Nancy Perloff is a curator of modern and contemporary collections at the Getty Research Institute, where she was co-curator of the exhibition World War I: War of Images, Images of War. Before participating in a discussion of the role cartoons play in politics and war, she talked Joni Mitchell, ketchup, and the complicated web of national hatreds woven in World War I.
What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
Joni Mitchell, “Blue.” And “Carey,” from the same album. Those two.
What’s the most surprising thing you learned about World War I in curating this exhibition?
It was surprising to me that the Germans went after the British in such an extreme way—made mincemeat out of the British, hated the British. That’s something I didn’t know. I thought the French hated the Germans, so the Germans hated the French, but the war didn’t work that way.
Whom do you go to for advice?
My husband.
What’s your favorite condiment?
Probably ketchup.
What’s your hidden talent?
Maybe it’s not so hidden—public speaking.
Who is your favorite Russian artist?
Kazimir Malevich.
What profession would you practice in your next life?
I might do something similar in a museum, but really focused on exhibitions and catalogues. I’m pretty happy. I like what I do. I’m fortunate.
What teacher or professor changed your life?
His name is Glenn Watkins. He was and still is at the University of Michigan, where I got my Ph.D., and he is a musicologist. He made me dare to work across fields. I was a musicologist, but he encouraged my interest in the visual arts and really encouraged projects that made a study of both fields.
What’s your favorite under-the-radar spot in Los Angeles?
It’s not really that under-the-radar, but it’s a great spot—Clementine. It’s a little restaurant across from Century City, but pretty hidden. And it’s a great place for breakfast.
What’s your drink of choice?
A pinot noir.