Tag Archives: art

High Key Ramp

Posted on January 29th, 2015 by

White Ramp

How much of your vacations do you end up leaving to chance?

I found MACBA Museu D’Art Contemporani De Barcelona within walking distance of my hotel in Barcelona. I just wandered to it the first day I was visiting. It was there and I just went in. The space is all gleaming white, I can’t imagine a better blank canvas to display art, but what caught me was the space itself.

When you travel have a plan, but don’t be afraid to abandon it on a whim. Your plan will be there when you return back from your mystical journey in the clouds.

There is a joy in discovery. There is surprise and wonder just waiting for you out there. It’s worth leaving flexibility in your travels. Serendipity is a wonderful muse!

High Key Ramp
High Key Ramp

Photo Technical Info

Forbidden City Artwork

Posted on October 9th, 2014 by

Ancient Outdoor Artwork

The thing that struck me while wandering The Forbidden City (after ALL THE PEOPLE) was the vast amount of ancient artwork with was around the palace exposed to the elements. This slab is one of those amazing examples. They do have it carefully blocked off so tourists don’t walk down the delicate stairs, but I found myself wondering about the preservation of truly priceless cultural and artistic treasures that were designed to live outdoors. Does it effect the beauty of something when it is removed from its purpose and placed in a museum? Does its purpose inform it’s value to society? I’m not sure I know that answer. What I do know is these carvings in The Forbidden City are wonderful.

Forbidden City Artwork
Forbidden City Artwork

Photo Technical Info

Iron Panda

Posted on June 12th, 2014 by

I Went to the Mall in Hong Kong!

Ok, OK, I know what you are thinking…you went all the way to China and you went to the MALL! Hear me out. I happened to be staying at the Hyatt at K11 and had heard about the strange and very interesting art collection housed at the mall. I assumed it was a gimmick and nothing more, totally writing off a visit. When I was returning from my oh so wonderfully clear night on Victoria Peak, I decided to stop by on my way into the hotel (there are several entrances to the Hyatt inside the mall after all). I was floored! The juxtaposition of their wonderful art collection (mostly contemporary Chinese artists) to those elements purely for consumption had my head spinning with thoughts about where fashion, art, consumption, waste, longevity, youth, sweet shops, labor (on and on) all intersect and interrelate.

Iron Panda

This guy is a sculpture of fiberglass and steel and resin by artist Bi Heng. It was this sculpture that initially caught my attention, drawing me into the zigzag that is K11. Iron Panda combines three elements, the giant panda, his iron man suit and tai chi (nature, technology and spirit); his melancholy is apparent beneath his powerfully rugged exterior. Mankind abandoning our heritage in pursuit of technological power, but perhaps balance can save us if we only work to find it (paraphrased from what I recall of the artists statement and my own interpretation).

Iron Panda
Iron Panda

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 26 May, 2014
  • Focal length: 24mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/2s
  • Title: Iron Panda

Chicago O’Hare Skylight Concorse G

Posted on March 13th, 2014 by

Amazing Skylight Art in Plain View

Being an mid-west based American Airlines flyer, I fly through one of two airports on every trip I make. DFW or ORD. Dallas is my preferred airport for both its ease of navigation (skylink) and the American Express Centurion Lounge (possibly the best lounge in the United States). That said, I can’t tell you the number of times I have flown through Chicago’s O’Hare airport via Concorse G and it wasnt until recently that I noticed this wonderful and artful skylight in the central hub.

Today’s Photo

It’s wonderful to me when I discover art in strange places. Lots of people know about the light tunnel at Chicago O’Hare, but somehow I almost prefer art that is there for everyone. Randomly placed things of beauty that perhaps many don’t even pay attention to, but occasionally someone stops and says, “Huh! Look at that!”

Chicago O'Hare Skylight Concorse G
Chicago O’Hare Skylight Concorse G by W. Brian Duncan

Photo Technical Info

Spine Light Sculpture

Posted on January 30th, 2014 by

Unexpected Art

I found this light sculpture entirely by accident. I had seen Thomas Hawk talk about Spine on his blog but I didn’t expect to see it. Honestly, I didn’t realize it was near Union Square where Pamela and I were staying. We were walking around the area looking for some chocolate dessert when I passed by, stopping dead in my tracks when I realized what I had seen. I had to chase Pamela down as she was half-way up the block by the time everything registered.

Double Unexpected

One of the things I love about this piece was how it is located in a perfectly normal location! People must pass daily under this artistic creation and never suspect it is both art and function. This kind of notion…it makes me smile.

Spine Light Sculpture
Spine Light Sculpture by W. Brian Duncan

Hotel Greeters

Posted on November 7th, 2013 by

Ni Hao!

A quick photo for today, but I just loved these guys. The greeted me every time I entered the elevator area of the Park Hyatt in Shanghai, China. It’s probably a silly little thing, but this little art piece somehow made me feel welcome and made me smile every time I saw them.

Hotel Greeters
Hotel Greeters by W. Brian Duncan

Post Alley Gum Wall

Posted on June 13th, 2013 by

It’s NOT Free Candy!

There are a few things that are really odd about Post Alley in Seattle, Washington. First it’s an alleyway with lots of people coming and going. Generally that is a bad sign, but in this case okay. Second it smell STRONGLY of gum…there is a reason for this as it seems visitors deposit used chewing gum along the brick walls of Post Alley. I was unsure why or how exactly all of this came about, but to me…it is a work of minty art. Portions of the sticky mess reminded me so of Jackson Pollock I expected to see people flinging paint. I didn’t add to the mess myself, but the next time you are at Pike Place Market, give Post Alley a quick stop…its mesmerizing.

HDR Photography
Post Alley Gum Wall by W. Brian Duncan

King’s Hardware Beer Wall

Posted on May 27th, 2013 by

Pubs

I am not one to generally hang out in pubs, but my friend Justin, who moved to Seattle said very clearly, “There are two things people in Seattle take seriously…coffee and beers”. To a pub we went for lunch after hiking around a few of Seattle’s wonderful outdoor spaces. I was really hungry and thirsty and the dark beer I had was perfect. I asked the bartender if I could take a few photos just because the place was so cool looking. He agreed and I went straight to this wall of beer. Part practical and part art, it seemed to me the best representation of how I felt about Seattle as a whole. If you happen to be in Seattle check out King’s Hardware.

HDR Photography
King’s Hardware Beer Wall by W. Brian Duncan

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Posted on February 18th, 2013 by

Gladiators

When I visited the grounds of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C., it was early morning and the museum wasn’t open. I have not have an opportunity to visit this museums collection, which is unfortunate because I really enjoy contemporary and modern art. I did get to visit the open courtyard which immediately made me think of ancient Rome and the Colosseum.

The outside looks like some sort of alien vessel landed in the National Mall. It’s an odd mix that makes me think about the architect’s intent. Artist’s intent is a topic that has been on my mind lately. I am traveling to Barcelona soon and I can hardly wait to see first hand many of the seminal works of Antoni Gaudi. What are these designers trying to bring into the world…it truly fascinates me.

HDR Photography
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden by W. Brian Duncan

Futuristic Transport

Posted on November 19th, 2012 by

Art as Function

There two things I absolutely love in this world…art (this needs less explanation) and moving sidewalks (this probably needs slightly more justification). Let’s start with the latter. Perhaps it’s the kid in me who had The Flash underoos, but I love the idea of effortlessly traveling at faster than human speeds. I get a great joy out of walking down a moving sidewalk, because, if only for a short moment I have a superpower!

Art as Form

Art is much easier…for those of us who are called to create, there is perhaps no greater comfort in the world to be surrounded by the labors of those creators who came before us. They saw the world differently, the didn’t simply shrug and go on about their day, rather they were driven by the need to express what they believed to be intrinsic. Perhaps we can only achieve crude renderings of what we see, believe or feel, but these artists did; there was no option not to do, and in doing so brought the world something new. The greatest achievements of humanity are found in creativity, perhaps in no purer form then in art and literature. The walkway tunnel in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. brings both form and function together in one display.


Futuristic Transport by W. Brian Duncan