Art Wednesday - 2/11/15

Or - Walkin' Down the Avenue

It's the second Wednesday of the month and that means a trip downtown to take care of our banking business. Oh, to be honest, we could just as easily conduct our business at either the bank in Columbia City or Renton but, and here's the rub, they're not downtown.

Hahaha, at least once a month, on that magical second Wednesday of each month, we have a reason, an excuse to get out and get downtown. And we use it.

And so we packed up and headed off to business and then adventure in The Emerald City.

And what better adventure than The Northwest Flower & Garden Show. This show has been heralding the start of Spring since 1989, as gardening enthusiasm from around the Northwest flock to this annual celebration at the Washington State Convention Center for five magical days.

           Internet

By now you must have figured out that I crib a lot, a lot, of my copy from the Internet. I am unabashed in my plain plagiarism. It adds a certain panache, to my narrative plus, and this is a biggie, it makes it easier for me. And you should know by now that I'm all about makin' life easier for Ol' Jackie.

So after the bank we headed over to The Northwest Flower & Garden Show (NWF&GS)  at the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC).

I had read that admittance was free to the event and then I had seen where tickets were required so we thought we'd sorta show up on the doorstep and see what happened.

What happened was, tickets were required to gain entry into the event. And they weren't cheap!! At $22 a pop, they were a bit out of my comfort zone for lazing about on an overcast Wednesday afternoon. Well above!!

So we fell back to that ol' reliable, Plan B. Which has, to my best recollection, never failed us yet.

Plan B is pretty simple. Find something else to do. Ofttimes the greatest adventures are the ones you didn't plan. Hahaha, that's the beauty of Plan B, there's not much to it to complicate matters or to set you up for a let-down.

And our Plan B was to just see what we could see and have us some fun. 

So we did.

And good Ol' Plan B worked again!!

First off, we discovered they have a small park right there at the WSCC. The park is at the uppermost level of the WSCC and opens up into an enclosed area that goes over the I-5 Freeway and runs to the next street to the south of the WSCC.

A very nice urban park with trees, foliage artwork and semi-quiet places to sit and relax. the only drawback is the noise from the freeway below.

Smile!!

Even though we're in the middle of winter, you can still see signs that spring is just around the corner inside the park. The promise of better and newer times to come as evidenced by these magnolia buds.

And the gardens, even in winter, are colorful. Here's some kale.

Again, there is the joy of just being. Being outside and enjoying the mild weather. Being in a park in the middle of a huge metropolitan city. Being able to enjoy what is around me. 

I guess I'm trying to say it's a treat to be able to get out and see things.

Even if it is questionable public art. And by questionable I don't mean it is spotty or remotely dirty in an 8th Grade manner. No, I mean it's questionable as to whether it is art or not. Hahaha, at least as far as I see art.

I'll say it again, it isn't art until you convince someone it is. I think that's the great secret and the trick to being an acclaimed artist . . . you have to convince someone that what you've done is, indeed, great art.

This is a detail of a piece set out in the park by the WSCC. It has a fan of George Washington profiles cut out of some kind of metal. It's unusual and it's clever but, bottom line, is it art?

Or is it just an example of a damn good job of selling a Meat-of-the-Month membership to a vegetarian?

Hahaha, here's the great art. Look at these beauties!! Each one is, in real life, about a quarter of an inch long.

And yet, small as they are, when you really get down and look at them, they're unique and beautiful. 

I took these by standing off a distance and zooming in on them. I'm learning, the hard way, that when you use an extreme zoom, like I've done here, it causes the grain to explode. It's like I had taken a picture and then done an extreme blow-up.

I'm still learning with the new camera. I'll figure it out. Maybe.

   Artsy-Fartsy Alert!!   

I'm gonna call this Artsy-Fartsy Alert for pretty much this entire blog. Hahaha, today was kinda unusual in that we pretty much spent our time looking at and discussing art.

The WSCC has a great program for showcasing Washington artists and since we backed out of going to the Flower Show, we spent our time wandering through the Convention Center looking at the exhibits.

So, you can pretty much check out of the blog now if you'd like. We did eventually walk through the city after we left the WSCC but we spent a good deal of time enjoying their art exhibits, and they have a lot of them, on display on the various floors of the WSCC.

Anyway, I'm starting it here because I was definitely going for the Artsy-Fartsy effect with this picture. I really like moss on trees and the shape, angles and texture of trees. I always feel that when they're combined they're extra-special but I've never been able to capture that beauty adequately. But, as you well know, I keep on trying. Carol suggested this angle.

Then there is my ol' standby . . . flowers. 

Hello, Daffodils!!

An annual favorite!!

Windows. I don't know what I'm gonna do with it but I like this theme. Hahaha, I am not a Peeping Tom, honest. It's interesting to imagine the lives that go on behind these panes of glass.

And from that window to all of these. We could see these buildings from the park.

I'm not a big fan of glass buildings. I still think they're a lazy and cheap way to build but, I admit, they're totally modern. I understand their utility but I am not always a fan of their aesthetics.

But, sometimes, it works. Like this. Interesting.

Remember, these are in the order taken so I sometimes bounce around. 

And here they are, the Daffodils, again. You'll, hopefully, see a lot of daffodils. I think they're pretty special. And, y'know, they are like a harbinger of spring showing up as they did in the WSCC park.

Fun Facts: Hahaha, besides being a fun flower to look at, they also have some wild names. The daffodil is part of the genus, Narcissus. Other names for this flower are daffadowndilly and jonquil. They are all used to describe these conspicuous flowers with six petal-like tepals surmounted by a cup - or trumpet - shaped corona.

The genus is well known in ancient civilisation, both medicinally and botanically. This flower arose some time in the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene eras, in the Iberian peninsula and adjacent areas of southwest Europe. 

The exact origin of the name Narcissus is unknown, but it is often linked to a Greek word for intoxicated and, of course,  the myth of the young man who fell in love with his own reflection . . . kinda like Barry Obama.

Neat story about Narcissus. This tale starts with Narcissus, a handsome youth, who was granted his great good looks by the Gods. But always, as in life, there was a catch. His beauty was permanent and he was immortal as long as he never viewed his own reflection. 

Once, while Narcissus was hunting, a nubile wood nymph named Echo saw him. He was so handsome, she fell desperately in love but Narcissus spurned her. She was so devastated that she wept and wailed and was ultimately consumed by her love. She pined so that soon all that was left of her was her voice. The Prophecy of her name had come true.

But the Gods were not pleased. The goddess, Nemesis, heard about poor Echo, and lured Narcissus to a shimmering lake. There, in his vain state, he was unable to resist gazing at his own reflection and fell in love with himself. 

(Hmmmm, this is an awful lot like Barry O, isn't it!?! 

As he gazed, the divine penalty took effect and he simply faded away. In his place sprang up the golden flower that bears his name today.

Now you know how Daffodils came to be and also why psychologists warn vain patients about the "Narcissus Complex."

Trivia Quiz From Out Of the Clear Blue Because I Saw This While Researching Daffodils: What three countries has as its National Flower, the Tulip?

   WSCC Reflected Window Selfie!!   

As we were leaving the garden we saw these windows and, well, here we are again.

Answer to the Trivia Quiz: The three countries that have the Tulip as their National Flower? You should have easily gotten one of them, The Netherlands. The other two are a bit more obscure, Iran and Turkey. Yeah, I know. I was surprised, too. 

Inside the entryway into the auditorium there were a series of stained glass windows and I, being the shameless huckster I am, grabbed a shot of them. I am just showing you my favorite of the set.

The WSCC itself is ginormous. There's five floors filled with meeting rooms and auditoriums.

When we went to ComiCon here back in March of 2014, there were actual lines waiting to go up and down these escalators.

So we got started on the art on display. In 1997 the WSCC Art Foundation was established as a non-profit corporation. It created a public art program with two components: Permanent works and a rotating exhibitions.  The permanent collection consists of gifts and long-term loans from artists, museums, galleries, government, corporations, foundations, and private collectors. Quarterly rotating eh biting are booked approximately two years in advance. They've had over 165 of these exhibitions.

So we quickly figured out where the permanent pieces were. Most were right by the elevators, alone. But we found 'em.

Clouds

Don't ask.

I don't know.

Carol thinks it looks like a magnolia blossom.

And this. What I was struck by was the idea that someone put a lot of effort into this. Second thought was where did they think it would be displayed? I mean this was like 20 feet wide and maybe 6-8 feet tall.

And, a detail.

Taken in small bites, it's OK. In toto, it is a bit too much for me to comprehend . . . or appreciate. Course, I'm not a big fan of this genre either.

Not a big fan at all.

Reflecting the Great American Pacific Northwest, there was this offering. The artist carved out each scene and then painted the wood. 

It was interesting but I didn't care for his technique. Plus no one had a neck. It was like every head was stuck, splat!!, right on top of their shoulders.

Hahaha, a mediocre rendering of a mediocre artist. As far as musical greatness goes, I have an easy measure. Have I ever heard of their songs? And, except for one, I can proudly say I haven't heard of any other Prince tunes.

Hahaha, can you tell I am not a fan of The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. What a pretentious fop.

OK, when I see some art, I'm left wondering what the artist was reaching for. What kind of reaction was he, or she, trying to get? Because I have no idea how to react to this.

Uh, OK.

And the title is just as silly and inane as the work itself:

Support a Pair for the Void and the Fractured

After I read the title I looked back to see if there was a jockstrap involved that I hadn't noticed before. 

There wasn't.

OK, this thing is humongous. It was one of the largest pieces we saw. And this is what it was for something like 25-30 feet from left to right and 8-10 feet top to bottom.

And it was just this. Squiggly little lines of acrylic paint. With an occasional large line to break up the monotony. That's it.

Hahaha, I kept having this recurring thought of a high school art exhibition and that most of these things were what the kids put together the night before just to have something to turn in.

This one might have gotten a C-.

From a distance, this looks like it was put together with seeds, beans and corn. Like a mosaic.

And there were two of these. Using the high school analogy, these might have gotten a D+ . . . on a good day . . . when the teacher wasn't totally hung over.

It was . . . lame. I mean it just had nothing. 

And another large piece. They used inlaid sheets of floor tiles, linoleum, to create the fruit and vegetables. And it was large.

What do you think? Does it sing to you?

OK, this being Seattle, it came as no surprise that they had some glass artwork displayed. While I don't care for glass art, I did like these.

I keep seeing them being bumped onto the floor and then . . . smithereens!!

This was another one of the exhibits . . . 

The Meaning of Wood: Art about Trees no Longer in the Forest

Woo, woo!! Here's an example of selling the art through the ability of selling an idea!!

"Says artist and curator, Suze Woolf: There are probably as many paintings, photographs and sculptures of trees as there are trees. But what happens to trees isn't as recently portrayed: harvested and shipped out, milled into functional products, gnawed at, carved, burned or blown down, preserved in parks and more ... It is a paradox of our language that 'woods' means a living forest and 'wood' means the material of products and commerce."

See what I mean?

OK, this first one is original. It's fabricated entirely from cardboard boxes. Neat effect.

And this one. The artist cut individual pieces and then glued them together showing the grain in the same direction. The dot is a cross-section of log.

And this one. Looks like a cross-section of a log, right?

This one is made entirely of old paperbacks.

And various sized caps.  Made into . . . something.

Why?

I don't know.

Another area of the exhibit.

This is a permanent display. I've seen it before. 

It hasn't changed.

It's interesting.

A detail from the car shown above.

Detail of glass jars on display.

OK, the next one was rather extensive. 

i am from: The Faces of Path with Art, is a collection of portraits reflecting the lives, struggles, hopes and dreams of Path with Art student artists.

This organization provides powerful and engaging creative opportunities to low-income adults in recovery from homelessness, addiction, mental health issues, and other trauma as a means to strengthen and improve their lives.

If it works then more power to them.

Actually, some of these are compelling . . . and good.

And some are confusing. All are by different artists in the program.

And these were disturbing.

But I can see where this program would allow people to let out some of their demons and possibly confront them. 

This guy had a kinda Grandma Moses effect in the flattened expression of his face. Not bad.

Carol thinks he looks like Charlie Manson.

And to end, there are these two. I know they're rough and rudimentary but they do have something that makes me look at them a second time. In part it is the medium they chose and the use of just one color to express themselves.

These were in the same area but I don't think they're part of the Path to Art exhibition display. They're  all head shots but these were cut out of paper. I think this is called shadow-pictures.

This had to be a very time-consuming and delicate operation. I don't see this being very therapeutic for the folks that the Path With Art project is helping.

This is Carol's favorite.

And this one is mine.

I'd like to try and get this effect with my photography. Shoot a B&W photo and then work it so it ends up in just black and white contrasts.

Got any suggestions?

I just like the simplicity of this. How carefully the paper was wrinkled and then laid out and how the artist chose to present the feather. Interesting.

And this ends our tour. We started next to the elevators and it is here we end, albeit on a lower floor.

They did a good job. We first noticed the art when we came to ComiCon last year and since then we've been making it a point to see at least some of it every time we've been back. It's a sorta tradition.

Hahahaha, like this is. On our first ever visit to the WSCC, we bought a couple of Chocolate Chip  Muffins in this restaurant and every time we've been back, at least one of us has a Chocolate Chip Muffin.

Like this one.

The front entrance lobby to the WSCC. They did a great job setting this up. It's just a couple blocks east of the Pike Place Public Market and maybe a mile and a quarter from the Space Needle.

So we actually did leave and started our slow amble back to . . . somewhere. 

I thought we'd go south down 7th Avenue, you know, new territory. 

   7th Avenue WSCC Reflected Window Selfie!!   

And what amble couldn't use a selfie, right?

This old portico is to the entrance for the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

I am always struck by the beauty, the symmetry and the thought that went into these old beauties.

I was doing a little research on the Eagle Building and I found this picture. Does it look similar to the one I took shown above?

Hahaha, yeah, they're similar but mine can be had for . . . nada, zip, zilch. 

The one below goes for $24.95 + $6.95 for S&H!!

Good Grief!!

I'm definitely doing things wrong!!

Fun Facts: I was looking for some info about the building and found this.

On February 6, 1898, a group of theater managers met to discuss some business matters. The men took a walk along the tide flats and, as they walked the conversation took a philosophical turn. Combining their ideas on democracy and brotherhood, it was decided that an organization should be formed to reflect this spirit, an organiaztion called, The Seattle Order of Good Things. It was later rechristened The Fraternal Order of Eagles. Its origins lay in the discussion they were having concerning the details of a musicians' strike that affected them all. They decided to take a united stance with the musicians, and, at the same time, do some good in the world.

The Society's constitution asked its members to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills and promoting peace, prosperity, gladness, and hope. (They may not have been too good at creating names for organizations, but they could really turn a phrase in punching out a mission statement!!)

Within 10 years the Eagles had 1,800 lodges scattered throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, boasting a membership roll that exceeded 350,000. Members received free medical attention (as did the individual's family), weekly payments in case of sickness and a funeral benefit. More importantly, they formed a powerful voice that advocated various types of reform that would benefit the average working man.

The Eagles Auditorium Building commemorated Seattle's role in the history of this fraternal organization. In 1924, the Seattle Chapter built itself a larger home, aiming for an impressive elegance that would attract new members and make Aerie #1 the largest Eagles Lodge in the Nation. The Eagles Auditorium Building is one of Seattle's most beautiful terra-cotta buildings, and its Renaissance-revival styling manages to be both serene and imposing at the same time. It was renovated in 1995 to become the new home of the ACT Theater.

Look at the lower left corner of this postcard . . . that's the portico I shot. Today the WSCC sits to the left and behind this building.

Then, as we ambled on, we found this on the corner of Union and 7th. What a surprise this was.

It's titled The Urban Garden. 

Seems we're running into all kinds of art today.

A street scene. They do have themselves some colorful taxis. 

It was a busy day, sort of. Looking north up 6th Avenue.

On an overcast day like this was, its best to shoot down or, if you're shooting up, try to limit the amount of sky you get,

Again with the reflections. The downtown gives you a lot of opportunities to explore these.

The Plymouth Congregational Church framed the building for me.

The Plymouth Congressional Church began in 1869 when the founders first met in a room above a drug store in Pioneer Square. The congregation moved to its own land when Arthur Denny donated a parcel for the church on the corner of Second Ave and Spring Street.

A detail of the Women's University Club of Seattle. 

Who would have guessed that this segregated club existed right here in liberal Seattle!?!

Not me!!

Fun Facts: In 1914, a small group of college-educated women wanted a place to meet friends, continue their learning, and enjoy cultural and social activities together. That's why they created the Women's University Club of Seattle. By 1922, membership had grown to over 600 and - unusual for the era - these determined women had built their very own clubhouse. 

Wha . . . !?!?!

For over a century, the Club has thrived by striking a crucial balance: meeting the changing needs of their members with enthusiasm while staying true to their founding ideals: laugh together, learn together and be our best selves.

Really!?! C'Mon, ladies, that sounds like a line from one of the sororities in Animal House!!

Well, they did have some camellias out front. I'm still kinda mad that they exclude men from their women-only club. Boy, the injustice, right!?!

Spring is coming!!

Seattle has more than its fair share of beautiful buildings. They can stand up to any city in that department. Unfortunately, they've also got some really butt-ugly buildings, too.

And the Seattle Public Library is one of them. 

Really? Really, Seattle!?!

Dude, that was some whacked out weed, Man.

Oh, hang on, you're going to get to see its rival for the Butt-Ugliest Building in just a little bit.

One thing the library did was give me a chance to get this shot of traffic reflected in its angled glass walls.

Sometimes these opportunities just fall into your lap.

I don't know what denomination it once was but most recently, it was a Mars Hill Church. I don't know what will become of it now. I hope they save the building. I do know they're putting up another high-rise next to it. They were excavating the ground today.

Some kinda cool for stained glass windows, eh?

Then, just down from there, we spotted these two guys, earning a hard buck, washing windows about 20 floors straight up. They're sure a lot calmer than I would be.

If I had to do that those windows would be dirty for a long, long time.

Columbia Center

Second tallest building this side of the Mississippi. Honest, I don't know how they fill all these offices with businesses. This thing is exceedingly tall and full.

See what I mean.

And inside, they've done a pretty good job of decorating it.

The lobby.

And I caught a neat reflection of the Smith Tower 

And outside there were primroses.

And some more Narcissus.

Windows. Making money.

When you look, you can see some great things.

   Some Random Reflected Window Selfie!!   

Another view of the inside of the lobby at the Columbia Center. Kinda cool when you consider there are 76 floors above you here and there are 7 floors below you.

Still working that reflection thingie.

OK, I showed you one of the ugliest buildings in Seattle, The Seattle Public Library. It's ugly and awkward and, well, it is easy to look at.

But I consider this next entry to be the ugliest building in the city.

Hands down.

Bar none.

To look at it is to wonder what in the world they were on when they came up with this design.

Behold, the King County Administration Building.

Fun Facts: This nine-story eyesore features a unique hexagonal honeycomb theme and was built in 1971.

I've already given you my opinion about this . . . er, uh, building. Hahaha, let's see what some others have said about it.

According to the Seattle Times, 'County and city officials agree on at least one thing: the dubious aesthetics of the Administration Building, a squat, fortresslike building with diagonal lines'. Then Seattle Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis stated 'I think everybody acknowledges it may be the ugliest building in downtown Seattle.' 

No, Timmy, no may about it, it is the ugliest building in downtown Seattle.

'It was also voted the ugliest government building in the country in the '70s, shortly after it was built.'

And, as an afterthought and to further confirm how right I was, 'The old Seattle Municipal Building and Seattle Public Library were also known as relatively ugly buildings.'

Relatively?

The big question is, how have I lived here for over seven years and never seen this pig before?

A-MAZ-ING!!

Ah, Seattle, always ready for a protest.

I have no idea what this is about.

None.

More reflections. Hahaha, I'm hooked.

We ambled over towards Pioneer Square where I got this shot. I haven't shot the campanile at the King Street Station from this angle before. That's CenturyLink Field behind it.

Carol set this picture up. The unusual view of an ordinary streetlight. The yellow against the gray. It works.

Another view of the campanile down 3rd Avenue.

And a final glance up 3rd Avenue as we finally got to the Link for the ride home.

What a good day. We took a swing at the Flower Show and missed and then stepped back up and knocked it out of the park. We had a good day seeing what we saw and enjoying the walk.

I know this was a long walk through a lot of art but we really had a good time. We got to talk over different artists and it challenged us to think a bit about what we liked and didn't like; what touched us and what didn't.

All in all, it was a good day.

     Hooah!!