Statement from Katherine E. Fleming, President and CEO of The J. Paul Getty Trust, on the death of Frank Gehry
The Getty community grieves the death of Frank Gehry, a true legend of architecture whose designs and brilliance have shaped Los Angeles and the world
Photo: Alexandra Cabri
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In 2017, Getty was honored to be chosen as the owner and steward of a portion of Gehry’s extensive archive, focusing on the era from the beginning of his career in 1954 until he received the Pritzker Prize in 1989, which includes thousands of drawings, models, and sketches. It is by far the largest architectural archive in Getty’s collection.
In 2023, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall, Getty presented Modeling Sound, an exhibition that included six original models of the building, as well as Sculpting Harmony, an online exploration of the concert hall’s design. For years before acquiring the archives, Getty enjoyed a close relationship with Gehry, who served on the Design Advisory Committee for the Getty Center in the 1990s and who received the Getty Medal in 2015. Through Gehry's archive, Getty will share his legacy for many years to come.
Great as he was as an architect, Frank Gehry was even greater as a friend and person—generous, hilarious, eternally playful. We join the world in mourning this enormous loss.