This frog - another piece by sculptor David Phillips - stands sentinel over the fountain in City Square Park, Charlestown.
January 19, 2012
January 17, 2012
Codfish
A cod adorns the fountain in City Square Park, Charlestown.
David Phillips is the artist responsible for this sculptural piece, as well as all of the other hammered copper and bronze in the park, which harkens back to Charlestown's (and Nw England's) past when cod was the most important food.
January 07, 2012
Saddle Up
Bronze statue of George Washington by Thomas Ball (1869), Boston Public Garden
It was nearly 60 degrees in Boston today, with bright blue skies. Not bad for January 7th!
November 15, 2011
The Hess Collection & Domaine Carneros
On our last full day in Napa, we stayed relatively close to "home" and visited two wineries - one decidedly modern, and the other reminiscent of old-world France.
The Hess Collection, which not only produces wine, but also houses works of modern art from Donald Hess' private collection. Most of it was over-the-top modern, but there was one installation that I loved: "Hommage" by Leopoldo Maler, which is an old Underwood typewriter with gas flames coming out of it, representing the inflammatory political essays of his uncle (a well-known Argentinian writer). The gallery only shows about 25% of his collection, which he started in 1966 and limits to 20 living artists whose works he wished to support long-term. The balance is shown in museums around the world.
(Photo credit for "Hommage" goes to I Dream Lo-Tech, since there was a "no photos" sign on the work and I obliged)
Domaine Carneros, a giant chateau situated on a hill surrounded by vineyards that was architecturally inspired by the 18th century Chateau de la Marquetterie in Champagne, France (in fact, both properties are owned by Taittinger, the French wine family famous for producing Champagne). We sat on their sunny terrace and enjoyed an assortment of sparkling wines, cheeses, and charcuterie.
Ahhh, Napa...until we meet again!
October 22, 2011
Coit Tower
Next I climbed the dozens of steps up Filbert Street, one of the steepest navigable roads in the Western hemisphere, with a nearly 35% grade. The sidewalks are stepped and cars must park perpendicular to them because it is so steep. It's also an incredible up-hill workout!
My destination was Coit Tower, a 210-foot structure atop Telegraph Hill that was built in 1933 at the request of a local socialite who wanted to beautify the city. Her name was Lillie Hitchcock Coit, an eccentric woman who smoked cigars and wore trousers (unheard of for women back then!) and on occasion dressed like a man so she could get into the gambling parlors.
The long climb up was rewarded with amazing 360-degree views of the city, including Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Oakland Bay Bridge. Inside, the tower walls are swathed in giant murals painted by 27 different artists under the auspices of the New Deal Public Works for Art Project.
October 20, 2011
North Beach - Part 2
More pictures from North Beach...
North Beach
North Beach is sort of an edgy neighborhood sandwiched between Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. It's home to the city's Little Italy and headquarters to the Beat Generation (Alan Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac) in the 1960s, but today also hosts the red light district. Here are some pictures to give you an idea; the bathtub is from the Beat Museum, which we visited.
October 18, 2011
Raygun Gothic Rocket
This 40-foot sculpture (see http://www.raygungothicrocket.com/) is part of a public art space adjacent to the waterfront, along with Cupid's Span, a giant bow & arrow sticking out of the ground. And on the border of the Financial District we saw, of course, the Occupy Wall Street folks.
September 17, 2011
Hunting for Treasure in Brimfield
It's another beautiful Fall day in Boston, and before I head out to the South Boston Street Festival I wanted to give a quick update on last week's pilgrimage to the Brimfield Antique Show.
This is the largest outdoor antique show in the world, with over 6,000 dealers and 130,000 visitors spread out across 24 fields in western Massachusetts. The show is only held 3 times a year - generally for 6 days at a time around Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. I absolutelyl love going (here's the post from last year's trip) and browing through the one-mile stretch of jewelry, art, furniture, textiles, housewares and every kind of collectible you could imagine.
My big score this year was a hand painted ceramic and brass tray from Italian artist Arnaldo Miniati (above). I also had my eye on a beautiful set of Staffordshire Dogs, but decided to pass on them and now, of course, regret it. Even more so because I had taken a photo of a table full of them, but for some reason half of the photos I took that day mysteriously disappeared from my camera.
But I was able to retrieve a handful of other shots, among which you'll see the devastating effects of the tornado that tore through Brimfield back in June. It was eerie to be driving along route 20 among lush trees, and then all of a sudden get to a spot where the trees are flattened on both sides.
August 29, 2011
Tastemaker Tag Sales
I love the Tastemaker Tag Sales available on One Kings Lane. The flash sale site partners with some of the most prominent designers and taste makers in the world, who curate a selection of exquisite goods for sale on the site. There is currently a sale featuring items from chef and slow-food pioneer Alice Waters' personal collection - a variety of serving pieces, cookbooks, and art gathered during her 40 years at the helm of Chez Panisse, her bistro in Berkeley, CA. Proceeds go toward her Edible Schoolyard Project, a model public education program to teach kids about sustainable, healthy eating. Hurry! This particular sale ends tomorrow, August 30th.
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