Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) at 40

Elliott Erwitt, Jackie Kennedy at Funeral, 1963, portfolio 1980

The greatest names in American photography are to be exhibited in one place as the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago turns 40. Over 100 pictures will be on show from its permanent collection including Dorothea Lange, Diane Arbus, Walker Evans and Robert Frank. It opens 28 January 2016 and runs until 10 April

The Guardian piece provides examples of 15 of the works.

Source: The very best of American photography – in pictures | Culture | The Guardian

Rustic Wood Structures at Poets Walk Park

In addition to it’s stunning vistas and views over the Hudson and the Catskills, Poets Walk Park also has quite a few fascinating, rustic wooden structures – the most impressive of which is The Overlook (picture approaching The Overlook above).

I wasn’t able to find out much about these structures other than that they were designed by Optimus Architecture of Rhinebeck, NY. They probably date to the origin of the park in its present form (I couldn’t find out when that was).

Front of The Overlook There is a magnificent view out over a meadow towards the Hudson.

Interior of The Overlook.

The Summer House is situated down by the river.

One of the wooden bridges.

Wooden bench on the way back to the parking lot.

Hot Dogs Anyone?

As I was walking the short distance from the cemetery back to the car I noticed that in the small gap between the two was a house – and in the driveway of the house was this odd-looking vehicle. The bright reds of the door and the lettering contrasting with the darker greens first caught my attention. I also liked the hand painted lettering, particularly on the front where the word “Dogs” changes in the middle – the lettering getting thinner as if the painter was giving up the battle. I also liked the name on the bottom right hand corner of the left side: “Franks Franks” – so small that you almost don’t notice it. I loved the air conditioning unit on the front too. It looked as if it had been bolted on as an after thought.

Another Cemetery

I think I’ve done about 16 posts featuring cemeteries, but I haven’t done one for several months (May 2015). This one is opposite the Shrub Oak United Methodist Church. We’d been for great lunch to a Thai restaurant virtually adjoining the cemetery. While my wife was finishing her dessert (sticky rice with mango) I decided to poke around in the cemetery. It’s not a particularly interesting cemetery. It’s small, flat and has a few nice designs on some of the gravestones (see the rightmost gravestone in the first picture). No interesting statuary though. In fact I don’t recall seeing any statuary at all, interesting or otherwise – maybe this is typical of Methodist cemeteries. I know that non-conformist churches don’t much go for decorative elements.

Somehow this reminded me of an authority figure (e.g. a teacher, or a politician) speaking to a group of acolytes.

A mass of gravestones.

This is what time can do to a gravestone. The inscription was pretty much unreadable.

Although most of the gravestones were still standing, a few had broken and/or fallen over. The one in the foreground looks as if it won’t last much longer.

I didn’t include this one because I liked the picture. Rather I was appalled that someone had done this – desecrating a grave in this manner. The street is on the other side of these gravestones, which are about as far away from it as you can get. Whoever did this must have hidden behind the gravestones to do it. So cowards in additional to vandals.

Red Wall With Windows

Taken at the Pallisades Center, a mall in Rockland County, NY. I was attracted to the colors: the bright red of the wall with the neutral grey above it; the darker grey at the bottom and the small orange line that cuts across the frame. The repeating, different sized windows added some interest with the hint of something going on behind them. I think there’s an overall abstract look to the picture.