LOS ANGELES
The Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City
The 10,000-square-foot space is a haven for serious photography.
What: A new Southern California haven for serious photography.
Where: The Annenberg Space for Photography, Century Park, 2000 Avenue of the Stars, No. 10,
Admission: Free
The Annenberg Space for Photography, open since March 27, is designed to remind you of a camera's insides and to show you the wide world.
It's also aimed at the digital future: Though there are gorgeous photos hung on the walls, there isn't much wall space. You're probably going to spend more time looking at digital images on monitors and larger rear-projection screens, which can deliver eye-popping, color-drenched spectacles.
There are many pluses to this, because voice-overs and soundtracks often give the monitor and screen presentations more oomph. But old-school photophiles may wish more room were given to museum-style displays.
The 10,000-square-foot space (on the Century City site where the
As you browse, think a nice thought or two about TV Guide. The late Walter Annenberg made much of his fortune by publishing that once-ubiquitous weekly directory, then sold it for about $3 billion in 1988. How much has the world changed since then? The magazine changed hands late in 2008 for $1.
Fortunately, Wallis Annenberg, daughter of Walter, remains one of Los Angeles' leading philanthropists. Through the family's Annenberg Foundation, Wallis Annenberg bankrolled the photography space, which serves to complement the growing photo collections at the Getty and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
But visiting the Annenberg space is a more casual undertaking than a march through a big museum. You find your way to the Century City area, park downstairs and take care to get your parking pass validated. (With validation, the tab is $3.50 for three hours; without, it's $34.) You pay no admission fee, then spend an hour or so checking out images. For lunch or a snack, there's a cafe nearby, just off the steps of the modern, severe Century Park complex. But don't come looking to buy souvenirs or coffee-table photo books -- there's no gift shop.
 Should we take offense, order a drink, or what? That depends, of course, on where you think these words turned up. |
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