STL PUBLIC SCULPTURE - MIGHT AS WELL INCLUDE THIS ONE

 

Often seen here, the statue of the Apotheosis of St. Louis in front of the art museum in Forest Park. The streets are clear now but the ground is still snow covered and it's staying cold for awhile.                  

NO AURORA, BUT . . .

 

Some people got really good northern lights photos around here Tuesday night. We were at home but, given the forecast, went out last night. Mrs. C, granddaughter Ellie and I headed to Art Hill, which has an unobstructed view to the north and not a lot of city lights. Nothing as of three hours after sunset. Ellie amused herself taking selfies in front of the statue of the Big Guy, and then rolling down the hill on her side over and over.                  

GOODNIGHT MOON

 

 Goodnight Lou. Goodnight to photographers snapping the view. *

* https://youtu.be/uU1sX_Yg3JU?si=8Dusy5tipruxN4jN                      

LOUIE AND THE SUPER MOON

 

There was a super moon last night, one of the occasions when our satellite is closest to the earth. Worth going out with a tripod, but where? This is our emblematic statue, the Apotheosis of St. Louis, in front of the art museum in Forest Park. Maybe I can edit something more about the moon itself for tomorrow.                

SOMEBODY FIND A WARMING SHELTER

 

Saint Louis, King Louis IX of France, and his steed look like they need more than a horse blanket.The statue, seen here a number of times over the years, is called The Apotheosis of Saint Louis, standing in front of the art museum and overlooking Art Hill.                 

LOUIE LOUIE

 

Well, I thought I was doing better until I found out that the president-elect had nominated Satan’s stepson to be attorney general, our chief law enforcement official. I got the news while waiting at our major hospital for a steroid shot in my lower back. Maybe I should have asked for one in my head, too.

Anyway, another shot from my visit to Forest Park. The statue is called The Apotheosis of Saint Louis (Louis IX of France). His history is, let’s say, controversial but the statue is a local icon.                  

SAINT LOUIS SCULPTURE: A TINTYPE SERIES

 

When I did my New York street photography program in May, everybody was experimenting with a camera app for iPhones called TinType, https://hipstamatic.app/app/tintype. It is Inspired by daguerreotypes, tintypes, and other photographic processes from over a hundred years ago. We got some pretty cool results.  Since St. Louis has lots of outdoor sculpture and I have nothing better to do, I decided to use it for a series. Other than the Arch, this is our emblematic sculpture, the Apotheosis of St. Louis, standing in front of the art museum.                

LOUIS IN THE MIST

Seen here in different guises many times before, the statue known as The Apotheosis of Saint Louis. It stands in front of the art museum and at the top of the long slope of Art Hill. Obviously, it is illuminated at night. We are fortunate to the point of embarrassment that we can afford to do that until sunrise, while most of Europe is squeezing back every kilowatt hour it can.            

DEVOTION

 

This is something I saw yesterday that really struck me. Since I was a bit bored I went out cruising for images. As I drove by the great statue of Louis IX in Forest Park, I saw a small group of people, some kneeling on the stone, saying the rosary. I thought I recognized a couple of faces who were involved in this incident eighteen months ago: https://saintlouismodailyphoto.blogspot.com/2020/06/statue-in-crosshairs.html No editorializing, just reportage.

FROM THE LOU TO YOU

A quiet Christmas Day at our house. Mrs. C and I don't do gifts but we do make contributions in one  another's names to causes that are meaningful to us. Ellie, however, made out like a bandit, which we may see here tomorrow.

And freakishly warm, flirting with record high temp. Many events newly restricted with the virus flare, and I'm high risk. A worrisome day.              

THE BACK END OF KING LOOIE'S HORSE, AN ANNOYING SPOTLIGHT AND THE FULL MOON RISING

There was close enough of a full moon here both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was cloudy but Sunday was spotless. I was thinking about a location for a good shot and I decided to try the front portico of the art museum, behind the grand equestrian statue of St. Louis. What I'd forgotten was the four spotlights at the corners of its little plaza. Don't know what was in the air but the moon looked like a tiny pumpkin.           

I SUPPOSE I SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I'M HOME

I keep playing with the infrared, though. Louis never dreamed of a world like this.                 

LATE AFTERNOON, CHRISTMAS DAY, ST. LOUIS

STATUE IN THE CROSSHAIRS

A new development in local political and social protest: for the last couple of days there have been people in Forest Park demanding the removal of the great statue of St. Louis in front of the art museum. It's been seen dozens of times in these pages. The demonstrators claim that Louis IX, if I get it correctly, was a genocidal actor against Muslims and Jews. They want to rename the city, too.

Apparently this peaked about noon Saturday. I didn't hear about it until a bit later from a headlines email from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I got there about 2 when the crowd was a lot smaller. There were Catholic counter-protesters defending the statue, like the couple left-center above who were saying the rosary.

If you are interested in this, locals I assume, see the Post-Dispatch on-line article at https://tinyurl.com/yddlqmbm . Its pictures at the height of the action are much better than these. There were some scuffles yesterday. The comments to the article are worth a look, some insightful, some stupid. This started a few days ago and there are reports that a couple of the Catholics got beat up.

There are more pictures. I'm going to report on this and not take a position. If I did I'd lose either way if this post gets around. This may peter out but, if not, it could get ugly.       

WHO PUT THE LOU IN THE LOU

It can be hard to find material at this time of year. I rarely have an opportunity to shoot during the work week. Few outdoor events and I can get my fill of outlandish Christmas decorations quickly. Sometimes I circle around to old haunts to check if there is anything new to see.

So back to The Apotheosis of St. Louis, the grand equestrian statue of King Louis IX of France that stands in front of the art museum and looks down over Forest Park. It's all about the light here. I've shot it many times before but like Siddhartha and the river, you never look at the same sky twice.

The nicest thing happened to me after I shot this picture. A middle aged man walked up to me and said, "Are you Bob?" "Hi," I replied. "yes, I'm Bob Crowe." "I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog," he went on. "I look at it almost every day and it gives me a lot of pleasure." "Wow, thank you," I said. "I'm delighted you enjoy it. And what's your name?" "Jim," he said with a little smile, and then was off on his way.

Sigh.             

Gray Day On Art Hill

It's been a gray, damp week in The Lou. Even the king himself looks bland. But the flowers are starting to bud so there should be something to shoot this weekend.        

Louie Louie

https://youtu.be/4V1p1dM3snQ .  That's all I have to say today.             

The Big Guy

This odd little event I've drawn from the last two days was right by the art museum and the grand statue of Louis IX. Haven't shot the big guy in a while. The light wasn't great but that's why we have Photomatix, Photoshop and all those other toys.

You know, it's a wonder the king doesn't have saddle sores by now. Or does he?                     

Why The Lou Is The Lou

We got to the George Caleb Bingham show at the art museum yesterday. It was well worth the effort, a survey of America's romanticized view of life on the inland riverways in the 1840s and 50s. Locals. if it sounds interesting, better hurry. It closes today.

I'm really short on material but all I had to do was step out the door to snap one of the local icons. There are a couple of good events so shoot today if it doesn't pour. Which it might.