomenon
of European history despite admittedly being obscured by some of
the museum’s more flashy exhibits.

Nick Rabinowitsh