Slide 1 of 11 from the NYT
After reading enough Matthew Delooze, you begin to view the installation of new public art works with considerable suspicion. His recent article: A Little Bird Told Me... the Eagle Has Landed recounts some interesting esoteric symbolism circulating around the erection of various new public art works, sponsored by the BBC. The two he pointed out ('Breathing' near All Soul's Church in London, and 'Roman Standard' near The Oratory in Liverpool) are placed adjacent to much older monuments, and are installed with great public ritual and solemnity, which draws attention to the old monuments as well as the new ones - symbolic monumental “recharging” ceremonies.
These old temples seem more like batteries every day. They even run down and need recharging! By placing the new monumental art next to the old ones, the “respect” energy is refreshed, and the old gods eat well again. See R E S P E C T and F.A.B. for previous musings.
Allow me to give you a gospornographic illustration:
Temple of Worship
When I was a horny and sexually frustrated teenager, I’d make home made porn - drawings to stroke by. These little masterpieces (my “sex gods”) were given all the passion and respect a 14 year old boy could muster, which is quite a lot. But eventually the effect wears off, and the drawing would lose its power to excite me (for some reason holding the drawing upside down was able to “recharge” it for a few more good wanks) and I’d soon draw another one. The drawings would furtively collect under my bed, a sort of “museum” of Michael’s old “gods”. Lot’s of teen spunk and lots of worship energy in that little pile.
Multiply that energy by many billions for the grandest of public monuments, and we see why they might want a little refresher now and again.
Last week, (June 26) saw some major icon refurbishment in New York City:
‘Waterfalls’ Display Opens on Harbor
“New York City Waterfalls,” Olafur Eliasson’s $15.5 million quartet of temporary cascades dotting the New York Harbor, formally opened on Thursday morning with a ceremony at South Street Seaport and a publicity blitz by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who criss-crossed four morning television programs to tout the installation.
Flanked by Mr. Eliasson, the mayor said at the opening ceremony — which began around 10:30 a.m., a half hour late — that the “Waterfalls” were a “symbol of the energy and vitality that we have been bringing back to our waterfront in all five boroughs.” --Sewell Chan, NYT
The most dramatic of the four is the one beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, which happens to be one of the city’s most powerful symbolic stargates! The cascade draws our attention (respect) back to the old bridge, and we’re able to see it in a new way, sort of like holding it upside down. The bridge is being “recharged”.
Interestingly, the word “energy” appears no less than 46 times in this article and the comments below. The companion piece in the Art & Design section is entitled ‘Cascades Sing the City Energetic’, conjuring Whitman’s “body electric”. Indeed.
“The New York City Waterfalls” is also one of the largest works of art, public or otherwise, of our modern era. (Let’s not get in a shouting match with ancient civilizations, where autocratic rule made all sorts of things possible.) --Roberta Smith, NYT
Droll Roberta, very droll.
Point of Know Return
8 comments:
Im a New Yorker and was wondering when somebody was going to mention the new waterfalls. My Architect boss said, "it's really powerful" and noted that kind of energy had been missing, LOL.
I was taught in ARCH school at Pratt, that the Brooklyn Bridge was the first architecture to be called a skyscrapper, by a journalist at the scene of its completion. It was the tallest structure in NYC at the time, 1867-1884. BB was also the main Indian path between Flatbush, from the farmlands of Brooklyn, to Broadway, the hunting ground called Manhattan (Man's hunting ground)
I don't see a waterfall, when I look at it, technically it's a scrim wall like the ones they use at Britney Spears concerts or an Auto Show. Which makes your finally picture all the more appealing to me, reminds me off an infinity edge.
Cheers
Hey do you think it's weird that gay people get the entire rainbow symbol? Didn't somebody write an article about that recently? I wonder what it was before.
James, interesting background, thanks.
I DO think it's interesting that gays and the rainbow symbol seem indelibly intertwined.
Waterfall imagery, ay? Velly intedestingka, but weird! Jim Gaffigan, an obscure comedian promoted by the Comedy Central channel some years back whose trademark is meandering stream of consciousness musings with many a voice change, depending on his variegated vocal caricatures, just blurted, on an old VHS tape my VERY Significant Other is watching in the library, as I was JUST about to type out a response to this latest posting of yours on the waterfalls @ the world renowned BB, "Al Gore's being chased by a waterfall?!", the punchline of a convoluted joke. I jus' HADDA chronicle that particular synchronicity to ya, Mike! Nice, huh?
Waterfalls. So prominent a design fixture in the plans of Untermyer Park, Yonkers, NY as conveyed earlier, not to mention many an ancient temple. People claim being affected as though recharged sitting & meditating by them.
Right now, at present writing, the way into a veritable South American Sanctum Sanctorum in the latest Indiana Jones installment, " ... in the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", encompasses a terraformed skullface through whose waterfall Prof. Jones & entourage must pass to activate a stargate (great CGI effects, bro!) aaand you well "gno" that the highly prized medicinal properties of spring water, running water, waterfalls, and wells are mainstays of many a sacred site. Some in the "gno" architects are up to sump'n' here, man. But, jus' what that IS, still needs t'be reviewed.
Anbud, great comments.
I'm totally with you on the power of our signif other (better half) to utter wise sayings from the Ether - the mouths of babes and all that. So great synch, thanks.
Not seen the latest In Diana movie, but will soon. I've been paddling on a South American (OK, Costa Rica, close enough) river with a waterfall stop. So many, many, personal waterfall synchs.
To me, falling water represents baptism, angels falling to earth, spirits incarnated as flesh, and all that. The rainbow is the sign of water in the air - a cross bred sort of thing.
like the horses in Lord of the Rings, or a waterdoor
you and Thuth made me cry, but its ok
michael, i don't know if you've seen this one yet. On the subject of Masonic aliens ruling the world.
Ladies and gentleman, Miss Grace Jones.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7Zjsrg7CBqI
*ahem* ...gentlemen.
Solapa, thanks. Grace has always been an alien, glad she's finally coming out about it. Sheesh, what a vid.
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