I've checked back on these pics several times the last couple days...never sure what to say except that they're totally cool. I love the plant roots in the agriculture one; only an artist would think to show them...I love the, I guess you'd call it relief, of both of them; the shadows are a big part of the story...and I love that the construction man is on the ground, looking up amongst (almost) the saguaros. I bet OSHA people pass by this and are simultaneously proud of him for belting off to the rope, and wishing they could levy a fine against his company for some willful violation.
There is a story behind these recessed building sculptures that I once knew and can't remember. I'm trying to research them. I do know that they are a part of Phoenix architecture history that seems to have been forgotten since the boom era of the 90s and 00s.
Phoenix actually has a lot of 50s, 60s and 70s architecture that was unique and created by architects that were well known at the time but have been set aside in the long shadow of Frank Lloyd Wright, who is ubiquitous here and I don't think as good as a lot of these forgotten guys were.
These buildings still exist all around us but they're dwarfed by all the lookalike glass and steel buildings and endless pseudo southwestern adobe and fake red tile roof shopping center, apartment and housing development junk. If nothing else, this economic crisis may cause those cheaply built building to collapse and make these buildings stand out again.
I've checked back on these pics several times the last couple days...never sure what to say except that they're totally cool. I love the plant roots in the agriculture one; only an artist would think to show them...I love the, I guess you'd call it relief, of both of them; the shadows are a big part of the story...and I love that the construction man is on the ground, looking up amongst (almost) the saguaros. I bet OSHA people pass by this and are simultaneously proud of him for belting off to the rope, and wishing they could levy a fine against his company for some willful violation.
ReplyDeleteVery cool art. Thanks for showing it!
There is a story behind these recessed building sculptures that I once knew and can't remember. I'm trying to research them. I do know that they are a part of Phoenix architecture history that seems to have been forgotten since the boom era of the 90s and 00s.
ReplyDeletePhoenix actually has a lot of 50s, 60s and 70s architecture that was unique and created by architects that were well known at the time but have been set aside in the long shadow of Frank Lloyd Wright, who is ubiquitous here and I don't think as good as a lot of these forgotten guys were.
These buildings still exist all around us but they're dwarfed by all the lookalike glass and steel buildings and endless pseudo southwestern adobe and fake red tile roof shopping center, apartment and housing development junk. If nothing else, this economic crisis may cause those cheaply built building to collapse and make these buildings stand out again.