Doc's Blog
Sunlight dances on the water
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Images of Maxxi, Rome's museum of contemporary art & design/YAP installation
Beyond the medieval walls of central Rome are neighborhoods that are rarely visited by the fanny & back-packed tourists who come to experience the ancient wonders of this "Eternal City." About five tram stops north of the Piazza del Popolo near the Piazza Apollodoro is Maxxi, a stunning contemporary art museum by architect Zaha Hadid. I went to see the YAP (Young Architects Program) installation called WHATAMI in the plaza in front of the museum which is done in cooperation with MoMA in NYC and P.S. 1. Most of the photos are exterior shots of this exhibition followed by photos showcasing both exterior and interior shots of Hadid's engaging architecture.
According to a placard at the installation, "WHATAMI is an archipelago of green spaces including a great main 'island' and several smaller structures scattered across the museum's outdoor space. The large island is made of pressed hay and soil covered with natural grass injecting green life into the concrete museum square. The substructures of the smaller islands are made of polystyrene, a material that is both recycled and further recyclable. Large "flowers" provide visitors with shadow by day and light by night, creating an area for summer relaxation and a grandstand during the museum's outdoor events. At the end of the summer, all natural materials will be returned to their places of origin. The high-tech flowers will be relocated to parks and public school playgrounds throughout the city."
Stairway @ Louis Vuitton on via Condotti, Rome
Check out these stairs to the second level of the Louis Vuitton store in Rome. They take you physically and visually to another level!
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Doc Slafkosky
J.R. Kortman Center for Design
815/968-0128
www.jrkortman.com
Images of "Liviathon" by Anish Kapoor @ the Grand Palais in Paris...
In Paris we went to see, or should I say, experience the monumental sculpture "Laviathon" by Anish Kapoor at the Grand Palais on a beautiful, sunny day in May. The giant inflated sculpture filled the cavernous nave of the interior space of this grand space. These photos are taken not only of the exterior of the piece, but also the interior of this spectacular installation which is inflated by air pressure pumps. Yes, you can walk INSIDE this giant piece of art!...entering through pressurized revolving doors. We, in the Midwest, know of Kapoor from his shiny, reflective "jelly bean" in Grant Park in Chicago. The first photos are of the exterior, followed by interior shots. The light inside of the "Leviathon" is the sunlight streaming through the glass roof of the Grand Palais and "projected" on to the sculpture. It is breathtaking!
Images of Jing'an Temple on Shanghai's Nanjing Road
On the Shanghai Metro on my way to Dongtai Road for my usual shopping excursion, I decided to stop to see the Jing'an Temple on a beautiful April Spring day. What intrigues me about this recently renovated grand ancient architecture is it's location. The temple of "peace & tranquility" is almost overwhelmed by the skyscrapers and urban shopping malls of Nanjing Road. In these photos, I tried to capture not only the intricate beauty of the structure but how it interacts with its surrounding bustling urban environment.
The first signs of Spring can be seen @ Kensington Roof Gardens on a gray London day in March
Hidden from street view on the roof top @ 99 High Street, Kensington, London is a quirky, yet charming roof garden. An elevator ride to the 6th floor from the entrance around the corner on Derry Street takes you to a bar and reception halls that look out over the garden, or should I say gardens, since there are actually 3 of them...a traditional country garden, a Japanese garden, and a Spanish formal garden. The gardens opened in 1933 and were originally known as Toms & Derry Gardens. Now owned by Virgin, the gardens are open to the public when they are not hosting private events in the reception halls and tents situated in the penthouse of the rooftop. You can see practically all of London from this strange and wonderful place which features colorful water birds, most surprisingly...flamingos! Check out these photos of this hidden treasure as Spring peeks through this gray March London afternoon...
Images of Sock Monkey Madness @ Midway Village, March 5 & 6, 2011
For the past 4 years J. R. Kortman has participated in the Sock Monkey Madness festival @ Midway Village in Rockford. We are one of several vendors that sell sock monkey souvenirs and memorabilia. Both Jerry and I had our iPhones out snapping lots of photos. These photos represent a few of the strange and wonderful things to see at this unique event. This year was especially interesting, since there was an actual wedding ceremony that took place at the festival on Saturday. The last 9 photos in this series (starting with the bridal gown) are shots we got of this eccentric, peculiar, yet none-the-less romantic wedding event.
