Downtown Gainesville Public Art

A beautiful work of art on display in downtown Gainesville.

College Art - II

Here are some pictures of art works on display in my college campus. These works on display comprise of a very small percentage of the works created by the student population.

College Art!

Artworks created by students and displayed on campus. This is just a sample of the numerous works of art that dot various spots on the campus. It is interesting how art students get encouragement through the display of their works in the college.

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....

Indoor Bedouin Tent Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abu Dhabi the capital city of United Arab Emirates is quite a touristy town, except for the fact that there is a dominant presence of Islam and thousands of Mosques everywhere the place has some tourist attractions. When I visited the place some years ago I was not so impressed by the city per se but the beaches are beautiful and the man made attractions are indeed enjoyable, here are some pictures of the recreation of a Bedouin Tent at the cultural foundation of the kingdom. It is to showcase life in the desert before oil money came about. What is not told is that this kind of life was enjoyed by the rich and royalty, the poor and commoners lives was nowhere near this kind of luxury or comforts.

Depiction of Life...

Until recently Texas had been a primarily plantation/ agriculture state. Hence blacksmithy was a very thriving business in the past. This sculptural depiction celebrates the recent history of McKinney, Texas. Installed at the McKinney Town Lake Recreation Area, the sculpture is an attraction in itself.

A picture is worth 1000 words

Yes but I can't think of 1000 words to describe this picture, the image of a sculpture installation in the Texas Sculpture Garden in Frisco, TX. I think only a art critic will be able to do that. For now I confine myself to sharing this image and see if any art critic who reads my blog will comment on this...

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.

Artworks at Kimbell Museum

Last Sunday we visited the Kimbell art museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Here are pictures of some interesting artworks in their permanent collection. There are many paintings in the collection, but I am interested in sculptures so I captured only those that appealed to me. I am not so enamored by European sculptures because in my opinion they are too boring. Sculptural art from South America, Africa and Asian countries are much more vibrant and interesting. There is some kind of intrigue, mystery, and rugged aesthetics.

Sculpture from South America

Sculpture from Africa

Texas Sculpture Garden once again

Texas Sculpture Garden is a one of its kind location I have visited in the US. During the week it is a bustling office complex surrounded by art giving the employees a pleasant sight to watch amidst their hectic work days. As the weekend approaches the entire place becomes desolate and there is not a soul around. Last week when we visited, we had the entire sprawl all for ourselves. We could get up close and personal with the sculptures and take pictures. The vast parking lots were empty, the wind's whistle as it blew across the shrubbery was the only sound in the area.

Revisiting Texas Sculpture Garden

Today I revisited the Texas Sculpture Garden in Frisco. After a long spell of gloomy weather, DFW metro area finally got a day of bright sunshine, thankfully without the cold wind blowing in. During the second visit we took some of our friends and family to show them the work of local artists. I am a person who will not miss an opportunity to visit an art gallery, museum or view any work of art. When the art work is installed at a eco-friendly natural setting and is freely accessible by all I wouldn't miss an opportunity at all.
On a parting thought I wish we could create a similar open space for art and environment in the bustling, crowded, over-populated Indian cities. It would definitely possible if people's attitudes are changed and a taste for open space and art is developed.

Roadside Artworks in New Orleans, Louisiana

One of the features of American cities that I like is their affinity for art. Even if the city is an impoverished town like New Orleans, LA there are places in the city where one can find beautiful artistic sculptures, statues of important people, war memorials, etc installed across the main thoroughfares. In my opinion this is a great way to mold the younger generation into productive, patriotic and responsible citizens of a country. By constantly reaffirming only the good things about a civilization the children are subtly taken in the direction the establishment wishes them to go. This is good for the individual, society and the country.
As an example I would like to post pictures of some public sculptures in New Orleans, Louisiana, US.

Last set of Pictures of the Buddhist Temple in Houston

I have been posting the pictures of the spectacular Viet Namese Buddhist temple in Sugarland, Houston, Tx over the past two days. The temple is so vast and has so many interesting sights that it is difficult to post all the pictures at one go. Anyway here is the last set of pictures shot in the sprawling temple complex which features rolling green lawns, vast artistic buildings, water bodies and expansive parking lots.

Another Bell Tower

A large building in the temple, the library or discourse room I suppose

Rear view of the temple with fountain and sculptures

Sculpture of Buddha under the Bodhi tree in the shrine's Bonsai garden

Houston Road Views

Last weekend while in Houston I captures some images on the road. They include pictures of sculptures, churches, buildings and roads in general. The roads in Houston have maniacs driving their cars as if to cause an accident. The city seems to be full of roads, fly overs, exits and ramps and large shopping areas. I didn't see any school, college, park or open space within the city. It is all choc-a-bloc roads, and development. Of course like all other cities there are random artworks strewn around the city.

An Interesting Sculpture

houston-oct-4- 001, originally uploaded by srinidhilv.

This cement concrete work of art is installed in front of a national bank building in Downtown Houston. One thing I really like about the US is its vast space. It is another matter how they obtained this kind of space, but the way space is utilized is what impresses me.

Downtown of any city is a congested area characterized by narrow streets, tall buildings. There is very little scope for widening of roads or creating space in front of buildings. But somehow architects and town planners have squeezed out seemingly small spaces and created soothing ambiances around them.

For example this sculpture of violinist is sited in a street corner flanked by two tall buildings. This is the only small installation around. The sculpture depicts art, music and a little bit of humor too. Busy executives walking or driving across Downtown thinking of million dollar business deals will pause and enjoy the beauty for a moment.

Beautiful Mural

This giant mural is painted spank on the face of a multi-storeyed building in San Antonio. Pretty impressive huh!...

Texas Sculpture Garden - V

You all must be wondering how much I am going to blog about Texas Sculpture Garden... well this may be the final blog for this time... whenever I get a chance to revisit the place I will post more pictures of those artworks which I couldn't get to this time. This post will have more pictures of the beautiful landscaping of the place than the actual sculptures, so enjoy the views...

Texas Sculpture Garden - IV

Texas Sculpture Garden is a huge space and sprawls several square miles. There are over 100 beautiful works of modern art, several water bodies, lakes, fountains, water falls, landscaped gardens, walking trails, etc. I visited only a part of the entire space and I plan to go there again... possible this weekend and bicycle across the trails. This way I will be able get some training for the 160-mile bicycle ride from Frisco, Tx to Fort Worth, Tx to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis.

Here are some more pictures of the Texas Sculpture Garden...

Some artistic expressions are strange

Another Sculpture - I don't know the meaning

Like a Metal Tree

Bright and Intriguing

A metal wreath???

Another Bright one

An entrance arch possibly...

Texas Sculpture Garden - III

Like I had mentioned in my previous post I have shot loads of pictures of the art installations, the walking trails and the landscaping around the Texas Sculpture Garden, Frisco. Here are some more pictures for you all to admire and of course do let me know what you feel about this super-rich man's hobby... art collection...

And of course I urge you all to consider donating for the cause of Multiple Sclerosis. I have registered to participate in the 160-mile bicycle ride from Frisco, Tx to Fort Worth, Tx to raise funds for the same.

Enjoy the pictures now!!!

Water Monster installation

Water Monster installation - Another picture

A landscaped "Waterfall"

"Waterfall" - Another view

Sculpture installation by the water

One of the many lakes that have been created in the Texas Sculpture Garden!