September 2014

Life is Good, Take 2 Bozeman, Montana 2014

You might remember this red chair from a previous post (here). Well, a couple of years later it’s found a spot in our new home (this time in the morning rather than afternoon light) and life is still good.]]>

Leaving Your Mark Bozeman, Montana 2014

An unusual stain left by a long-gone leave on the sidewalk. At first I thought it was just dampness or dirt or both but it has survived at several weeks and a rainstorm or two.]]>

Corbusier #10 Paris, France 2013

I found this curious; while the main building structure was modern enough to still look modern today, the plumbing fixtures in Maison la Roache were decidedly not modern. I guess that’s how you tell it was an original from the early days of the modern architecture movement, not a recent one.]]>

Corbusier #9 Paris, France 2013

The Fashion Queen inserted herself into this image.]]>

Shootout Mantowish Waters, Wisconsin 2014

On our recent Wisconsin trip, our friends took us to the Little Bohemia Lodge, the scene of a shootout between the FBI and John Dillinger and his gang (which included Baby Face Nelson) in 1934. Some of the bullet holes from that fight are still there and today are a minor tourist attraction. Dillenger and company survived the fight; not so an unlucky bystander shot down the road by some overzealous FBI agents. Dillinger did of course succumb to FBI bullets sometime later outside a theater in Chicago, given up by the famed lady in the red dress (who may or may not have actually been wearing the red dress as she promised the FBI she would).

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Corbusier #8 Paris, France 2013

Walther Gropius was the founder of the Bauhaus School, the most influential modernist art school of the 20th century. In 1913 he published an article The Development of Industrial Buildings which included a number of photographs of columnar concrete American grain elevators. These grain elevator photos greatly influenced Le Corbusier.  Their simple shapes and large unadorned expanses of concrete became a dominant characteristic of Corbusier’s designs. Having photographed grain elevators extensively, to a large degree because of my attraction to the light as it plays across their simple geometries, it’s no surprise I also found Corbusier’s work equally interesting.]]>

Corbusier #7 Paris, France 2013

Another interesting, perhaps a little confusing combination of various surfaces and lines.]]>

Corbusier #6 Paris, France 2013

In addition to a stairway to the second level, Corbusier also added a ramp up from the main living area. Its sweeping curve adds a nice touch to the space but I don’t think it would qualify the house for ADA access as it has quite a steep pitch. I’m not sure which would be worse to attempt in a wheelchair, going up or coming down.]]>

Mother Nature’s Crude Sense of Humor Bozeman, Montana 2014

This is what we woke up to yesterday morning; it was only September 11th for crying out loud. We’re used to early and late snow in Montana but other than the undeniable beauty of it, it’s never particularly appreciated out of season. Although I haven’t checked yet, the temperature last night was supposed to hit a record low around 20 degrees as well. At least it appears Mother Nature’s nasty sense of humor is going to be short-lived this time around as the predicted high for next Wednesday is 80.]]>

Corbusier #5 Paris, France 2013

This is a very confusing image to view, even for me and I took the photo. It’s hard to tell exactly what you’re looking at. It is a mezzanine-like area shot from across a space that is open down to the main level in Maison La Roche. The lower half of the image is the short railing wall overlooking the lower level. The vertical line is the end of a black (or dark) divider wall separating a room on the left from an walkway along the wall on the right. I’m not sure if it was before or after the fact that I realized this composition is reminiscent of one of my favorite photos by the Hungarian photographer André Kertész:

Martinique André Kertész 1972

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