Beautiful Art in the Sky

Wednesday DH and I went into Boston to see the aerial art by Janet Echelman on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.  Everyone in the area told us we HAVE to go back at night because the veils are apparently imbedded with LED lights that make them glow in the dark.  But against the cerulean blue sky on a sunny day, they were still amazing. I took lots of pictures!

Thank you, Boston, for your support of public art and beauty!                  

But first, like bumpkins in from the sticks, we had to make a few wrong turns.  At least we had aimed for the South end of the Greenway (the art installation is between a fire station and the Hotel Intercontinental), but due to left turn lanes and the like, we detoured toward the Marina area... which is where the Jail and Federal Courthouse are, and wouldn't you know it was the day of the Tsarnaev sentencing.  Police everywhere.  Streets blocked off. And more TV trucks in one place than I've ever seen.  Turns out that the Courthouse wasn't really visible from where we drove.  There is a lot of interesting architecture though.  I want to go back and explore when it doesn't seem like the whole universe is there!

Above is a distant view of the Massachusetts  Convention Center.  Haven't been THERE yet either.  At right is a gracefully proportioned office building identified only as : Shilepsky Hartley Robb Casey Michon LLP.  The law firm apparently specializes in employment and labor law.  I guess they're pretty hot stuff to have that whole building!

I caught a quick shot of the lobster weather vane at James Hook & Co:  a rough hewn fish-shack.  Again, must go back when there's more time and less traffic.

I got a glimpse of the veils from the car while we were looking for a parking lot.

We found a lot beneath the Tishman Speyer building. Imagine my delight when I saw the art installations in the Tishman Speyer lobby! My online research says that one of the Speyers (Jerry) is a well known and adventurous art collector and board member of arts organizations in New York City. I wish I could tell you who did the giant strands of "tinsel."  They were apparently comissioned to compliment the Janet Echelman veils outside.


































The building had several concierge/guides who helped us find the East doors; it was easy to get turned around in the parking garage and marbled halls of the lobby level.  To a man, they hated the enormous painting in the image to the right.  Allegedly, the "son of the owner" had it sent up from a building in New York City--- AND it depicts members of the Green Bay Packers.    I didn't see the football players myself!  I tried to console the concierge though.  He said it was the ugliest art he'd EVER seen...  I told him I'd seen worse.

And then we got outside and walked several blocks of the Greenway looking at the veils from lots of different angles.

Would your city's property owners agree to allow anchoring hardware on their buildings for ART?  Bravo to the Boston movers and shakers who got behind this project.




And would your city dedicate lots of square feet of "prime" property for an in-town arboretum?  Actually all of this greenway is directly over the tunnels through town (The Big Dig).  So perhaps there are architectural barriers to big buildings over this area.  The added beauty, though, is priceless.






24 varieties of bulbs!!!




And three styles of seating, not including the grass. There were plenty of happy office workers finding time for nature on their breaks.

I got distracted by some of the architectural photo opportunities...

 I wondered what it was like to have your office go in and out of shadows every afternoon.

And what fun to be able to peek through an opening in the cityscape and see puffy clouds behind other clouds mirrored in the windows

The stone eagle that sits atop the clock  of South Station is eight feet wide and weighs over eight tons. (Aren't Google and Wikipedia terrific?!)


At right is the facade of the Fire Department.  We heard at least six fire trucks while we were walking.

They didn't get anywhere very fast. 




More public art!  Shinque Smith's  unique vision/painting on the South wall of South Station's venting system. 40 gallons (!)of paint were used in the scaled up mural.

My husband did his best Spencer imitation (from the Robert B Parker mystery novels).

The old buildings have an amazing variety of high quality decorative features.  Do I sound old when I say the don't build 'em like they used to?

They are predicting rain through the weekend... but on the next nice day, I want to ride the trolly all around town.

 

The Boston office of the Federal Reserve  was  built in the early 70's. It has garden/park space at ground level with enough vertical clearance for ocean breezes to come through.  It apparently also has special construction features for sound proofing and weather protection.  (Not sure I'd want to be at the top of that tower in a Nor'Easter!) (Third tallest building in the city.)

 

 

I don't know what it would look like if I tried to paint what I saw.  Here's a fast photoshop effort.

And a contrail not parallel to ANY of the angles on the buildings.

On one of our first visits to Boston, we visited the Lannan Ship Model Gallery.  They are one of those "NO PHOTOS" kind of places on the inside.  But I did note what was in their windows.  I couldn't read the pricetags, but my husband was inspired to say that perhaps he should start building models to supplement our retirement income.

It was a beautiful day! (With or without HDR)

Grandparents' Day at the Greenway Carousel

What a beautiful day it was Saturday!  A hint of Fall in the air (but still not sweater weather), blue skies, and a happy afternoon in anticipation of and in the presence of my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, aka HRH!

I has been a long time since I ventured to what seemed like the over-crowded Quincy Marketplace and Fanueil Hall.  Since we were prepared to pay full freight for parking (!) it was a lot more fun.  The first "odd" thing I saw was this Rouge & Noir fire hydrant.  (I have a collection of fire hydrant photos -- not sure why, but I love finding a new color combination.)  And that's DH walking on obliviously, while nobly carrying my giant bag of tricks.

Sun  and shadows were surprising... As was the barely noticeable canting of some of the buildings.  That atrium is NOT parallel/perpendicular to the buildings behind it.  I may have to exaggerate that in a painting...

Bostonians sometimes cut to the chase and ONLY tell you what you need to know.

Civic pride via landscaping... even if it is "only" in a pot.  But what a pot it is!

I've forgotten what you have to do to be forced to wear these silly hats at Dick's Last Resort.  Those days are past for me, I believe.

I wanna Kiss this Guy?  Don't badger anybody. 

Couldn't resist photographing other people's children while waiting for my own.  This girl was a practiced poser... Her smile is BIG, but a little forced.

The use of Massachusetts critters was a brilliant idea.  I loved all of them, but the bunnies more so.

Owl and Falcon.

Arr! Arr!  Who can resist a sea lion with a bench to cuddle on?

I think this is a plain old grasshopper... not one of those 17 year locust critters.

And then the family arrived.  I have no recollection of what Mom and Dad were looking at.  Superman?

One of the best things about having a pre-schooler is getting to do little-kid stuff with them!

There was something about the expressions on this young boy and my grand daughter that made me ask myself, "What are they thinking?"  One could probably write a whole novel based on possible answers.

Mom eying the photographer.

Mom and Dad.

Reflections in a bunny's eye.

Blowing kisses.

Trying to catch up with the Falcon, perhaps?  Not a chance for a rabbit.  Thoughtful of the designer to make it unlikely that the rabbit would get snarfed up.

Yes, I see! 

Sometimes feeling what is happening is even better than seeing. 

And then again, looking with eyes AND heart is good, too.

Daughter and Dad on the level.

The pictures of the fish and HRH make me light up inside every time.

Coy AND charming.

I think she's making faces at Mom while riding with Dad.

A moment of introspection.

They call if MUTUAL, Unconditional Positive Regard.  What a gift.

It is amazing to have lived long enough to see my toddler grow up to be the father of a toddler.  Would that I could see another generational cycle.  Would that I had been confident enough to enjoy parenting my children as much as my son seems to.

Grandpa D and DIL with new camera.

Heaven on earth... or on the carousel!

End of the ride.  For now.