Artists Tell Powerful Stories Through Photographs in Getty Exhibit ‘Latent Narratives’

Sandra Miska

The Getty Center’s “Recent Acquisitions in Focus: Latent Narratives,” a powerful and engaging collection of images, features works by William Leavitt, Liza Ryan, Fazal Sheikh, and Whitney Hubbs.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that is true of these photographs. “Juxtaposing images of people, places, and things,” the Getty catalog states, “the works present fragmentary, enigmatic narratives that nonetheless establish a powerful, almost palpable atmosphere or mood.”

Each featured artist has multiple photographs exhibited which he or she displayed in a specific order. Set up in sequences not dissimilar to motion picture storyboards, each display focuses on a specific theme.

Liza Ryan whose works are featured in the exhibit, will be giving a talk at the Getty on Oct.13 at 1:30 p.m. Along with curator Virginia Heckert, Ryan will discuss “Spill,” a 30-foot-long band of photographs alternating between scenes of nature and images of the human body. The photos are linked together by a continuous line of spilled ink.

Born in Norfolk, VA in 1965 and currently based in Los Angeles, Liza Ryan has a B.F.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.F.A. from Cal State Fullerton. She is known for incorporating in her works references from film, literature and poetry to add additional layers of meaning. “Spill,” which was created in 2009, was previously displayed in Portland. She has also been the subject of solo exhibits all over California, and as far away as Sydney, Australia.

Many of the works in “Latent Narratives” were either donated or purchased by supporters of the arts to the Getty. The exhibit is free to the public.

“Recent Acquisitions in Focus: Latent Narratives” will be on view at the Getty Center Sept. 13, 2016 – Jan. 29, 2017.