Plato in America: Edward Hopper, Mark Rothko, Mike KelleyGetty Villa Auditorium. Presented by John C. Welchman, professor of art history, University of California, San Diego and Chair of the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. How do philosophical ideas drive artistic expression? Art historian John C. Welchman traces the influence of Plato's thinking on three emblematic American artists. Welchman begins with a discussion of Edward Hopper's enigmatic painting Excursion into Philosophy created in 1959. He explores the Platonic ideas that influenced Mark Rothko's aesthetic, and describes how Mike Kelley "backed into" a relationship with Plato in one of the live performances and associated installations that launched his career, Plato's Cave, Rothko's Chapel, Lincoln's Profile, first seen in 1986. This program complements the exhibition "Plato in LA: Contemporary Artists Visions" on view at the Getty Villa through September 3, 2018. Free Admission–Advance ticket required.