Blog Archives
Haven’t seen Albuquerque?
The website for this store, Skip Maisel’s, says it is housed in “one of the most interesting and unusual buildings in the Southwest,” which is a pretty grand statement. And, in my opinion, may not be particularly accurate. For example, I think this place is pretty interesting. And so it this. But maybe I am biased.
The website also says “if you don’t go to Skip’s, you haven’t seen Albuquerque.”
By that definition, then, I have not seen Albuquerque. But I have seen some alleys…..
Albuquerque, New Mexico
photographed 9.2.2012
The excellent arrow
“The excellent arrow” is what I named this the day I found it.
It was a wayfinding arrow, showing where the parking lot was, for a now-defunct restaurant in downtown Lubbock. I like the curves, the blue-and-white, the way the artist signed it, the dappled sunlight on the concrete block wall.
For that matter, I even liked the restaurant.
(Regarding my use of the urban-planning term “wayfinding” – you may not know this about me, but I actually am a licensed urban planner! That doesn’t mean much, really, except that I once passed a test and continue to pay dues to the American Planning Association. But every now and then, just to keep in practice, I throw in a planning term. Here’s another one, just for fun: road diet. It really IS an exciting profession.)
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 3.13.2011
Headquarters
I shot this on the same trip to Odessa where I took this and this. It’s not as dramatic as the other two shots, but I sure did like the way those letters cast a shadow onto the window blinds behind them. So impressed, in fact, that I stood in the middle of the street to get the picture. (That wasn’t as dangerous as it sounds: as it turns out, there is very little traffic in downtown Odessa on a Sunday afternoon. You might want to keep that in mind when planning your own trip there.)
Odessa, Texas
photographed 12.8.2013
Water Gardens
So, this place. The Fort Worth Water Gardens. It was designed in the 1970s by famed architect Philip Johnson, and is in a style called “brutalism.” From the looks of the place, I’d say “brutalism” involves lots and lots of exposed aggregate concrete.
The gardens have three separate water features – an active pool (which was the site of a tragic multiple drowning in 1984), an aeration pool, and a meditation pool. This picture was taken beside the meditation pool.
All three fountain areas are interesting to visit (though it was hard to put the memories of the drownings out of my head at the active pool) – they were designed to give visitors different experiences at each location. While I didn’t necessarily stop and meditate at the meditation pool, it was a very calm place to sit in the warm winter sun for a few minutes. Until I saw some other things to photograph….
Fort Worth, Texas
photographed 12.26.2013
Three barriers
These three skinny sentries keep (everyone hopes) cars from turning into the pedestrian walkway at this parking garage. I like how the concrete is discolored where people walk, and lighter where they don’t. And I like the way the posts lean slightly in different directions, as though they are getting tired of standing there.
Fort Worth, Texas
photographed 12.26.2013
One Day | One Image 