Designed by artist Robert Irwin, this garden is like no other. It's big and sprawling and covers over 130,000 square feet. A zig-zagging bridge crosses over a rambling stream that runs from the upper level museum building.

The views are pretty amazing too. From the garden vantage point, you can see downtown Los Angeles, Century City, Hollywood, and all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

But we did see some art too.

In the West Pavilion, About Life The Photographs of Dorothea Lange was on display. We got a taste of her work at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, and the collection featured some of her classic photos. [right].

This exhibit closed February 9th.

In Exhibition Hall, artist Bill Viola has created an intriguing installation called The Passions. In place of paint and canvases, Viola works in film and video monitors.

Taking his inspiration from older devotional paintings that attempt to capture the complexity of human emotions, Viola has brought the concept into the 21st Century.

Filming his actors, Viola asked them to convey a range of emotions -- anger, sadness, horror and fear. The film was shot at a super fast speed and is played back in a super-slow motion.

As visitors stand and watch, small changes occur in the facial expressions of the actors, allowing the viewer to examine them more intently. Sometimes the changes are so slow, it's hard to perceive any movement at all. In a separate installation, Catherine's Room gives one the impression of peeping into the windows of an apartment across the alley. Sure, it's all done on video with monitors, but it is a charming and whimsical piece.

For additional information, and some better pictures [photos not allowed in the Viola exhibit], Check the Getty's site --

Bill Viola: The Passions -- runs through April 27, 2003

There are many art exhibits and permanent collections throughout Getty, we chose to just take it easy this visit.

We took a quick peek in the bookstore. [right] A nice selection. Some 'Getty' T-shirts and pencils. We couldn't get over the prices -- which seemed like they were from another era.

Bookmark - .75 cents

Embroidered Patch - .93 cents

Greeting Card - .93 cents

Free admission. Free parking. Reasonable prices for food and souvenirs.

After 3 1/2 hours, we headed back to the shuttle bus. We didn't see everything, certainly not all the museum exhibits, but we will be returning to Getty Center. And for that, the designers did a great job. Creating a brand new space that is welcoming, warm, friendly, and causes a feeling of wanting to return is no easy task. But somehow they captured it.

Like that rare Hollywood movie that has a really big budget, and ends up being really, really good, the billion dollars spent on Getty Center really does 'show up on the screen.'

From the overall design, to the building materials, to the gardens, to the staff, and yes, even to the art, Getty Center delivers. With grace and dignity and an understated power that is very attractive.

Waiting for the tram, standing beneath an intriguing, interesting, and large piece of sculpture, [above] the California sun began to set, turning the travertine blocks a light orange. Standing there, it felt fun to be at a museum. The 16 year journey is a success. And we get to be here.

You should too. This is one of those must-see blockbusters.