“The photographs of Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944) offer a vivid portrait of a lost world — the Russian Empire on the eve of World War I and the coming revolution.” The photographs seem “shockingly modern” (per communicatrix), and fill me with yearning to travel in time and space. Or maybe Prokudin-Gorskii just makes me want to get away to the countryside. Whatever that means when you live in Los Angeles….

Yesterday, at the Getty Center I didn’t look at all at the art contained within the museum, but at the art of the museum: architecture designed by Richard Meier. (Observe to the right my self-portrait in shadow on Meier.) The building, the view, the gardens — all wonderful. Of note, this is the time of year to go the Getty if you want to experience sunset there. And you do want to experience sunset there. Sunset from a view above the ocean is good anhwhere, of course, but here the setting sun brings out new angles and details of Meier’s work. Go now, before summer comes and they kick you out well before the sun goes down.

Today’s outing to LACMA was free, thanks to Target, and I didn’t take a camera — it was more of a “be here now” moment not taking the camera. Highlights included Smoke by Tony Smith, Edward Steichen photos, Picasso paintings, and Brancusi adnd Giocametti statues. I post here a coupla gems from Steichen: Gloria Swanson and Louise Brooks. Years ago I learned about Steichen from my friend Matt. Thanks, Matt!

But you know all that. What you might not know is that my brilliant friends from Massachusetts, triplet performance artists called Triiibe, went to Wall Street a few months back with this intriguing guerilla performance piece on the topic. They stand there asking for dough, in a carefully stylized performance. It’s great. Check it out!