Machine Sculpture on Galveston Portside

Art and beauty can be seen in anything in this world. A classic example is this display in Galveston, a ship propeller has been converted into a permanent artistic exhibit at the Portside park. This kind of displays are usually seen in marine museums. Here it is seen in this park as a work of art, well it is not a work of art but a work of science but still people enjoy visiting and it provides a pleasant respite from all the regular scenery.

Road Art - Tree Sculptures in Galveston

Galveston's city council decided to rebuild the city artistically after the devastation from hurricane Ike in 2008. They gathered up few local artists and told them to go out and carve beautiful sculptures on the stumps of the trees that were damaged during the storm. The result is that there are several streets in the city now that sport these sculptures in front of homes. This is the latest tourist attraction, walking tours, art tours etc. If I were residing in these streets I don't know if I'd be pleased or angry about so many people walking across the streets. It is good for the city in terms of tourist revenue but what about my privacy....

Art on Street, Frisco, TX

Frisco, Texas hosts the Texas Sculpture Garden, a unique outdoor exhibit featuring the work of local artists. The place is quite under utilized because I don't see many visitors enjoying the art. The people who work in the many office buildings around the area are the only people who enjoy the beauty.

Street Art in America

One of the indicators of prosperity of any city, or country is the amount they spend on patronizing artistic pursuits. America is no doubt the richest nation in the world, let us not get into how it got there. This post is about the pursuit and patronage of art in this country. I am quite impressed by the way the establishment as well as private individuals patronize art and indulge artists. Every city has its own unique heritage of artistry and there are paintings, sculptures, and museums that pay homage to its history. Here are some pictures of sculptural installations at Frisco, Texas the home of the Texas Sculpture Garden.

Stadium Artwork

I shot this picture while driving on Main street, Frisco, Texas. There is a huge stadium known as the Pizza Hut Park in front of which is installed this fancy looking mobile sculptural installation. The gleaming golden yellow circle in the center of the top rotates ever so slowly on its own axis. This sculpture gives its own feel to the arts and entertainment district of Frisco, which is also known for its Texas Sculpture Garden.

A Beautiful Mural

Right from my childhood I have been attracted to art and creative work. Since I haven't been blessed with any great talent to create such famous works I enjoy visiting museums and galleries to soak in the wonderful works of art.
I shot this picture when I visited Houston the first time. This is a large mural installed on the wall of a government building in downtown Houston. The images are very life like and proportions are quite appropriate, the only thing that is out of place in this image is the unrealistic color of people's skin. I wonder whether it was intentional or the artist didn't realize until the end....

Louisiana Swamp Tour Images

New Orleans, Louisiana thrives on tourism related industries. Swamp and Plantation tours, night clubs, restaurants, coffee shops, trinket stores, Native American and Cajun burial ground tours, etc are frequented by visitors, thanks to entrepreneurs offering these locations as attractive tours. I have always been an outdoors and adventure person so we decided to go on a swamp tour across the Barataria Swamps on a covered boat.
As we waited at the boat pier for the tour to start, I was surprised by the number of alligator products that were being sold at the souvenir store. Slaughtered gator heads for $15-35, Gator claws as back scratchers for a few dollars, gator skin, etc. It gave me an uneasy feeling in my stomach to see that these regal reptiles were being farm-bred for human consumption not only as meat but as these souvenir samples. We human beings often refer to wild animals as wild, cruel and savage etc, but I am convinced that it is the other way round. It is human beings that are cruel and not the animals. For wild animals it is a question of survival when they attack humans, but for us it is often pride, an urge to show off, etc that drives to attack animals.

Gator head for sale!!! Can humans get any more barbaric???

After a few minutes our tour-guide came and hollered for all of us to get into the boat. The guide was a tough-looking bearded man with a great sense of humor. He started the tour by saying that "Alligators are cold blooded like most women," and introduced us to the waterways on which we would be traveling and also the surrounding habitations where Cajuns of the Bayou continue to live amidst swamps. I was amazed to know that the waterway we were on was actually man-made, it certainly didn't appear so. I am pretty certain lots of slaves labored on this project and many perished too.

Man made water channel; amazing human endeavor!!!

As the tour progressed the guide pointed out a 2000 year old Native American Burial Mound adjacent to a Cajun cemetery and a small Fishing village!

Cajun cemetery and the Native American burial mound

The fishing village was particularly interesting because there was a large building on the wharf into which a drunk had plowed his speed boat. The wrecked boat and the broken building had been boarded up awaiting renovation. As we slowly ambled on, I saw several species of wildlife such as birds, turtles, furry animals, and of course a number of small to large Alligators or simply Gators.

The fishing village where a drunk boat driver had rammed the building!!!

Here are some pictures, but wait there is more to the tour... will blog in the next post.. including how we handled a 1-year old baby gator and fed large adult gators with marshmallows and more.