STL DPB ON THE ROAD - KEEP FREMONT FREAKY

Yesterday's picture of a statue of Lenin was set in Fremont, perhaps Seattle's oddest neighborhood. It goes further. Under the Aurora Avenue viaduct lurks the Fremont Troll, certainly one of America's strangest pieces of public art. This design actually won a competition for what do do with a place that had become habituated with drug dealers. Again, there is a fascinating backstory you can check out at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_Troll.              

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF FREMONT

Seattle has its curiosities. Prominent among them is a 16 foot tall bronze statue of Vladimir Lenin in the quirky Fremont neighborhood. Why and how if got there is a complicated story, set out in detail on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Lenin_(Seattle). It is obviously controversial, often vandalized, often decorated for special occasions and usually with red paint on the hands symbolizing Lenin's bloody career. 

Some people have strenuously objected to it but it is privately owned and on private land. The city can do nothing about it. I can only imagine  what would happen if something like this appeared in St. Louis, even in our funkiest neighborhoods. The howls would be deafening.               

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - EVERYBODY LIKES IT

I usually shy away from posting pictures of other people's art but some things are so representative of a particular location it's worth doing. Dale Chihuly, originally from Tacoma, Washington, in the Puget Sound region, has become one of the world's leading glass artists. https://www.chihuly.com/work Seattle has a museum and outdoor garden dedicated to his work. It's a big crowd pleaser and a must-visit stop on the local tourist circuit. https://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/

The weather here is turning terrible over the weekend so opportunities for new material will be limited. However, I've got lots of stuff from the usual places and they are worth revisiting.               

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES

The State of Washington has a complex inland water system with Puget Sound and its many branches. There is an extensive state-run ferry system to get people and cars where they need to go. This picture of a departure from downtown Seattle was taken last night while we had dinner on the waterfront.             

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - DESTINATION

We made it this far. Phone cam shot landing in Seattle.            

CHANGE OF SCENE

This is a travel day for us. Our original plan would have put us in Vienna right about now but Covid travel restrictions in Europe made that impractical. So, change of plans. We're off to Seattle today where we have friends, there is lots to see and do and photograph, and it's cool and moist (which St. Louis is not). This picture was taken a few years ago looking up at the Space Needle from the Dale Chihuly glass museum and garden.          

YSL

The special exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum didn't appeal to me at first. It was about the work and life of Yves Saint Laurent, the renown couturier. I gotta tell you though, it was fascinating.

He broke the once-dominant trend of elaborate ornamentation, bringing a new, clean elegance to women's clothing. His inventiveness - and his business sense - seemed boundless. The displays were very well done. They including dizzying examples of the combinations of fabrics he used, not seen here. For the time being you can go to the museum's website, http://seattleartmuseum.org, and click on an overview of the show.

Even an old guy like me can agree with the final quotation.

Big day in the U.S. today, with repercussions around the world. May the light side of the force prevail.                    

Don't You Dare

There is a long, broad tunnel under downtown Seattle containing electric buses and light rail. Great idea to avoid all the city center congestion. But if you went down to the wrong platform you'll have to go back up to the street to get to the other side. What would happen if you tried to dash?

Seattle has a great public transit system for a city its size. We've used it a number of times. When we rode it from our hotel to the International District and back Saturday, I played dumb tourist and asked about the fare (which I knew). Well, it's $2.50 regular and one measly dollar for seniors. Amazing. But both times the driver told us not to worry about it and waved us on back.

I have no local material so I'll do Seattle stuff for a while. Tomorrow: Yves Saint Laurent in rain city. What?                

Not Always Colorful

Seattle is, after all, a very wet, gray city much of the time. The Chihuly glass flowers in the top picture are brilliant (as usual) orange-yellow. The Space Needle in the background is white with a gray core. These photos have more of the feel that was around on Saturday, when it rained on and off all day.

We did go up to the top of the Space Needle, as we have many times before. It's required. And every time we do it I take a version of the second picture, weather permitting: the towers of downtown, the baseball and football stadiums in the lower right, and Mt. Rainier looming in the south. It's gonna blow someday. Then the skies will really be gray.         

Glass Half Full

Lots of visitors to Seattle go Chihuly Garden and Glass, full of the work of renowned glassmaker Dale Chihuly. I've heard of people leaving in awe of the blazing colors and almost magical technique.

Not everyone views it that way. Chihuly once came up in a conversation with an artist I know. I asked his opinion of this body of work. His blunt answer: too easy. 

I get that. It is awfully accessible, isn't it? Bright, pretty colors and cool shapes. Despite the enormous skill and craftsmanship that goes into its production, it is not in the least difficult. There is a lot to be said for art that takes some work to grasp, leading to something deeper. I remember when I first heard The Rite of Spring 45 or 50 years ago. I was baffled. Now I think it is among the glories of modern Western art.

So maybe Chihuly is too easy. Maybe there is great value in its obvious beauty. Make up your own mind. There are many more examples in my Flickr feed (link in right sidebar) and several more I want to edit. Probably more of this tomorrow.

We have a free day today in Seattle. It's supposed to rain more-or-less nonstop. There must be more things to do indoors in this wet city. Reports to follow.   

Eat Seattle

Everybody who visits Seattle takes these pictures, so who am I to be snobby?

Plke Place Market is an ancient institution and one of the city's greatest tourist draws. The region has mild, misty weather almost year round, making it ideal for growing exotic things. Puget Sound and the Pacific are at its doorstep, offering everything that swims to the city. It's all perfectly fresh and all on display at the market.              

Belltown

Belltown is the name of the neighborhood in Seattle where we're staying. It's just north of downtown. As we were walking to dinner last night in the area we passed a parking lot under this wall. Look closely. It's rich and subtle. Users of Apple mobile devices like me may find an amusing detail.           

Where The Wild Things Are

Nice to be back in the Northwest. It's been a few years. Didn't get my shot of Mt. Rainier from the plane - way too cloudy. But the top shot is okay, taken somewhere over eastern Washington.

And I think we got a pretty good hotel room.

            

The Market In Color

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A couple of commentators on yesterday's post noted that Pike Place Market in Seattle is a colorful place but still enjoyed the black and white images. Well, let's look at the other side. The photo above is on the main concourse. 

We met the couple below during breakfast at Lowell's, the place to start your day in Seattle. They were trying to take their own picture with a phone cam, sitting right in front of the bright window. Wrong. We moved them to the side and I took a shot with my camera. They look very happy. I emailed the pic to them and hope they like it.

I'm out of material. Better find something on the street today.

In The Market

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Scenes from Seattle''s famous Pike Street Market. The place is famous for the fish vendors who hurl salmon through the air to one another, to the delight of tourists. Must have been a slow day at the shop seen above.

Tall Things

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Carolyn and our local friend Jessie went to a King Tut show at the Pacific Science Center the other day while I wandered around shooting. A ride to the top of the Space Needle was in order. Although the day was cloudy, like it usually is here, the ceiling was high and Mt. Rainier was in full view. I took this shot from the Needle's top.

The mountain is often covered in the mists. When it's clear, locals sometimes say "Rainier is out today!" It is a monstrous beauty. Still an active volcano, it has the potential to devastate the Seattle area. 

We spent part of yesterday afternoon at the Seattle Art Museum with Kim, proprietor of Seattle Daily Photo. She's been on sabbatical but promises to return soon with resurrection of the portal. Good thing. She's a gifted photographer. Meeting our City Daily Photo colleagues around the world has been one of the great pleasures of this project.

The bottom shot is from our hotel room window. Home late tonight.

Seattle

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I'm having hard drive problems with my laptop so getting pix uploaded and posts written has been a bit difficult. Part of today's activities was a walk through the very new museum and sculpture garden dedicated to the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly.  Lots more pictures of this to edit when we get home.

By Tonight

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St. Louis - Dallas-Ft. Worth - Seattle today.  I was surprised I didn't have more pictures of the Emerald City on Flickr since we've been there so many times in the last 30 years. This is a 2008 shot. I remember an early trip when Carolyn, the kids and I did the Seattle - Vancouver - Victoria - Olympics circuit. We showed son Andy, then 4 or 5, a cartoonish map of the city and told him we were going to Seattle. "Where's Attle's house?" he demanded. I still don't know.

Into the wilderness tomorrow.

By the way, the local heroes, our St. Louis Cardinals, pulled off a stunning come from behind victory last night. They beat the Washington Nationals, the team with the best record in baseball during the regular season. Now they advance to the National League championship against the San Francisco Giants. Go Cards!

A Last Note From Seattle

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Typically for me, I took thousands of pictures in Washington State. Tomorrow it's back to St. Louis but today I leave Seattle with a couple of visual memories. Above, the Space Needle is framed by a giant work in Olympic Sculpture Park. Below, a vendor at the famous Pike Place Market. Seattle is a city I reture to over and over again.

There are many more of my pictures of the Olympics and Seattle on Flickr. Click here.

WHAT I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO DO: get out on the street this weekend and shoot some local stuff.

TOMORROW: back to The Lou, but with what? How about a giant catsup bottle drained of all the red color?

STL CDPB On The Road: Seattle - Olympic Sculpture Park

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Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle is a relatively new development of the Seattle Art Museum. It is built around and over city streets, a highway and waterfront railroad tracks and contains terrific contemporary work. One of the works is incorporated into a pedestrian bridge over the railroad. Seattle Cloud Cover by Teresita Fernández is a translucent wall on one side of the walkway, composed of soft color and shape suggesting the city's skies.

WHAT FEELS SATISFYING RIGHT ABOUT NOW: my own cozy home. My own bed. No more driving for hours and hours through the wilderness (although some wags might put a transit of St. Louis in that category).

TOMORROW: More Northwest stuff? There was so much to see and shoot. Oh, but tomorrow is Thursday.