If Atlanta Had "The Bean," Where Would We Put It? "Cloud Gate" by Anish Kapoor

We bonded with The Bean and want one for Atlanta.

It's a people attractor that belongs to your eye, personal and infinite, a giant fun-house mirror, interactive without electronics, every view different, democratic free fine art, and it makes makes you look thin. "Cloud Gate" by Anish Kapoor.

We want one. Where to put it? I'll get to that in a sec. Your suggestions welcome.


Pretty much love at first sight. I'd seen pictures, read a little. The urbanists, public space lovers, and others were all agog. But I didn't get it. Now I'm total agog.

In nearby squares there's a giant Calder, a huge Picasso, and a colossal Chagall mosaic. I love them but they just sit there.

We had the stiffest legs from driving to Chicago for a wedding. We checked into the W Chicago - City Center and figured we'd go for a walk and get some dinner.

We headed east toward the lake to Michigan Avenue and The Art Institute of Chicago. I knew the Bean was over there somewhere.

This way:

We went east on Adams and got to Michigan but couldn't see the Bean so I scouted ahead. "Here it is," I signaled to JoAnn.


Our first Bean selfie.


Our first under-Bean selfie, see JoAnn behind me with raised arms? It feels non-Newtonian under there.

You just can't grok it in a still picture.



Where should we put Atlanta's bean?

Should we put it into a great public space or can use to make a great public space?

#TerrysTinySuggestions

1. Piedmont Park across 10th street from Grady Stadium. Piedmont Park is Atlanta's greatest public space and serves as a BeltLine destination.
2. High Museum where the Rodan is. The Woodruff Art Center's Sifly Piazza is wonderful once you are up there but it doesn't "show" on the street. It needs a come-hither feature.
3. The proposed Buckhead over-400-park. Buckhead is trying to make a people-attracting city center and needs it so much.
4. Decatur Square where the bandstand is. Downtown Decatur is already a great family friendly public space.
5. Centennial Olympic Park so you can catch it on the way to the Aquarium, the Hall of Fame, Civil Rights museum, the World of Coke. Not my preference but tourists would remember it.
6. Woodruff Park needs something to attract smiles. The waterfall calms. The Bean energizes. Maybe put the Bean in front of the waterfall?
7. Sweet Auburn. We've expended so much effort to make it a great space fitting it's stature. I don't think a Bean could do it. But Edgewood desperately needs a terminated vista, a come-hither landmark.
8. Tech Square on the southwest corner where Fifth Street T-bones West Peachtree.
9. Ponce City Market? Doesn't need it but...
10. Where else?

Important note: "...with the final figure standing at $23 million in 2006. No public funds were involved; all funding came from donations from individuals and corporations." - wiki. 

Maybe we can get a deal on the 2nd one.

Bonus: from the Bean you can see the Frank Gehry designed Pritzker band-shell from the side.


From the amphitheater it looks like an elegantly crumpled giant chewing gum wrapper about to break over you like a giant wave. From the side it's all curvy-business

Bonding with a mansion: "The kids were riding cardboard down the stairs"

It wasn't staged for sale or precious like a show house. The mom, dad, children, and dogs were at home, the architect, the builder, the artist, and the craftsmen were visiting, plus guests. Overheard: "They are really living in here."

On Saturday Corrina Sephora Mensoff showed her work in a private home. The owners invited Corrina to feature her sculptures, paintings and her commissions for the house most notably the grand stair and the fireplaces. Lucky me: Architecture, design, art, sculpture, and Corrina all in one place for a little while.

And there was something I didn't expect, an emotional resonance. (Hat tip to Ryan Gravel, he'll know what I mean.)

Brad Heppner and Vern Vanderkleed of Benecki Fine Homes, the architect and the builder, saw how the family lived the house. They'd worked here more the two years.The owners had been in for a year. Was it working?

 
It's a big private home more the 10,000 square feet. I took these two grainy pictures so you can get a sense of the most formal area.

I found Brad and Vern chatting in the bedroom hall. They glanced around remembering challenges, solutions and dozens of craftsmen and artisans who made it happen.

Brad asked Vern if there'd been any changes. Vern said they'd put another door in the library and added a few can lights in the basement. The owner moved his office up to the "attic" where it was a little quieter.

"But you know, they really live here."


See Corrina's stair rail?

A bit about Corrina: She's the blacksmith / metal worker / artist / teacher with studios at the Goat Farm. She has more talent, energy, heart, and good humor than most of us. You should meet her because all that good stuff will rub off on you. You've no doubt seen her whimsical "Sun Moon Nautilus Passage" gate at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.


Corrina and friends with her 2013 Art Papers Auction work.

Thanks so much.

Copper, Bronze and Steel: Corrina Sephora Mensoff builds a gate for a Northside Mansion

I walked all the way to the back, right up to Corrina to ask her, "Where's that new work your were talking about."

She pointed back over my shoulder to this gate, nearly finished, bound for a north Atlanta Mansion. It's a one-of-a-kind organic "phantasmagorie."


Corrina Sephora Mensoff opened her Goat Farm studio yesterday.


Corrina is in red with the Men of Plaid.


Who is Corrina? She's the one-woman proprietor of Phoenix Metal Works. In her words:

"I am a blacksmith, sculptor, metalsmith. I work in metal predominantly, however also mixed media installation and printmaking."

In my words:

"Happy wonder woman of welding with a pickup."

If you've been to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, you've probably seen her elaborate "Sun Moon Nautilus Passage" gate.


This is the new gate. Corrina displayed the work with drawings, renderings, prototypes and patterns. They give a sense of how this work get's done. Some readers will surely recognize these gate posts and dragons.




The studio was clean, quiet, and calm last night.


The delicate full size patterns barely hint at the noise, the heat, the mass, and the precision of Corrina's work.


These sturdy tools can produce delicate work.


If you aren't ready for your gate, you can try a candlestick.


Thanks Corrina.

Michaganer's install "Edge Condition" for Modern Atlanta 11.

The 2011 winners of 10UP: Lisa Sauvé & Adam Smith, Synecdoche

(Si-NEK-duh-kee) “simultaneous understanding”

They won a cash award and a budget for the project.


Edge Condition at Octane Coffee Bar at Dusk on June 9.

"Organized by YAF Atlanta and now in its second successful year, the goal of 10UP is to design a temporary installation and to create a unique spatial experience while also complimenting the MA (Modern Atlanta) MA11 “Design is Human” event with a large scale design element accessible to hundreds of event patrons"

There is catch: Edge Condition is gone! It will reappear in January at Museum of Design Atlanta "MODA" but it probably won't look exactly like this.

"...must be assembled within 24 hrs prior to the MA11 “Design is Human” Kickoff and disassembled within 24 hrs of MA11 “Design is Human” Closing) with simple tools and an assembly crew."

I visited at Dusk on Thursday and walked around. I'm glad I did.


It's a pile of hardwood sticks diverted into a sculpture between the sawmill and the chipper.


Best pile of sticks I've seen for a while.

Lisa & Adam flew from Michigan to tear it down. I went on that warm Sunday morning, June 12, so I could meet them and take their picture. A small crew from the AIA and neighborhood gathered to help.


Left to right: J5, Adrienne Froemelt, Nathan Koskovich, Lisa Sauvé, Adam Smith, J5 the Dog.


Augers, plates and cables held the whole thing together.


Adam and Nathan took to the lifts.


I preferred staying with Adreinne and Lisa on the ground crew.


They used a Hero to capture a time-lapse. Have you seen a Hero before? I like it. I hope we'll see a video soon.

Congratulations to Lisa Sauvé & Adam Smith, Synecdoche. Come back to Atlanta any time. there is a nice article about in Dezeen.

Here are all my pictures from 10Up.

P.S. Remember last year's winner?

PERISCOPE by Matter Design
Brandon Clifford
Wes McGee
Dave Pigram
Matthew H. Johnson

Trompe l'oeil on a rug - Atlanta's biggest urn

The biggest urn in Atlanta is the colossal Helena Hernmarck tapestry "Urn" in the lobby of One Ninety One Peachtree Tower, aka 191 Peachtree.


Attention designers, it's just a block from AmericasMart.

"...interior detailing that adds to its hallmark status, such as the six unique types of marble from around the world adorning the building’s lobby and elevator cabs, and the massive 'Urn' tapestry by Helena Hernmarck that welcomes visitors to the seven-story atrium." (description from here)


I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside.


The urn looks hyper real from a distance, too realistic to be real. It's like a rendering that reveals more than a photograph. As I move closer, my brain still can't grasp it: Is it a painting? Moving closer, my eye picks up the nubby pile carpet effect.


My sidewalk pictures catch reflections of the Davison's /Macy's Building across the street: The arches, scrolls, cornices and brickwork of 180 Peachtree. What do you know, it's by Philip Shutze of Hentz, Adler and Shutze, Architects.


I'm afraid that this block of Peachtree Street isn't a destination for Atlantans any more. This is an example of stunning lobby art that's public but rarely seen.

This is the building, the tall one by Johnson/Burgee Architects.


Make sure you see Ray King's colossal light sculpture "Atlantis." Just ride the escalator down

Find out more about Atlanta's downtown buildings old and new.

Thanks,
Terry
terry @ surf303.com