Laumeier Sculpture Park near St. Louis

I had a spare couple of hours during my recent trip to St. Louis. My Hertz NeverLost system suggested I visit Laumeier Sculpture Park.

It was about 25 degrees but felt quite a bit warmer. The sun was out, and it was a great day for tromping around in the 4-6" of snow. Or it would have been if I had appropriate footwear. Dress shoes and business casual attire may not have been the best choice, but I had a good time.

The Laumeier is a different experience from the Seattle sculpture park. The space is much bigger. In Seattle, the park is in a compact strip of land straddling a highway and hugging the sound. The Laumeier Park sits on acres of rolling hillsides in the suburbs west of St Louis. Seattle's park has lots of gravel. St. Louis's has lots of grass. I think.

But it's about more than the space. It has to do with the tone. The scupltures in Seattle are more imposing. Many of them are also just out of reach. Everything in Laumeier, however, is easy to grasp.

In Seattle, they post warnings like this.:

St. Louis is a little more tolerant.

I was in a particularly geeky mode so much of the art reminded me of things from Science Fiction.

In this picture we see a piece that highlgihts two different colors of metal. But look in the back ground towards the left.

Doesn't that piece in the distance look like a Bantha climbing the hill? I only saw one, but they could have been traveling single file to hide their numbers.

When I got to the other side of the park, I got a better look at it.

The three dimensional nature of sculpture means that what you see in the artwork depends on where you are. When I moved 10-20 feet down the walk, I got a completely different view of the Bantha.

It's the same piece, but seeing the individual pieces of metal gives it a completely different look.

I fully expect Joss Whedon to place a Buffy The Vapire Slayer story in St. Louis now. Why?

Because they have their own Hell Mouth.


Oh, come on. You just knew the gateway to hell had to be marked by a smile-y face.

Until Buffy gets to St. Louis who is protecting our universe from the unholy legions of demons that would seek to destroy us?

Why, the Ents, of course.

Here is a tree wearing its protective suit of Armor. It's ready for battle.


This piece struck me as the control center for some mad scientist's lair.

I spent several minutes staring at this piece. I saw it from a distance and thought of it as some sort of grave yard. Up close it still looked like that, but what kind? Am I seeing zombies rise from their Stygian slumber? Is it a robot grave yard for discarded, yet honored, automatons? Or are they markers for some alien civilization?

I've touched on it a couple times but one of the interesting things about this sculpture park is the role that distance plays in how I percieve the art.

Here is the everyman from across the hills.

As you get closer, the 1950s ordinariness of this giant figure looms large overhead. Here is the giant, numbered corporate cog we aspire to avoid or to embrace.

The giant man is at the beginning of a trail that took me into the woods. Whereas most pieces were in the wide open spaces, there were a number of pieces hidden by the trees. You walk down a path and suddenly encounter them.

I head down a path that wasn't terribly steep, but was steep enough in business style Doc Martin's to require a bit more work. I got plenty of exercise this way.

This bridge could be straight out of Battlestar Galactica, acoss some Caprican River. But here it is across a Missouri stream.


Totally not worth the steep stair climb was this tree sculpture that calls to mind Close Encounters of the Third Kind.


One of the last pieces I encountered on that trail was these two grassy (or snowy) mounds.

I don't have a strong Sci-Fi association with this work. Perhaps some battlements on Hoth? Do they make you think of anything Sci-Fi related?

The sign in front says, "Please do not climb or walk on the steep grassy slopes." You can tell how much stock people put in those signs by the foot prints and sledding tracks covering those slopes.

The big piece in the center of the park had an amazing orange color when the sun hit it just right. One side was made of big round tubes. The other side was made of crushed orange tubes. The balance and contrast between the crushed and full things held my interest.

It's also a massive piece you can walk under. That cross piece is a good 25-30' off the ground. It encourages you to look at it from as many angles as possible.









I'm sure Laumeier is lovely in the Spring. It must be a great place to go for a stroll or picnic after the snow is gone and before the oppresive St. Louis heat returns in the summer. If you have some time in St. Louis, check it out.

And let me know if the whole thing doens't remind you of a Sci-Fi novel waiting to be written.

You can see more of my pictures of these and other pieces here, in this Flickr set.

Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle

Seattle used to have a trolley that ran along the waterfront. The popular tourist attraction and commute option was closed in 2005 to make room for Olympic Sculpture Park.

Olympic Sculpture Park is an outdoor, unfenced art gallery, exposing the people of Seattle to these modern pieces. Within a day or two of opening that staff was complaining that people were TOUCHING the art and it was so delicate, the oils from people's hands would likely damage the pieces. It seem like they should have thought about that while they were designing the park.

Regardless, it is a beautiful place. It has sweeping views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. And, of course, it's free. It's a great place to wander about during a busy day or a hectic visit to Seattle.

I took these pictures when my Mother was in town over the summer.

But first, consider yourself warned:

The fountains are on a timer that controls how high the water sprays. Sometimes the man is hidden in the water; sometimes the boy is hidden. And for part of the cycle, you can see them both.

At first glance, this one looks like a wacky clown.

It'a actually an old school typewriter eraser. I really like the color of the blue bristles.

This represents the shipping industry.

And here is a bird keeping an eye on the mountains.

And while you're looking at the park, remember, it may be looking back at you.

But no matter who is watching, it can still be a peaceful, pleasant visit.

Another Vice Presidential candidate

While people around the world express their glee at the new President- and Vice President-Elect, it's important to take a moment and remember another Vice Presidential candidate who went on to his final reward over the weekend.

During the tumultuous years of the eighties a third party candidate made headlines and T-Shirts throughout the nation. With daily coverage in hundreds of newspapers, millions of Americans followed the unfolding story of his campaign. Despite running valiant campaigns in 1984 and 1988, the third party would not meet with success. Saddled with a small party structure, less charisma than Walter Mondale, controversy over the San Francisco convention, getting slapped with the Liberal label, allegations of an affair with Jean Kirkpatrick, and a presidential candidate who was mostly dead, the Meadow Party just couldn't pull in the votes.

The Vice Presidential candidate with Southern roots lived a full life. His early jobs included writing personal ads for the local newspaper before he began work as an assistant to the only lawyer in town. He toured with renounced heavy metal band Deathtongue, until the lead singer was caught up in a biblical scandal. He briefly married a sculptor, before the wedding was annulled over concern about children and noses. There were rumors of an affair with Diane Sawyer, but those rumors may have been started by the candidate himself. Always the Star Trek fan, he owned his own Spock uniform.

He valued diversity, and was close, personal friends with a fascinating group of people -- nerdy and cool, black and white, liberal and conservative, wheel-chair bound and runner, young and old, and in later years, gay and straight.

Throughout the years, he tried to bring out the best in human nature. But the one thing he sought for over twenty five years is the one thing he finally got -- a mother and a home.

Opus passed away this past weekend after several weeks in an animal shelter.

He ended up there after a run in with Homeland Security due to his immigration status. His last act was to surrender a chance at freedom to his cell mate who likely made it to Tahiti.

Opus passed on from the pages of the comic strips to the pages of Good Night Moon, where he will spend eternity cozy in the warmth of a loving family and story.



No matter what happens in the next four years, remember:

Don't blame me. I voted for Bill and Opus.


For more details about the final weeks of Opus's life, see this Wikipedia article.

Corteo in Marymoor Park

Corteo is one of the Cirque du Soleil traveling shows, and it is wrapping up its Seattle leg.

I enjoy the Cirque du Soleil shows, but can't quite hand myself over entirely to the experience. I'm too linear. I want things to make sense. When I go to a show that presumably has a story or theme, I want to follow along with that story. That's not really possible with a Cirque show. Supposedly they all follow a theme. They express a story rather than tell one. Many of them are based on legends or dreams, further enhancing the ethereal nature.

Whatever.

They are beautiful expressions of athleticism, balance, juggling, comedy, and the true, incredible capabilities of the human body. The creativity and energy is intoxicating.

Especially when I stop trying to think about the story.

This was my fifth Cirque show. I've seen Dralion and Delirium in Seattle; and I've seen Ka and O in Vegas. I don't think this was my favorite, but everytime I try to rank them I come up with nothing. So maybe it is my favorite afterall.

I guess the trick is not to think about it too much.

Corteo tells the story of clown who dreams about his funeral. The different acts tell about different parts of his life. At the end, I'm not sure if the clown is actually dead or his dream just ends.

One of the early acts is a bunch of acrobats jumping around on two trampolines/beds. The energy and wackiness is truly joyful. The story is about the wild times in the clown's youth and can be read in a couple different ways. It's either about the exuberance on children, or the young clown's sexual exploits. Regardless, the portrayal is subtle enough for the act (like all the others) to be perfectly family friendly.

The Chandelier act, Tibetan bowls, Teatro Intimo and other acts are all amazing.

Also in the cast are two little people -- a husband and wife team. In one act, the woman is suspended from several helium balloons and floats around the stage and audience like a beach ball at a rock concert.

As an added plus, parts of the show are actually in English. Most Cirque shows are in gibberish or French. This made it quite a bit easier to pretend I was following the story.

This show is also more intimate than a typical Cirque show. At most Cirque shows, the clowns play with the audience a little bit in the beginning, then they climb up on stage. The rest of the show happens in a disconnected manner. There is no acknowledgment that there are two thousand people watching until the curtain call at the end.

Corteo is different. The performers look through that fourth wall to the crowd. The clown references Seattle. They play to the audience in a way that is different from the straight up exhibition I've come to expect from Cirque.

There is a little crowd work in the beginning, but not too much. If you want to make sure you don't participate, simple avoid the first or last row in a section, and avoid the aisle seats. But really, I wouldn't worry about it.

The only complaint I have would be the seats themselves. They are too narrow. Coach seats on most airliners will give you more room. In these seats, you are almost guaranteed to be touching the person next to you. Since Cirque takes the whole thing on the road, these seats will follow the show to all cities.

If you are a fan of Cirque Du Soliel, it's a fun show and worth the time. If you haven't been to a Cirque show, it's a good a introduction to genre. Anyway I look at it, it's an evening well spent.

What I did in training

I've been in a training class all week. Here's what I accomplished yesterday and today:





It was actually a pretty good class. The instructor set out piles of pipe cleaners, modeling clay, rubber dice and other little things specifically so we all had toys to play with a fidget with during the class. It was a way to minimize outside distractions and naps. And keeping my hands busy with pipe cleaners did leave my mind free to consider the material.

Until yesterday, I hadn't used pipe cleaners for more than 15 years.

Temporary Art

A few months ago, Seattle hosted a sand sculpture event. You can see my mother's impressions of it here.

Seattle is not really known for its beaches so this was an interesting event. Seattle is also not know for its snow and ice, so it only makes sense to host an ice sculpture event as well.

On Saturday, my GF and I headed down to Pioneer Square to check out the ice sculptures that are part of the Historic Holidays event. On the morning of day two, most of the sculptures were already melting. I'm not sure if they were supposed to last the whole weekend or not, but the impressive sculptures were gradually losing their details.

The Christmas tree was impressive, but we could see it drip.

An elf was having some trouble, too.

The rocking horse was rather said to see. At one point it must have had some impressive detail.

By time we got there, it was more like a duck.

While it may be December, Seattle doesn't really have winter weather. The wind and 40-45 degree temperatures are not ice friendly.

But the artists' skills are truly amazing. Also amazing is the mind set that lets them do this. They put hours into the work, only to have it disappear a few hours later.

And that's the part I can't wrap my head around. To put so many hours into something so ephemeral would be utterly frustrating to me. And yet, not only do they not find it frustrating, I imagine many of the do it because it's temporary.

You can see more pictures of the Ice and Sand here.

Shatner-Palooza: Art

It somehow seems fitting this should be my 500th post.

This Shatner inspired art exhibit is almost reason enough to go to Calgary.

From Canada.Com:

What a Long, Strange Trek
An album called Has Been spawned an art show and book project in which William Shatner isn't just the man of the hour--he's all that and a bowl of All-Bran.
By Shelley Arnusch

...

Rather, as Vangool, a graphic designer and owner/director of Uppercase Gallery, and Dresser, her writer husband, navigated the convoluted highways of northeast Ontario listening to the actor's 2004 spoken-word album Has Been, the spirit of Shatner came upon them. And they were not afraid to be inspired.

As the couple contemplated the man, the myth and the voice that filled the car, an idea began to take shape for a group exhibition of Shatner-themed works at Uppercase, where Vangool's mandate is the support and promotion of original illustration.

...

The more the couple absorbed the unpredictable ebb and flow of Has Been, the more interested they became in artistically exploring the multi-faceted Shatner persona-- the old man, the young hunk, the Canadian son, the Hollywood player, the noble hero, the lampooned doofus, the novelist, the visionary, the benefactor, the pitchman, et al.

The idea snowballed as it rolled back and forth between the two creative minds. By the time they returned to Calgary, Vangool was ready to hit the ground running with plans for an exhibition called The Shatner Show. In the same way that you can't contain the icon who inspired the show, the concept expanded to include a hardcover book, for which Dresser contributed the introductory essay.

... More

And just when the article couldn't get any better, Shatner himself weighed in:

"Every artist has their muse. Leonardo was inspired by the ceiling in the great chapel. Michelangelo found his art in the Italian marble. Who am I to stand in the way of all these fine artists and artisans who want to use my lumpy, aging face for inspiration? Some creators love a great sunset; some have in mind my bloodshot eyes. Nevertheless, out of awe, amusement or pity, you should come and see this unique show."