Installation: A Room

A Room, an installation by Cambodian artist, 

Sopheap Pich, has been on view 

this summer at the main entrance of the 

Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Suspended from the ceiling, the circular

enclosure is made from strips of bamboo, 

aluminum, plastic, polyethylene 

braided line, and Teflon floss. 

Each bamboo strand, thirty-seven feet in length, 

was shaved and shaped by the artist's 

assistants after being cured in boiling water 

to remove any insects. As people moved in and out 

of the enclosure, a metallic ring could be heard

when one of the aluminum strands sang its protest.

It reminded me of the chimes many folks

had on their front porches, tinkling atonal choruses

in the summer breezes. 

The effect of A Room then, is not exactly from 

its physical presence, but what it may make 

the individual see in its surroundings. 

For me, it was the shadows made by the curtain 

as the sunlight filtered through the strands, 

and the occasional metallic ping that recalled 

the pleasant chimes of my childhood.

Paint Brushes the Sky

The Indianapolis Museum of Art held a block party 

on Friday to unveil artist Roy Lichtenstein's 

five-part sculpture, Five Brushstrokes.

People of all ages came to see the latest addition 

to the Dudley and Mary Louise Sutphin Mall. 

The sculpture, designed in 1983-1984,

and fabricated in 2012, was a gift to the museum

by the Lichtenstein Foundation, with assistance from

the Robert L. and Marjorie J. Mann Fund.

The Flower in the Rock

Near the entrance to the River Walk, 

someone had placed a sunflower in a hole in one 

of the limestone blocks lining the way.

The idea of a "flower in the rock"

reminded me of a song title, gospel I think,

and certainly not the one that a search

of You Tube gave me.

But I liked "Flower through the Rock"

despite the fact I couldn't understand a word

of the Korean lyrics. The song was written

for a Korean television drama, I think,

called The Joseon Gunman. 

For me, the melody just seemed to suit 
the notion of a romantic story behind 

someone placing a flower in the rock.

Stolen Moment

At the west entrance to the River Walk, 

I saw this young woman 

taking pictures and texting a friend.

It was a stolen moment of quiet and privacy

for her, which I felt I'd "stolen" myself.

Waiting Out the Storm

The day was one of muggy heat, 

ninety degrees in the shade.

I went to join a dozen or so other people

to swim at the Natatorium and was happy

to jump into the cool water.

Afterwards, the contrast between the

heavy humidity of the outdoors 

and that of the pool was marked.

 Not long after I got to the bus stop 

at Eskenazi Health, the clouds

rolled in with heavy winds and

drenching rain. Several folks and I

waited out the storm under the bus shelter,

enjoying the late summer lightning

and thunder.

Awk! Wildlife Encounter!

Yeh. Well, whatever.

I was looking for herons and enough turtles to 

populate the logs as if they were a city.

No such luck.

I got a fluttery little butterfly

and one big-ass turtle.

The shell reminded me of the back end

of a Duesenberg automobile

wearing a school girl's pleated skirt.

The above photo, from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg

Automobile Museum, is licensed through

the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

I Lichen Moss

The buses were on detour this morning. 

I missed my connection to make it to swimming practice 

at the Riviera Club, so spent the morning downtown, 

walking along the Canal and River Walk.

Of course, I took a gazillion pictures; I particularly

wanted some of turtles, but except for one determined

fella, there were neither turtles nor herons in sight.

The colors of the lichen and mosses on the

trees and limestone along River Walk

seemed subtle, complimenting each other in

a range of color that reminded me more 

of Fall than of late summer.

But then, autumn is just about a month away.

Five Yellows, Maybe More

It seems that Mark Rothko, Ad Reinhardt, Josef Albers 

and Hans Hoffman had a bit of eternal time 

on their hands the other day and, for whatever reason, 

decided to collaborate in the painting 

of this wall, one of the stalls at the car wash 

near where I work.

Apres Swim

Some nights, after I swim, all I want is a turkey burger 

from Punch, on East Ohio Street.

This turkey burger had a ring of crisp

cheddar and spicy "Ghost Jack" cheeses melted

onto and around it. I'm sorry I didn't

think to take a picture of my sandwich when

it was pretty and tidy. That's something

called Asian slaw in the little cup,

with a glass of sweet, red wine to the left.

All the foods are locally sourced, the craft beer 

comes from local brewers and the wine

from area vineyards.

Tain't fancy, but it's just fine. 

Working Towards the Channel. Maybe.

Start here.

Pushing off the wall,

straightening

myself,

already reaching

for the other end,

150 feet away.

I turn to breathe,

looking over my shoulder

to see my arm emerge

from the water,

dripping,

to begin again,

sort of like

the instructions

on a shampoo bottle --

"Rinse. Repeat."

The water is cool,

but feels warmer 

the more I move in it,

enveloping me,

surrounding me,

embracing me,

supporting me,

holding me away from

its own dangers.

It began innocently enough,

about a year ago;

Can I make one length 

of this pool?

This place where Olympic 

champions have churned

records into the waters?

Now, I ask my coach for more.

A hundred meters,

then two hundred, then four,

lately two thousand meters, 

hoping to get strong,

feeling my assurance grow.

Now, along with the miles,

I want to do more, 

to become

ME!

One more lap. 

Near Speedway: Ad Reinhardt

While many other artists have made black paintings,

the first one I thought of when I saw these

 shiny black marks on the pavement 

was Ad Reinhardt. An Abstract Expressionist,

Reinhardt was intensely sensitive to 

subtle variations of color.

When his exhibition of black paintings 

was first shown at the Museum of Modern Art

in 1963, patrons were shocked.  

The artist explained,

"There is a black which is old

and a black which is fresh.

Lustrous black and dull black,

black in sunlight and black in shadow."*

It is fairly safe to say that old and fresh black, 

along with lustrous and dull,

can be found in the above picture.

Abstract Painting. Oil on canvas, 1963.
Gift of Mrs. Morton J. Hornick to
the Museum of Modern Art, New York 

*The notes above were adapted from the Museum of Modern Art website.

Nature Does A Chihuly

Ever since I was introduced to the works 

of glass artist Dale Chihuly, 

I can't help think of his work whenever 

I see an object having an edge 

of a contrasting color.

The leaves on the decorative plant

is just such an example.

Yeh, yeh, yeh, Nature may have done it

first, but the leaves did recall

the bowls shown below;

with numerous examples to choose from,

it's almost inevitable I would find

a set of green baskets having

contrasting lips, but whether they're

purple, blue, or black, I can't tell.

Portrait of the Bus Driver: Probably About the Fourth

On this mid-August morning, at about a quarter of seven, 

the sky was full of a pink and lavender sunrise.

As the bus headed east along Tenth Street,

I loved the sight of the lights against 
the morning's curtain of clouds. 

Summer is going away, but the sunrise 

it brought was a joy. 

Yellow with Gray Triangle

Cracks and spaulding developed in the curbing near where I work.

Workmen came out a month or so ago to make repairs,

They semi-carefully cut the damaged concrete curbing away

with diamond-tipped saw blades, then filled the

resulting gash with of mending concrete.

Here, against the older and new bits of yellow paint,

the triangle helps to create both a bit of tension

and attention for a bit of curbside art.

The repaired bit shown below was done

several years ago. The workmen either realized 

the triangle would make a stronger repair,

or that two cuts only made for

a quicker job, requiring less work. 

Morning Light: Yellow and Blue

Wednesday morning came up bright, clear, 

and utterly beautiful. I looked around to find 

this new angle showing the Federal Court Building, 

shining yellow and blue, gorgeous 

in the light of the new day.

The Sun Wedges In

Earlier this evening, around eight p.m., 

the sun's light bounced off the Old National Bank

building, then careened down Ohio Street,

where it shown brightly, a brilliant wedge determined

to illuminate the street in one last flurry

before dipping behind the horizon.

Yellow Triangle

At the south end of the driveway near work 

is a stark little building, a car wash.

Cement block with brick facing, it's a bit down at heel, 

just like the surrounding neighborhood,

but it's earning it's keep; there frequently are two 

or three cars being washed as I pass by in the morning,

with that same amount later when I leave.

This bay was empty when I walked through,

the morning light making a yellow wedge 

that attempted to brighten the dingy walls.

Study in Faded Khaki and Black

I've been stalking these delivery bays 

for quite a while.

I'd first seen them late one morning, 

when the shadow framing the left side 

was a bit broader.

Since then, it's been too overcast, 

too bleached out and flat, or other shapes 

blocked the view. Whatever.

The other day, I figured it was time;

I'd have wished for more shadow,

but this was as decent a composition I'd seen

since that long ago first sighting.

I just love all the rectangles and right

angles stacked upon each other.

And the color -- for me, the rusty splotch

balances the subtle order of the

boarded-up door on the right.

Mauve-y Grace

In some places, these beautiful flowers inhabit 

only a small patch of a neighbor's yard.

However, other people love them as much as I do; 

the tall, slender stalks form an entire hedge row 

in some places, the delicately colored blooms 

mounting only the most spurious 

of defenses against intruders.

Stray Silverware

It was after work. 

Another rainstorm had just begun 

as I entered the bus stop shelter

to wait for my ride.

I came to the fork in the road

and knew I must make a decision --

will I go to swim practice, knowing 

the downpour would likely

cause it to be canceled?

Or will I go around the corner

for the next bus home?

I waited another thirty minutes --

no bus, but plenty of rain.

Somebody came along to throw the fork

into the bushes, but my decision

had been made. I went home.

Sometimes, one just needs a little prod.

From Out of the Doors They Streamed

I'd just missed the 7:30 bus to work and was walking 

a few blocks to catch one on a different route

when I was joined up with children, accompanied by their parents, 

all going more or less the same direction.

Monday was the first day of school and the children were 

on their way to an elementary school about a quarter mile away.

It was a reassuring scene; the parents showing their

kids the route, the "safe path" between home

and the school building. While this dad walked with his

two boys, one mom drove her SUV alongside

her son and daughter as they rode their bicycles

on the sidewalk. I know this because I'd heard the boy

calling out to me as he approached from behind,

with mom calling to him from the car,

"Say 'excuse me,' Jacob!"

"I did, Mom!" he said, and I nodded agreement.

Another year of learning, of learning one's

way from home to a new place.

Thankfully, in these cases, mom and dad

are there to help show the way,

a natural progression repeated over

the generations.

Art in Speedway: Tiffany, Maybe?

Standing beneath this catalpa tree on a summer afternoon,

I was reminded of the stained/colored glass lampshades 

created by Tiffany studios.

The leaves overlap just so, giving depth and contrast 

to the lovely green leaves that diffuse the sunlight.

the shady spot beneath the tree made it

the perfect place to have a picnic with a friend,

and for idle chatter while sipping lemonade.

Delineations

After a thunderstorm, I went outside for a walk.

The rain had presented me with a drawing,

a subtle gray composition on the heaved sidewalk

where straight and scribbly intersected

to balance each other.

Theme Day: Take Away @ The Flying Cupcake

Too many choices! Too many flavors!

I'll never work my way through all The Flying Cupcake 

has to offer. But I do like Happy Birthday to Me (Vanilla),

Red Velvet Elvis, Bananas Foster, KooKoo Krazy

for Coconut, and the little wedding cakes

that have a tiny sugar bridal couple atop each

(I like crunching down on the little couple).  

I visited after swimming earlier in the evening 

and went in to get a shot of the decor and, needless to say, 

some cupcakes. It was just about 15 minutes 'til closing 

and the selections had been picked over,

but there were still plenty indulgences awaiting 

just beyond the "shabby chic" decor.

As if four stores weren't temptation enough,

the bakery has two trucks, called Petunia and Penelope, 

who will come to your business, event, or party

to spread a little more of the pretty, cakey delights

throughout the Indy Area.

The Flying Cupcake isn't just a "take away" business,

it's one that brings the sweetness to your door.

This blog is a member of the City Daily Photo portal, 

whose members try to post images of their home city each day.

To see how others of the CDP crowd chose to depict

today's theme, "Take Away", just click on the

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