Even airports have gargoyles!
This guy—one of a pair called, collectively, "Notre Denver" by Terry Allen—watches over the baggage claim area at the Denver International Airport. He... I mean, they... were installed as part of the then-new Denver airport's ambitious art programme in 1994.
("Notre Denver"... geddit? geddit? As in the gargoyles on Notre Dame in Paris?)
I actually shot this guy back in 2003, but I've recently been going through my boxes of prints (from back in the 35mm film days) and scanning some of them. So for the next week or so, while I'm covering yet another conference for the Day Job (about which, more later) I'll be posting some older pictures.
Which reminds me — Terry Allen has a freestanding bronze sculpture in San Francisco called "Shaking Man" which I also shot. When I find that print, I'll scan and post it here. It is very shaky. Even the guy's tie. You'll see...
The first college I attended was built in the "academic gothic" style popular with universities in the early part of the 20th Century. The field house, which was knocked down not long after I arrived, was adorned with all kinds of gargoyles. I'm sure they were saved, but I never saw them again.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/cbonney/3080146680/
Not gargoyles. Grotesques.
ReplyDeletePete, Pete, let's not be pedantic. Strictly speaking, Chris's photo is of a grotesque, but hardly anyone speaks strictly anymore. Even Walter Arnold (http://stonecarver.com ), a carver of gargoyles and grotesques, said (quoted in my book), "There is the technical, pure usage and the accepted everyday use. Purists are very rare. In the pure sense, even an unornamented scupper which extends out of the wall is a gargoyle, and any carved creature which is not a drain spout is a grotesque.However, language changes with common usage, so I feel it is acceptable to use the term ‘gargoyle’ in the generic sense.”
ReplyDelete