Dress Code: An Abstract Masterpiece

Steve Passiouras and Catherine Ellen came to the Getty Center in September to see a Piet Mondrian watercolor—and ended up becoming a part of the art themselves. The couple, who had traveled about 8,000 miles from their home in Melbourne, Australia, were dressed from head to toe in the colorful, geometric abstractions characteristic of the Dutch painter, attracting a moveable fan club. We asked them about themselves and their visit.

Catherine: I am a retired milliner and costumer. Until recently, I owned and ran a Melbourne hat shop called The Essential Hat, which has been open since 1987. It makes and sells hats for all seasons, festivals, and special occasions. Nowadays, I spend my time sewing and teaching at the School of Sewing and Upcycling (SOSU), and my husband, Steve, writes code and runs a few small websites.

Steve: Leading up to our visit to the US and Getty, we attended the Goodwood Revival, a three-day vintage motorcar racing event in England where patrons dress in clothing befitting a particular vintage car period. Catherine chose the 1960s as a theme because she likes the fashions of that time.

Catherine: I created three matching outfits, one being Piet Mondrian, inspired by an Yves Saint Laurent fashion exhibition held in Sydney some 35 years ago—he had designed a selection of dresses based on modern art. We planned to finally wear the Mondrian outfits to the Mondrian artwork, Landscape near Arnhem, when we visited Getty.

Steve: As soon as we got off the Getty tram, we were approached by other visitors and Getty staff. In fact, it took a good 20 minutes to walk up the steps to the entrance—everyone stopped us for photos! From there we took in each gallery and had a hundred photos taken. We were more than happy to oblige.

Catherine: Unfortunately, the Mondrian artwork we sought was not on display at the time. (Note: Visitors can make study room appointments on the Getty Drawings Department website to see any works in that collection that are not on view.)

Luckily, there were plenty of good artworks to see. Ducreux’s Self-Portrait, Yawning was such a vibrant color and gesture. Then there was Renoir’s The Promenade, in my eyes not a romantic courtship, but a luring of the young and naive woman to satisfy the man’s lust and desire. We also enjoyed the $3 Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives exhibition.

Funnily enough, we also met a gentleman dressed in clothes representing Lichtenstein and Warhol. He said he also has a Mondrian outfit. That was fun. And, as avid museumgoers, we know from experience not to allow art saturation to set in. If in doubt, find a cafe and sit it out for a while. This thinking led us to find a delicious lunch down the steps at the Getty Cafe. We had a very nice healthy lunch there and were able to rest a little. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.