for nine years of my life i stared for whatever part of my working day that i could through a doorway framing a door painted in red metal primer. beyond the door was a scene that included a set of railway tracks and a fuel farm. i found the juxtaposition of the corroding steel pipes and towers against a cloudless deep blue summer sky or the steel blue-grey of a cloud-filled sky made the scene ( and myself) alternately more mesmerized or maudlin. either way i could not stop looking at it.
dave bullock has a show of industrial landscapes taken in and around los angeles. he too has seen the power of placing rigid industrial forms in the context of something more fluid like water or clouds. here's downtown l.a. as seen from the 6th street bridge . . .
here's my favourite of all of dave's work . . . "oil refinery along railroad tracks" . . .
to look at more of dave bullock's work then you should visit his home page.
4 comments:
I have been known to look for hours on end of enjoyment at views such as these as well, Steven. Downtown Houston's skyline is magnificent, with its many interestingly-shaped buildings of different colors, sizes, and textures. However, it is only a view from the north (coming south on Highway 59) that one can clearly see the juxtaposition of the old (foreground) with the new rising up behind.
Of the three photos you included in your post, I don't have a distinct favorite. I like them all!
hi goldenrod! it's a funny thing this looking at industrial scenes or skylines. i love the countryside for its detail and especially its variety. i also love the city scenes for their unexpected colour and form and they can appear like abstract paintings sometimes.
you know, the only time i've seen houston is when ike came in and the media were full of images of houston. the "south-end" of the united states is a bit of a mystery to me. i've worked in the middle(kansas on a ranch), i've been in chicago, boston, and new york but that's about it.
maybe an illustrated travelogue for non-houstonians could emerge on goldenrod's blog?!
steven
I don't know about an 'illustrated travelogue', Steven, but I did spend some time earlier today trying to find a photo or two to link for you showing the juxtaposition I was trying to describe. Found one that was a little close but not quite. I'll keep trying.
By the way, did you like the Einstein quote in my following post? That's you (and used to be me) in a nutshell!
hi goldenrod, i like the einstein quote and yes it does describe people like us who favour the childlike as opposed to the childish. sometimes a tough stretch for guys!!!!!
steven
Post a Comment