If every picture is worth a thousand words, how many remarkable stories are waiting to be told at the Getty? As visitors walk through the Getty Museum’s galleries, dozens of questions pop into their heads: Who made this work? What is it about? What inspired the artist?
To inspire children and their families to look closely at works of art and discover the answers, the Getty offers free Family Storytelling at the Getty Center through January 25, 2009. In a unique collaboration, storytellers work with educators and curators at the J. Paul Getty Museum to craft stories inspired by works of art in the Museum’s collection.
Now celebrating its sixth year, Family Storytelling kicks off its latest season with a new story by Victoria Burnett inspired by Jack Zajac’s sculpture Big Skull and Horn in Two Parts II (a work in the Getty’s collection of modern outdoor sculpture), and an encore performance by Lou Stratten inspired by Nicolas Lancret’s painting Dance before a Fountain.
Happy accidents and a rambunctious ram
American artist Jack Zajac’s realistic-yet-abstract Big Skull and Horn in Two Parts II (1963) is composed of two parts, one that twists and curves upward like the massive horn of a ram, and another that looks like the long-faced shape of a skull. This sculpture was born partially from a serendipitous moment: a plaster the artist was working on broke in two.
Prior to establishing himself as a professional artist in Rome, Zajac worked in a steel mill, as a fisherman, bingo parlor caller, and cafe fiddler. All the seemingly unconnected events in his life eventually led to his success. Even his decision to begin sculpting was an accident—he discovered a big lump of clay left behind by a previous tenant in an apartment he rented in Rome.
The sum total of these accidents inspired self-described “story musicologist” Victoria Burnett to weave a musical tale of Zajac’s unconventional journey to becoming a world-renowned artist.
“In doing research for the story, I became fascinated with ‘happy accidents,’ those peripheral accidents that can make a difference in our lives,” says Burnett, who has toured extensively in Europe, Africa, and South and Central America.
Last year at the Getty, Burnett told the story of Clara the Rhinoceros, the subject of a painting by the 18th-century artist Jean-Baptiste Oudry. Spinning a tale based on a contemporary work by a living artist proved a far different experience.
“I watched videos of Zajac discussing his creative process,” Burnett says. “To be able to hear the words coming out of the artist’s mouth brought another dimension to creating the story.”
This time around, Burnett will treat Getty audiences not only to the story of Zajac’s colorful life, but also to a fanciful tale of a rambunctious ram named Rumpus.
In a timely story, Burnett tells of an election within the animal kingdom that’s turned upside down when a lion’s long-held reign is challenged. Things become complicated when Rumpus the Ram, a brazen bully in need of anger management, decides he should lead since he’s the strongest.
“I don’t feel learning has to be difficult and boring,” says Burnett of her style of storytelling. “I love to engage all the senses, so I incorporate chants, singing, and movement into all my stories. There are all different types of learners—auditory, tactile, visual—and then you have combinations. I tap into all types of learning to reach all types of people.”
“I am delighted that Victoria Burnett has been inspired by Jack Zajac’s sculpture to produce this hilarious story of Rumpus the Ram,” says Antonia Bostrom, senior curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “I know that not only children, but also adults will respond to Rumpus’ assertive methods. And this story might inspire our visitors to search out the other sculptures in the Getty’s sculpture collection, and come up with some more stories of their own.” -- www.getty.edu
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