LEGo MAN

One of my favorite places to shop in the city is FAO Schwartz.
There is so much to see and do there!
Last night I spent some time in Legoland.
The statues below are all life size reproductions.
Each is built with legos (and legos and legos!)
They started with one brick and went up from there.
no forms were used.
Sean Kenney is the brick artist on the statues below.



































































This is part of a a lego city in FAO Schwartz.
The farther back you stand, the better you can see the face of the artist on top of the red building. Click the LEGo MAN link at the top of this post to see additional work he's done.

Corner Plot

NYC is always full of interesting outdoor art thanks to the Public Art Fund, the leading presenter of artists' projects. For 25 years the PAF has been bringing artworks outside the traditional context of museums and galleries, letting the public encounter the art of our time.

This installation was on the southeast corner of Central Park, on 5th avenue.
















The sculpture resembles the white brick apartment that stands on the opposite corner across 5th avenue. Although it is in pristine condition the structure seems to have sunk in the ground or slowly surfaced like an archeological relict. Through the building's windows, you can see an interior view of everyday objects extending several feet below street level.


















The artist is Sara Sze.
If you're interested, you can view a slide show of the process here.

More color in Central Park

It isn't just the leaves that are colorful!

Fall in Central Park

Our fall in Upstate NY is almost over
but down here it has just begun.














(Can't get enough of this fall color!)

NYC!

I am in the city until Monday and loving every minute of it.
















We took a little walk into Brooklyn for dinner.
Caught the sunset and this was the view off the Brooklyn Bridge.

Room with a view

But not for long!

This beautiful view can be seen from the offices of the Doblin Group, Inc. in Chicago

The building being constructed in front of theirs is the new 90 story Trump International Hotel and Tower. It will house a luxury hotel and residential condos.

The new condo owners will pay anywhere from $.5 million to $8 million to own a condo with this view.

Interactive public art in Millenium Park

It was sunny and hot on Sunday when we walked
through Millenium Park in Chicago.
It felt great to get my feet wet and watch everyone enjoying
the cool water at Crown Fountain.

Designed by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa,
the Crown Fountain features two 50-foot high glass block towers at
each end of a shallow reflecting pool.
The towers are activated with changing video images and lights,
and water cascades from the top of each.

Chicago!

Going to Chicago tomorrow for work and fun.

Don't try this at home

Art or flirting with danger?










Both!

This was an exhibit at the Design Museum in London
that drew me in like a moth - it was illuminating.

Michael Cross and Julie Mathias approach a new design project
by “taking an object we know and beginning again”.
Their objective is: “the radical re-evaluation of objects,
rather than a refinement of what they already are.
The question is not how to make them slightly better,
but how they might be entirely something else.”

For this flood lighting installation, Cross and Mathias
plunged dozens of electric light bulbs and coils of
brightly coloured wire under water. The result is an eerie piece that,
by defying the taboos about mixing electricity and water,
encourages us to question our notions of safety
while allowing us to flirt a little with danger.

Window Shopping

It doesn't matter where I travel to, finding
cool shops to meander through is a highlight.
Purchases do not have to be made.
Just experiencing the color and textures,
new and unique items, and ideas that can be taken away
is enough. Of course, if a bargain or a gift
for someone is found, that is a bonus!

These are just a couple of the shops in London and
Amsterdam that drew me in
by their window dressing or store fronts.

Lunch Anyone?

This is where lunch was being served at Mattmo on the day we visited.















These are the windows that shine in on where lunch
was being served at KesselsKramer on the day we visited.



















This is the courtyard where lunch is served at BSUR
(and where the employees were now
enjoying happy hour on the day we visited.)

The English and the Dutch know how to enjoy their lunch time.
No eating on the run.
No eating at their desks.
No skipping lunch to work straight through.

They relax and eat lunch. Sometimes prepared by the in house chef. Or they take turns preparing meals. Or the meal is brought in and then served to everyone together family style. They eat and talk together while sharing the meal.
It is called a lunch break.

I am adopting this novel idea of taking a lunch break.

(Now I'd like to travel to far away lands
to learn first hand about siestas.)

Amsterdam

I loved the trip to Amsterdam this year.
Didn't get to do much sightseeing but the
weather was beautiful, the company good,
and work didn't feel like work.

In addition to the unique coffee shops and the red
light district, Amsterdam has an abundance of flowers,
beautiful canals, bicycles, and friendly people.

Gorillaz

While in London we went to the Design Museum.
The Designer of the Year competition was taking place.
Four very cool designers.
You can check them out here.
Although not the one I voted for, I loved Jamie Hewlett's exhibition.






















Jamie Hewlett, cult comic artist and co-creator of
Gorillaz produced a fiction-as-fact illusion
of the band through printed and onscreen presentations.
The virtual band members are Murdoc, 2D, Russel, and Noodle.
The debut album sold six million copies worldwide,
making gorillaz the most successful album ever by a virtual group.
For the 2005 launch of the 2nd album, Demon Days, the groups' live
performances were upgraded from 2D projections
into complex quasi-holographic performances in 3D.
Have a listen:

Spring in London

It was nice to see the flowers blooming in London.
In a city full of brick, concrete, and very few lawns to speak of,
Londoners find great ways to dress their homes with color and blooms.

Walking the beach....

Walking the beach is good for the soul.
(Kinda like chicken soup is)













Things to do and see while walking the beach.
1. Listen to music. This week I am loving Annie Lennox and Kasabian.
2. Watch birds (all kinds)
3. Watch people (all kinds)
4. Pick up sea shells.
5. Watch the landscape change from the tide and the wind.
6. Realize there is no use beating a dead horse. It is dead. Move on.
7. Realize emotions and time are wasted on fruitless endeavors. Again, move on.
8. Run in the water and get your feet wet.
9. Run in the water and get your whole self wet.
10. Run.
11. Say hello to strangers and watch them smile at you and say hi back. Everyone is happy on the beach.
12. Dance when no one is looking.
13. Dance when everyone is looking. (I miss you Meow - we could have some awesome dance parties by the light of the silvery moon)

Bella Luna

Today was enlightening.

Hidden Places

Went to St. Augustine, Florida today.
The oldest city in the U.S.
It was quaint with a mix of spanish and colonial architecture.
Most old homes now turned into shops.
Much more touristy looking than I expected.
What grabbed my attention were the little courtyards behind each of the shops.
Individual secret gardens like this one.
Secluded and quiet.
Very cool.

Stormy Water

I LOVE the ocean before a storm.
The great wildness of it all.
We had a cold front move through this afternoon.
Happiness = walking, watching, and wet on the beach.

Before the sun worshippers

Picture Perfect Day

Blue skies
White fluffy clouds
Beach walking
Alone time
Wet feet
Sandy feet
Tan shoulders
No crowds
Familiar faces
80 degrees here
30 degrees there
It was worth the drive.