seattle pics

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Looking the Other Way

2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All Right Reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Here is a peek to the left of yesterday's view. The DuPen Fountain featuring large rocks and bronze sculptures by Seattle artist Everett Du Pen sits between Key Arena and the north conference building. The Space Needle is in the background, completing the mid-century vision of what folks at the time thought OUR day to day world in the 21st century might look like.

Friday, February 6, 2009

DuPen Fountain at Night

2009 Seattle Daily Photo, All Rights Reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Also called the Fountain of Creation after the subject of this bronze sculpture, the DuPen Fountain and its surrounding architecture on the Seattle Center campus speak of a time and place: west coast, mid 20th century. Built as part of the Century 21 Exposition and incorporating multilevel vantage places in a serene setting, this fountain's large wading pool is wildly popular with families of young children in sunny months. Their and other Seattlites' outcry saved the fountain from city council's unanimous vote to tear it out in their search for a replacement space for SeaSk8t, the popular skate park that was displaced by construction of the Gates Foundation/Seattle Center parking structure finished last July (I showed you here). Everett DuPen, a sculptor from the University of Washington, had designed the fountain specifically for its site in 1962 and consulted on its refurbishing in 2003, two years before his death. The setting looks to me like a page out of a 1960's Sunset Magazine.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Surging Curves

I thought you might enjoy seeing a bit more nighttime color. This was just a few blocks from yesterday's photo and is of the breezeway at the north entrance to Seattle Center's campus. These waves of neon echo the shape of the portico just outside this passage (which I showed you awhile back here), and if I'm remembering correctly, this may have once served as the north entry gate for the World's Fair. Hope you find some vibrant color wherever your day may take you today.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Counterbalance Park: An Urban Oasis

This pocket park on the site of a former gas station in the Uptown neighborhood is six months old. During the day it doesn't seem like much more than an extremely tidy vacant lot surrounded by an artful wooden walkway on two sides, a few saplings planted here and there, and several benches lining two tall concrete walls. The center of the park is covered with gravel rather than grass or plants. There is a concrete slab at an angle in the back corner to serve as a stage area, and the architect's drawing shows intentions for tables and chairs to be introduced under the trees at some point. At night, though, the tiny park becomes a jewel alive with bright moving vertical bands of color illuminating the two tall walls at the back. What the park needs if it is to live up to its hoped for "urban oasis" status, though, is water: a low pool, a rocky fountain. . .even cobblestones that would reflect when they are wet with rain. . . something natural and fluid.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Historic District Tile Entryway

I often notice art underfoot as I'm walking and see these types of entryways all over Seattle. Some are tile with mosaic dates, addresses, names of businesses, art tiles and designs, and others are terrazzo or cement with embedded bronze letters, numeral, and artwork.. This one is in Seattle's Columbia City historic district and is the first I recall seeing with a floral border.

Monday, February 2, 2009

The Couple

Babooshka mentioned wanting to see further down yesterday's passage in Post Alley, and this is just out from under the passage (across from the figure of the woman in yesterday's shot). This was taken on a different day and I was tucked in across the alley from the Alibi Room's sign. The couple emerged from the darkened doorway just as I was shooting a bit around the corner of the gum wall, he with rose in hand, she moving in a hurry toward the Market. I guess they are used to people with camera's ogling the gum wall across the alley. Around that sticky color splotched corner is the Market Theater and the main gum wall's ever-changing spontaneous participatory "exhibit" which I showed you here and here before.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Theme Day: Paths & Passages

The Alibi Room and the Market Theater gum wall are just beyond this passage in Post Alley, Pike Place Market. Post Alley runs through and below the historic 101 year old sanitary public market and got its name from the hitching posts, now gone, where vendors would secure their horses when bringing goods to market back in the day. One of my fellow Seattle Flickrites, Mary Wit, upon seeing this photo wrote, "This is my favorite spot on earth...the bellybutton of our fair city. The cobblestones were once ballast for ships returning from trips to faraway lands. Listen carefully and you can hear stories whispered on the wind that blows through the Alley."

City Daily Photo Bloggers from all over the globe are featuring other famous and not so famous paths and passages to peer down and enjoy in their cities. Please visit as many as you can, and be sure to leave us a comment about what you find. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants