Save and Misbehave: Errol Morris and Ricky Jay at The Getty

Plato’s allegory of the cave started a long-standing trend.  When he suggested that perhaps what we see isn’t the real thing, but is instead a reflection of the real thing, he opened up a philosophical can of worms.  To this day, philosophers and the high school students that study them wonder aloud how we can be sure that we are seeing the truth in front of us everyday.

Errol Morris and Ricky Jay are the latest to take on this conundrum in a lecture (a free one) at the Getty Museum on Thursday evening at 7pm.  They’ll have an in depth conversation about perception, deception, and why we believe what we see.  Morris, a filmmaker most widely known for his work on The Fog of War, Standard Operating Procedure, and The Thin Blue Line, has seen the world through a wide array of eyes.  He also writes a blog for the New York Times that covers the world of arts and how we see it by looking deeper into truth, lies, and why people see what they see.  Accompanying him on Thursday, Ricky Jay is an author, scholar, and art collector who has consulted on and appeared in a number of film, television and Broadway appearances.  His new one-man show will actually make its way to the Geffen later this year.

Who better than theorizing filmmakers to lecture Los Angeles on what we see, whether or not it’s real, and how to tell the difference?  This is the kind of information that could give you a step up– to tell illusions from reality would give you a real edge in the heart of the illusionary city of angels.

Errol Morris and Ricky Jay will be speaking at the Getty Museum on Thursday, October 8 at 7pm. The event is free, but since reservations are required it has come to our attention that the event is sold out! Having said that, stand-by visitors are welcome and will be seated in an adjacent auditorium for a live broadcast of the lecture. Please click here for more information.