Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Denver Buildings!

Today, Slate has a slide show about Denver architecture. Yippee! Fun!

I really like that library he says looks "outdated." I also basically like the art museum (which I always think of as looking like a castle in a pop-up book), and the new addition is fine with me too. I think it helps that I'm not a snob. I like that our city has interesting things like that to look at. An unusual building would probably have to be really hideous for me not to like it just for being unusual.

I used to live within easy walking distance from the library and the museum (and downtown, for that matter). It was a great decision to live so near downtown when I first moved here. Otherwise I don't think I'd have ever gotten familiar with that part of the city.

Our convention center is also an interesting building. Or at least it has some interesting sculpture on either side. On the downtown side, this giant blue bear peers in the windows.

I can see the bear from my office. I look at him (her?) a lot. It's probably too cute for some people, but for me it is just cute enough.

On the other side of the convention center, but actually in front of the Denver Performing Art Complex, there are these two giant figures (surrounded, for reasons that are totally mysterious to me, by rusty scrap metal). (This picture, like the bear one, will expand if you click on it.)

I used to drive by these guys on my way to work every day, and I always thought they were not very good art, but I still liked looking at their white butts as I drove by. (I like to imagine that some people think the opposite: "those may be great art, but I don't like looking at those butts.")

I'm sure some of you (Sally) will notice that these figures also look like the people I draw, like the picture I drew for the "house tree person" test. So maybe I like them for that reason too.

I should issue a big disclaimer here that I'm totally unqualified as any kind of art or architecture critic. But as a person who merely lives in Denver, I enjoy all of these odd things we have around.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The big peeping tom bear is funny.

Anonymous said...

I may move there just for the bear. I love it.
The skinny people look like the skinny people sculptures at the MFAH by the famous sculptor who does skinny people sculptures. I can't think of the name. All I can think of is the painter who does skinny people paintings Modigliani. I like them both. These are not nearly as good as the ones I'm talking about. Giacometti is the name I think.

Anonymous said...

I like the Graves building (the library) His buildings and objects are just whimsical enough for me to enjoy and I haven't gotten tired of his designs even if they are sold at Target (not the buildings)

Tam said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Tam said...

I knew who you meant right away (not the name Giacometti, but the sculpture). I tried to post a link to a picture, but it didn't work. But of course if you look up 'Giacometti' in Google Images you can see any number of pictures.