Artifacts

THANK YOU, Phoenix Art Museum, for making some of your exhibits available for visitor photographs.  I always enjoy being greeted by this Buddha, on display in one of the main halls.  I also love the intricate beauty of this example of traditional Asian attire (below).

The Phoenix Art Museum is one of my favorite cultural venues in central Phoenix.  Currently, they are featuring two excellent exhibits.  The first is their 2014 installment of The West Select, an annual exhibit devoted exclusively to Western American themed art, which always includes work by two of my favorite Western artists, Ed Mell, a local Phoenix artist, and Arturo Chavez of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Two outstanding, but very different artists.  They are also featuring Vanitas: Contemporary Reflections on Love and Death from the Collection of Stephane Janssen, for those of us (like myself) who love skull art, like in the Day of the Dead.

Anyone visiting Phoenix must visit the Phoenix Art Museum.  

Christmas with a Roar

Guardian Lion, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

In Chicago, even the guardian lions that grace the entrance of the Art Institute get into the spirit of the season.

More Beautiful Architecture in Galveston, TX

Historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church is one of the many architectural gems you'll discover while driving along one of the main thoroughfares of Galveston, TX. This whitewashed Spanish-style church provides a clean palette to offset the intensity of the deep blue sky.  It helps to provide a lot of beautiful brightness to the surrounding environment.

Bishop's Palace, a beautiful Victorian mansion.  I could live here (and would if I could afford it).

Very stately, with an almost Southern flair.  I love the iron balcony detail that is reminiscent of the French Quarter in New Orleans.

This statue reminds me of old photos I've seen of the Statue of the Republic, a giant statue that graced the grounds of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.

Palm trees help to create a sense of luxury to compliment the grandeur of Victorian architecture.

"Release" in Downtown Phoenix

For many years I have been curious about this statue, located at the light rail stop on Central Avenue, just off of Roosevelt. I always assumed that this was an interpretation of the mythical phoenix bird, the very symbol of the city that bears its name.  But it is not. Little did I know, until now, that this statue carries a very different message. "Release the Fear" suggests that we can overcome our fears, even reclaim things that can hurt us and regenerate them as part of something larger that can inspire us and help us to rise above. I like that this statue was cast from confiscated weapons. If only people would lay down their weapons and contribute the material towards the creation of awe-inspiring art. Make art, not war; inspire others, regard them with compassion, and cause no harm.

Portal

For a while, I have loved this piece of outdoor art gracing the light rail stop of Central Avenue and Camelback Road in Phoenix, associating it with a gate, a doorway. But to where? Another dimension? An alternate universe? A parallel city of Phoenix that offers sufficient mass transit to its residents? The possibilities are endless, even if slightly fantastic. Little did I know that my sense of this statue's meaning was correct, until a couple of mornings ago, when I spotted the plaque below. I love art that has a spiritual meaning. Circle of life...!

Art Imitating Life

I mentioned this previously, but I really enjoy some of the creative bus stops that can be found along various Valley Metro bus lines. Here, art imitates life, as we find two artificial palms standing with their source of inspiration towering above behind them. I would have attempted to capture these statues in full, but, given that this is a bus stop, that would have required me to step out into the street, and I confess that even my dedication to capturing beauty has its limits. Keep it safe!

Study in Black

Okay, another feat in modern sculpture, again leaving me stumped as to what this is supposed to represent. But who cares? I love the circular design, which gives a sense of perpetual motion. Again, a little bit of artistic fun, and so enjoy.

Colorful on Campus

I love the enigmatic quality of so much modern art, its openendedness that allows for multiplicity of interpretation. This particular sculpture suggests to me a colorful interpretation of the Picasso at Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago. (I posted a photo of the Chicago Picasso last summer on this blog.) Like with the Picasso in Chicago, I have no idea what this sculpture is supposed to represent, if anything at all, but you have to admit that it is a lot of fun. Enjoy!

Random Photos in Downtown Phoenix

This afternoon I decided to take a trip downtown to the Phoenix Art Museum, but I forgot that it is closed on Mondays. (Note to self: check the website before venturing out into 107 degrees Fahrenheit.) At any rate, that didn't stop me from taking a few random photos of things I liked. Here they are. Enjoy!

Phoenix, AZ

This is a view of Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix, looking north from McDowell, where the Phoenix Art Museum is located. A few years ago, the city of Phoenix constructed a new light rail commuter service, which spans from downtown Phoenix (and I believe farther west than that) through Tempe and to Mesa, linking up two campuses of Arizona State University in the process. Hopefully, the light rail will be expanded and new route lines will be added in the future.

Wall art, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ

This artwork graces the wall at the entrance of the Phoenix Art Museum. Facing outward, it is one of the first art exhibits you see.

Statue, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ

If I remember correctly, Phoenix Art Museum has a sculpture garden, but sculptures can also be found on the front lawn near the entrance. This red Tyrannosaurus Rex was kind of cool. Look who wants out of his cage!

Statue, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ 

Statue, front view, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ

I have no idea if this statue possesses any deeper meaning, but I thought cube guy was very cool. It's located right in the middle of the parking lot.

Red Bird of Paradise, Phoenix, AZ

The red bird of paradise is not a native resident; it is a transplant like so many of us. Still, it might as well be a native, given what a popular flower it is in the Valley. This is one of my favorite flowers, one that I missed very much while I was living away. When the flowers first bloom, there is a sharp distinction between the red center and the yellow edges, but as the flowers age these colors begin to seep into one another until you get a beautiful fiery orange. These flowers are very colorful and festive beneath a blue sky and a hot desert sun. They grow on bushes that actually get to be very big. I don't think some people realize just how big the red bird of paradise gets when they plant them in some very tight spots.

Check it out: Phoenix Art Museum

The Fantastical Elephant (Portland, Oregon)

Elephant Statue, Portland, Oregon

Last fall, when I visited Portland, Oregon, with a friend, I couldn't resist taking a photo of this very cool elephant statue. Actually, there are two elephants here, with the baby one riding the back of its parent. If you look closely, the trunk of the big elephant looks like the neck of a camel, so is this an elephant statue, or a camel statue, or both? The whole thing looks to me like an oversized yixing teapot, those whimsical teapots that come in a variety of fantastical shapes. I guess the closer we look at things, the more likely we will see room for multiple interpretations and possibilities. Why be so limited (and so limiting)?