A Walk in the Park

The White River State Park spans the west side of downtown Indy, 

encompassing the Eiteljorg and Indiana State Museums, 

as well as the Indianapolis Zoo. The Central Canal connects

all with the downtown area where sidewalks allow people 

to use the park for a walk, to ride their bicycles, 

or go for their daily run.

Visitors may rent any number of different vehicles to tour the park:

among them are Segways, bicycles, paddle boats, and kayaks.

There is even a Venetian gondola available for rent.

Broad expanses of lawn allow people to play a game

of Frisbee with other people or with their dogs,

while the sculptures dotted around the grounds often

can become a place for visitors to pause for a rest 

during their bicycle rides.

Winter Blue

The warmer seasons have faded away, leaving only traces 

of their color and flair. The browns above have

hints of their complementary blues, saving them from

drab boredom. The wilted blooms below

look as though they've been out all night, only to

be caught off guard by the colder temperatures.

Can you say, "Rode hard and put away wet?"

Yellow and Brown

This patch of ground, just off the Central Canal, lies between the 

Eiteljorg and the Indiana State Museums. Looking west

from the little grove of trees, one can see the main foyer of

the ISM, where a Foucault pendulum sways silently,

back and forth, as the trees change color outside.

Organized Chaos

I'm not a fan of brown. I have to actively (Huh?) stand to look 

at anything of that hue to find something admirable 

about whatever it is. Consequently, it's pretty safe to say

these hydrangeas looked drab by themselves, but gorgeous when

set against their red leaves. What really attracted me

was the outrageous kaleidoscope of red, purple and green 

with the modest perfection of the brown hydrangeas

quietly holding their own among their flashy friends.

"Steel Ponies"

Art Attack, 2005, by Russ Hess of Cowboy Customs. Detail

I opened with a detail of the motorcycle which is the finale of 
"Steel Ponies," an exhibition exploring the art and history that have 

sprung out of the subcultures associated with the motorcycle.
Art Attack was designed and constructed in 2005
by Russ Hess of Cowboy Customs. The motorcycle took 
Hess 800 hours to build and consists of a tooled leather seat, 
saguaro wheel spokes, forty-seven pieces of engraved 
silver overlay, and 115 gold flowers and rubies.
  

Art Attack, 2005, by Russ Hess

The show opens with a shining red and black 1948 

Indian Chief Roadmaster, with its trademark large-skirted fenders. 

The Roadmaster debuted in 1922 and was Harley-Davidson's 

main competitor in the V-twin heavyweight class.

1948 Indian Chief  Roadmaster

Visitors are then shown various examples of early motorcycles, 
beginning with a 1902 Indian Camelback, 
which is virtually a bicycle with a motor attached. 

1902 Indian Camelback, on loan from
the Smithsonian Institution, Museum of American History,
Kenneth E. Behring Center

The 1998 Harley-Davidson Road King shown below is owned by

United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who in 1992

became the first Native American to serve Congress

in more than 60 years.

1998 Harley-Davidson Road King
on loan from Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell.

Detail of the Road King showing
the eagle's talon kick stand.

To people "of a certain age," there are three movies which

described the feelings of alienation from society felt by many

young people, the motorcyclists depicted in The Wild Ones, 

the 1953 movie starring Marlon Brando; The Wild Angels,

which came out in 1966 with Peter Fonda; and the

iconic 1966 film Easy Rider, starring Peter Fonda 

and Dennis Hopper as Captain America and Wyatt.

  

Detail of Captain America Bike from Easy Rider

While I don't remember the first two movies, I do recall

seeing Easy Rider and remember the dread and

revulsion I felt over the movie's conclusion. I haven't

been able to watch it since. Four used cop bikes,

Harley-Davidson Hydraglides were converted by

builders Cliff Vaughns and Ben Hardy to create the 

motorcycles for the main characters, played by

Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. Of the four,

three were stolen towards the end of production 

on the movie. The fourth, the Captain America destroyed

at the end of the movie, was rebuilt from the remaining 

parts by Dan Haggerty.

Foreground, Captain America bike from Easy Rider,
1969; background left, 1953 Chino Bobber from The Wild One; 
and right, Dragon Bike
from 1966 movie The Wild Angels.

More ...

Left-Handed Katsinas, 1999 (Detail). Aaron Fredericks (Hopi)
Carved and painted cottonwood root.

When I was photographing these Katsina figures, 

I felt as though two pair of dark eyes were watching me 

from behind their masks. It wasn't so much that I found the figures

to be "realistic," but more that the spirits portrayed seemed to have 

merely paused in their work while I walked through the room.

In fact, when I looked around and saw so many 
of the carved figures, I knew I would have to return 
another day, just to explore and to take their pictures. 
And to let the Katsina continue their work.

Left-Handed Katsinas

All of the work shown here is contemporary, done by craftsmen

who have carefully studied the artistic traditions of their ancestors 

in effort to carry on the heritage left to them. They are also seeking to

add to those traditions by exploring new forms and designs. 

This will keep the craft new and avoid their work becoming 

merely stale repetition of past successes. 

Haida Thunderbird Headdress, 1998
Robert Davidson (Haida, born 1946)
Red cedar, shell, and raffia

The two examples below are example of pottery traditions

that have survived because of study and respect for 

traditions and forms of the past, and of the courage to explore 

and develop new forms. Both potters are decendants

of Nampeyo, a Hopi artist who studied ancient potshards 

she found on the Hopi reservation where she lived,

developing her own style based on the traditional designs.

Within her lifetime, she was recognized as one of the

finest Hopi potters.

Seed Pot by Les Namingha
(Hopi-Tewa/Zumi, born 1968

Les Namingha is the grandson of Rachel Namingha Nampeyo,

who was the granddaughter of Nampeyo. The artist learned

his pottery making skills from his aunt, Dextra Quotskuyva,

herself a granddaughter of Nampeyo. Les is known as an innovator, 

always experimenting with new forms and designs.

Seed Pot, detail

Pot, 1990s, by Jacob Koopee (Hopi-Tewa, born 1970)

Jacob Koopee is the son of potters, Jacob Koopee, Sr. (Tiwa)

 and Georgia Dewakuku Koopee (Hopi). Among his teachers 

was his aunt, Dextra Quotskyva and his grandmother, Marie Koopee.

Jacob's great-great-grandmother, Nampeyo, derived much

of her design style from imagery found in the ancient Hopi village

of Sityaki. Much of Koopee's work is based on this design style.

Pot, Detail

Winter Blooms

After a week or so of warmish temperatures, we're back to winter's

gray hues with the floral ghosts of a summer past.

These pictures were taken on the grounds of the Eiteljorg Museum

in downtown Indianapolis. The museum, which houses a collection of

Native American art and artifacts, is a beautiful building.

It stands on the Central Canal along with the Indiana State Museum

and the Indianapolis Zoo. The canal itself forms the basis of 

the White River State Park and is a pleasant place to walk

or enjoy one's lunch hour during the work week.

Although the main entrances to both museums are on Washington Street, 

there's no doubt the more beautiful entries are located on the Canal.

The picture below was taken looking from  canal entrance of the 

Indiana State Museum towards downtown. The Eiteljorg

entrance is the darker tan stone on the right of the picture. 

Venice by the Cornfield

Looking southwest, the Indiana State Office Building is shown in the background,
while a glimpse of the J.W. Mariott Hotel can be seen behind the tree.

Not really, but eh, what the hell, it might catch some attention. 


Until the development of the steamboat in 1807, people had never traveled by any means other than on foot, horse power, or by boats and ships pushed by the wind. Roads were hopelessly tedious and uncomfortable, making the country's rivers the preferred mode of travel. 


When the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, connecting the east coast at Albany, New York with Erie, Pennsylvania its success launched decades of "canal fever" by states eager to provide their landlocked citizens with a way to get themselves and their produce to markets on the east coast and New Orleans. 


Indiana was not alone in this craze, but only one of its planned canals was completed, the Wabash and Erie Canal. Connecting Lake Erie at Toledo with the Ohio River, the canal route roughly paralleled the Maumee, Wabash and White Rivers over 468 miles, making it the longest canal in the country. Only two sections of Indiana's other planned canals were completed: the Whitewater Canal in southeastern Indiana, and the Central Canal in Marion County.

Construction of the Indiana Central Canal began in 1836 and was meant to connect Peru with Evansville over 296 miles, generally following the path of the White River. Portions of the canal still supply water to the city, while other sections serve as recreational areas. Stretching through the west side of downtown Indy, it connects the Indianapolis Zoo, the NCAA Headquarters and Hall of Champions, the Indiana State Museum, and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. 

"Big Blue," the new J. W. Mariott Hotel,
opened at Indianapolis in February, 2011.

Restored in the 1980s and extended in 1995, this portion of the canal is part of the White River State Park, extending from Eleventh Street on the north at Boggs Temple, to the White River just above West Washington Street. Other sections of the canal can be seen on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Butler University, and running through the Broad Ripple neighborhood