Category ArchivePhotos
Commentary &Photos 15 Nov 2009 09:17 am
Trees of the City
- One of things I love about New York is the number and excellence of the many parks throughout the City. It’s somewhat similar to London, except here the neighborhood parks are open to all.
1Where there are no parks, there are trees. I’m always fully aware of the many trees around
me on my way to or from work. At the moment, they’re all going through the final stage of Fall just prior to the barren winter upcoming. The reds are dark and the leaves fallen are everywhere. I’m particularly aware of this because of the small walkway in front of my studio’s door. There are trees all around us, and leaves have molted in this passageway for the past six weeks or so. I’ve had to sweep them frequently enough so that they don’t clog the drains and create problems. I have to say that I enjoy this chore. My cat romps about while I attend to the sweep-up.
To the right, you can see the barren trees above the outer wall which greets me when I leave my studio. The door is under the light bottom left of the photo. It’d been raining most of the day, yesterday, when this picture was taken, consequently there’ll be the last of the leaves on the wet, stony corridor.
The walk home lately is in the dark, thanks to Daylight Savings time. Fortunately, Houston Street, an eight-lane, major thoroughfare separating Greenwich Village from SoHo, is surrounded with trees, new and old.
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At night, the trees lurk in the street framing the shops and
street lamps which seem to play in and around those trees.
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The inner mass of the trees’ foliage is lit
by the street lights down below them.
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With pedestrians moving about the trees, there’s an
almost-festive mood about, thanks to the lighting.
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The lesser lit areas take on a moodier effect.
So quickly you travel from one emotion to another.
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Is it any wonder, then, that I enjoy living on 30th Street with
it’s abundant and spectacular foliage always lining the street.
The blue sky to the right, is actually a fogged mist. It’s covering
the Empire State Building which usually sticks out brightly.
Last night, it was like it wasn’t there. An odd sensation.
Photos 08 Nov 2009 08:47 am
YankeeCanyon
- The “Canyon of Heroes” is what they call Broadway in the Wall Street area. It was there that they had the big ticker-tape parades for the returning soldiers of WWI and WWII. Lately, such events honor athletes who have succeeded for the City.
On Friday, there was a ticker-tape Parade for the Yankees who had won the World Series. I’d never gone to one of these things before and thought this would be a good time to see what it was like (though, actually, I knew.)
My brother who always heads downtown for these events said, of course, that he was going, so I went in tow. It was a very bright, very cold, sunny day. The crowds started large and grew much larger as we got closer to our target, City Hall, where the big ceremony was going to take place. We knew we’d never get there, but it was worth seeing how close we could get.
For the record, there is no ticker-tape anymore, but the city had offered a lot of paper to the Wall Street offices for throwing. I don’t remember seeing much of any snowing paper, especially given the swirling wind that day. It just seemed like random litter going past the floats. More a snow shower than a snowfall. Where we ended up, people had brought rolls of toilet paper and were decorating the trees.
1(Click any image if you want to enlarge it.)
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We headed down Broadway from Houston Street walking
as near City Hall as we could get. As you can see from this
picture, the street was crowded at the get go.
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2The cops started moving us in different directions off Broadway until
we ended up at a small park about 2 blocks north of City Hall. There
was a large TV monitor to watch the Parade feed but no sound.
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3To the left of us was a statue, more a marker than
anything that represented anything to me.
I was surprised no one had climbed it.
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4Whenever a Yankee appeared on the big screen there was a wild
applause with shouts and hoots. Yogi Berra was one of the first
to appear on screen. Actually, Matsui was the first we saw, and his
applause was enormous. After all, he had singlehandedly won that last game.
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5Johnny Damon also got a lot of love from the crowd. We could hear
cheers from a few blocks away before we actually go the feed, so
we always knew someone was going to show up soon.
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6To the right of us was an enormous throng of people. By the
time we got situated we were tightly surrounded. They counted
over a million people, and I believe it since we were disconnected
from the principal part of the Parade.
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7This video screen showed sub Yankee catcher Cervelli (I figured
this out later in the day from his clothes) and Alex Rodriguez in hat.
Kate Hudson was nowhere in sight, though she may have been there.
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8It didn’t take too long for people to start climbing lamp poles.
We expected the cops to show up and pull people down, but
no problems. Everyone was light and happy. Just a bit of jostling
as people kept trying to get to the front (closer to the TV.)\
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9There was a group to the left that made a lot of noise.
I think they could see up the road to City Hall. After they
cheered the empty float (truck) drove past.
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10C.C.Sabathia, rightfully so, got a huge applause when he appeared.
He pitched his heart out in a couple of those final games.
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11Behind us there was a group of kids that were pretty loud laughing it up
and seemed to be unsupervised. (Playing hooky – like me -no doubt.)
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12Jeter appeared and the crowd went beserk. Shrieking, screaming,
shouting for an endless time. I kept trying to recognize the older
guy who was behind him – until I realized it was his father.
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13If you look pretty hard, you’ll see a bunch of kids in the tree.
They had climbed there and had good viewing seats, though
I think we all did, actually.
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14By now, the kids behind us had joined hands in a circle and
were singing some kind of play animal song. I didn’t recognize it.
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15Finally the Yankee Closer, Mariano Rivera. This was the cue to
tell us that it was all over and time to split. We’d watch the
ceremony at City Hall on a tv (computer) back at my studio.
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16We came across some Scottish pipers that had marched at
the beginning of the Parade. They had dispersed and looked as
though they were heading for a drink somewhere.
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17Finally, the last banner I saw.
In New York, we smoke Phillies.
Hilarious. It was fun (and exhausting.)
Photos 01 Nov 2009 09:26 am
Sat Halloween Fotos
- This neighborhood is a nightmare come Halloween. The Greenwich Village Parade forms just a few blocks away and the march goes right through the area. Many hundreds of tourists wade through the streets during the day waiting for the nightfall.
1I was greeted in the morning by many police cars
all surrounded by the material to build blockades to
harness the visitors into the smallest possible area.
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The entire area for many many blocks crossing and
intersecting with Sixth Ave. are blocked off to stop
pedestrian AND auto traffic. And this was at noon on Sat.
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(Click any image to enlarge.)
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One door was nicely decorated.
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The studio’s black cat wanted nothing to do
with the Halloween brouhaha.
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So he jumped to the top of the 12 ft. wall to be alone.
Security and danger.
By the time I took off, about 6, there were
cops and people mixing everywhere in sight.
Crowds and more crowds were heading to the
blockaded area. Some in costume, some not.
Even out of sight of Sixth Ave. people were heading there.
I got a front row seat for the parade . . .
. . . watching it on television.
When the rain delay was over I switched to
the World Series to watch my Yankees win.
(Snapped just before A-Rod hit his home run.)
Photos 25 Oct 2009 08:04 am
Pre-Halloween Photos
- In advance of Halloween, I’d like to post a couple of photos Steven Fisher shot of very scary houses in Queens. They’re all pretty amazing, and one has to believe that arts and crafts has risen to a new level in that borough.
(Click image to enlarge; you won’t believe some of the detail.)
Here’s a close-up of one small part of that photo.
It must’ve been hell putting this one together.
Here’s a closer look at the devil. He’s got to be big.
This one seems to have a more delicate touch.
Still worthy of a closer look.
Of course there’s the attempt to keep up with the Joneses.
Still, worth a closer look.
Sometimes, you just get a nice shot.
Halloween’s not here yet, and I’m already thinking Thanksgiving.
Many thanks to Steven Fisher for the great pictures.
Books &Photos 18 Oct 2009 08:12 am
Art Director Awards ’57
- I enjoy thumbing through the Art Director’s Annuals. There’s a lot of amazing illustration to view with plenty of ideas and sharp graphics on display. I have, as a good example of these hard-covered catalogues, the 1957 issue. 90% of the book is composed of illustration in the different advertising fields. A small section is devoted to TV spots and illustration. Naturally, I have a strong interest in this section.
Editorial Art, Advertising Art and Television Art all get their chapters.
Here is a pictoral list of the winners in animation for the TV commercials awards in 1957. A number of these spots have remained familiar (at least as images in old animation books – like Halas’ Technique of Film Animation.)
The biggest prize went to John Hubley’s Maypo commercial.
Storyboard Inc. – producer
John Hubley – Director & Art Director
Emery Hawkins – animator
Ford commercial
Playhouse Pictures – producer
Bill Melendez – director
Sterling Sturtevant – Art Director
Bill Littlejohn – animator
Jello
Ray Patin Productions – producer
Sonia Linker – Art Director
Maurice Sendak – artist
Maxwell House
Audio Productions Inc. – producer
Jerome Kuhl – artist
Piels Brothers Beer
UPA – producer
Jack Sidebotham – art director
Chris Ishii – designer
5 Day Deoderant
Storyboard Inc – producer
John Hubley – art director
Art Babbitt – animator
Jello Baby
Ray Patin Productions – producer
Ruchard Vab Benthem – artist
Ken Champin – photographer
Lorna Doone
Bill Sturm Studio
Frank Broadhurst – art director
The Lion and the Mouse – Prudential
Storyboard Inc. – producer
John Hubley – director
Art Babbitt & Emery Hawkins – animation
Coors Beer
UPA – producer
Jules Engel – director
Fred Crippen – art director
Scott Paper Co.
UPA – producer
Jack Goodford – art director
Grim Natwick, Sam Wiggenhorn – animators
Donahue Sales Corp.
UPA – producer
Jack Goodford, Chris Ishii – art directors
Cliff Roberts – animator
Photos 11 Oct 2009 08:09 am
Madonnas
- Maspeth is a small, industrial part of Queens. The neighborhood is semi-suburban with a lot of row houses and small front lawns/gardens. There’s a large catholic contingency within the area, and, consequently, the statuary on the lawns tends to offer more than lawn-jockeys; the lawn-madonna is also a staple.
Steve Fisher lives in Maspeth, and has captured a number of these Madonnas on film. Here are some of his collection.
Here’s the standard for local lawn-Madonnas.
(Click any image to enlarge.)
Sometimes they have to be wrapped in Saran Wrap to
protect them from the crazy weather we’ve had lately.
Here, the Madonna becomes Our Lady of Fatima when
two small children-statues are placed kneeling in front of her.
Of course, the lawn-jockey was also one of the witnesses at Fatima.
It’s rare to see Joseph be honored with his own lawn statue.
Fortunately, he’s protected.
The entire holy family gathers with a different
kind of security protection.
Perhaps the protection can get outa hand.
I’m not sure the chef-pig offers any protection at all.
Perhaps the Madonna-in-the-shadow is protecting him.
We all know that it’s hard to keep the flamingoes from
gathering around the Madonna when they see her.
Naturally Christmas brings more, different, surrounding statuary.
This is a fully grown Jesus (with sacred heart exposed) for Christmas.
Mary naturally would be surrounded by a
deformed Santa and a wierd football player.
The one Wise King stands alone.
I take that back, he stands with a ghostbuster.
And, of course, just in time for Halloween,
the Madonna meets varied spooks and goblins.
Thanks, again, to Steve Fisher for his great pictures.
Photos 27 Sep 2009 08:25 am
The Feast
- Every year, Little Italy bursts aflame as the San Gennaro Feast sets up and sits over a 10 day period. (In New York we just call them – there are about three or four of these annually in Manhattan and others in the outer boroughs – the “Feast” and everyone knows what you’re talking about.) This is a “feast” built around the Old St. Patrick’s church, downtown. It goes for about 15 city blocks and is crammed with an estimated million people annually. (I think most of them come from New Jersey.)
I enjoy taking in these “Feasts” and have gone to many over my lifetime. It’s usually best to go at night when it’s dark and the lights are brightest. This year, Heidi and I took in San Gennaro going earlier, at twilight.
We came at the “Feast” from the North end crossing Prince St.
at Mott. From there you could see the endless decoration.
As you move into the throngs of people the area gets closer and
closer, tighter and tighter. Not for those with claustrophobia.
Almost immediately you come upon the games.
Lots of colorful dolls to win for a small price.
As we went on the prizees grew more Hi-tech –
Ipods, cell phones etc.
There was the obnoxious clown you could dunk in a tank of water.
He spends his nights hurling insults at the people trying to dunk him.
Of course, there’s the water pistol game where you try to
blow up a balloon faster than other competitors.
There’s always a winner.
The sign on the ground showed us the back door to the church.
It led us through a corridor with gated windows which
led out to the ancient cemetary.
The end of this corridor opens to reveal the church.
St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral from the exterior, front of the church.
A high wall was built around the church to protect those inside from
riots that seem to have taken place regularly in the mid 19th Century.
Irish vs Italian.
When we got back to Mott St. the street had been cleared, and
a slow moving parade was walking, led by the police and a band.
The marching band is a regular mainstay of Little Italy.
Often they’ll burst into your restaurant, while you’re eating,
and parade around the place playing their music.
Slowly the procession moves onward. The center is the
statue of St. Gennaro being carried down the street.
The statue has dollar bills pinned to its costume. An advance crew
comes up seeking donations. When you give them a dollar they
give you a prayer card with St. Gennaro’s likeness.
Once the Saint passed, the crowds opened up. Some were
following, some were heading in the direction of the booths.
The food was everywhere now. Years ago I would’ve
eaten this stuff, but I’m too old for it now.
Even the colorful refrigerator magnets were shaped like food.
12 for $5 – a bargain.
The crowds were beginning to get large and close.
It was Twilight on Mott Street.
Throngs of people all milling about on a very slow crawl
up or down Mott Street searching.
The plastic dairy queen cone sat on the lounge chair throne.
I noticed the Italian chair had plastic covering.
Not for human consumption.
I liked the image of five big guys all working the grill at the same time.
They had more room to move than the crowds around them.
Evening was fast approaching.
Once we reach the heart, Umberto’s on the left, Ferrara’s on the right
we decided to take a break and went down the short side-street.
There we saw a lot of kiddee rides.
A dangerous Ferris Wheel and tiny Carousel.
We stopped for something to drink in a quiet wine bar.
When we came out it was night, and the lights were on bright.
We headed back to Mott Street to take in the even-bigger crowds.
The restaurants on these blocks had set up seating pavilions.
These were often larger than the restaurants, themselves.
All were packed with waiting lines to get in.
One or two actually seemed attractive.
The crowds here were at their height.
It took almost an hour to walk this next block.
That’s when we decided to surrender.
We said goodbye to the “Feast” this year and headed to a
parallel street which was dark, empty and completely walkable.
Photos 20 Sep 2009 08:25 am
Tops o’ Buildings / Sunday Photos
- Time to turn the Sunday photo section over to friend, Steve Fisher. He took me at my word when I said I was looking for images of things at the tops of buildings.
He sent the following stunning pictures, and what can I say. Here they are:
(Click any image to enlarge.)
Here’s a shot of the SONY building, which was once the AT&T building.
This is when it was under construction – dead center.
For reference, here’s what it looks like now.
(Pic pulled from AT&T site.)
It was designed by Phillip Johnson.
This and the following images were taken from
SOHO around Green Street.
A pretty mess.
This next group of photos was taken from above
Cooper Union (above), the historically famous Arts school
in Greenwich Village where Third meets Fourth.
Steve was able to get some clear shots of other rooftops
and even another view of the Cooper clock.
Steve writes: The new building at Cooper Union is largely sheathed
with perforated metal panels that act as a sun screen.
The views out to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings thus have
a texture to them that make for some interesting photos, but I would
find annoying as a workplace.
Imagine having a class at Cooper Union, looking out at this.
From a terrace on the building, Steve was able to get
these shots. Here’s looking uptown.
An overburdened rooftop.
On the terrace, there is a ‘green roof’, part of the environmentally
sound design, and a stone eagle that once adorned old Penn Station.
This one, in Queens, shows what many are doing to their modest,
attached brick homes – adding another story, with little regard to the
scale of the neighborhood or how it looks to their adjoining neighbors..
That’s not unlike what happened in San Gimignano,
and we all herald that as great stuff.
And we end in Queens with a something iscious.
Photos 13 Sep 2009 07:55 am
Larry Gelbart & SundayPhoto Grabbag
- Back in 1995 a film of mine, Whitewash, won the Humanitas prize. This is a Hollywood award for writing a film that celebrates humanity. (The official website says this: “Stories that affirm the human person, probe the meaning of life, and enlighten the use of human freedom.”) the award is presented to the writer. Ntozake Shange would receive the prize. I did the treatment, she wrote the first draft and I did the last two. I gave and give her full credit.
She didn’t want to go to the ceremony. It sounded like a treat to me, so I went out to pick it up for her. (There was also one for me.)
I flew to LA for the day and got there in time for the ceremony. When it came time, they called out her name (with a little difficulty), and I went up. My short thankful speech opened with, “It may surprise you but I’m not Ntozake Shange.” There was a big laugh from the group and just at that point, my day was made. There at the center front table laughing very hard was Larry Gelbart. Whatever else happened that day I don’t remember. I had made one of my writing heroes laugh. That was my real Humanitas prize. I also got to meet him later.
I was saddened to my core yesterday when I’d read that he had died. So many people this year, the grief is almost overwhelming.
- When you take a lot of photos looking for themes to present, you end up with a pictures that don’t quite belong, but they’re interesting enough to hold on to them. Today I’m going to stick my hand into that grabbag of picture leftovers and put them up as a bunch of photos that didn’t quite belong. About half of these were sent by my friend Steve Fisher. Since they’re the more interesting pics, I’ll group them all in the latter half.
As you know by now, I can’t get enough of Psychic shop photos.
I took this one of the only Psychic I’ve seen with an ATM shop
installed just outside the front door. Handy.
The other night, we had a full moon with lots of passing clouds.
This was the view from 59th Street and Lexington Ave for about
two full minutes. Clouds rolled in and covered it immediately.
The full moon might have explained this protected street lamp.
“Step away from the Saint.”
A gem from Steve Fisher.
I’ve always been a sucker for shots of grass with lots of deep focus.
Trite and clichéd, but it gets me going.
The same goes for telephoto shots capturing color temperatures.
I’m not good at taking these photos, but that won’t stop me.
Steve Fisher has a different kind of eye. He turns two overlapping
trees into a Jackson Pollack.
Just take a step or three back and
you get a different kind of Art.
Likewise his shot of this sky is more evocative.
Isn’t this a scene from Dumbo?
These shots of signs by Steve were more than evocative.
Our society inside out.
Steve shot these pictures at a local street fair in Queens.
Finally, how could I not end with a shot of the studio cat,
Robbie, watching PONYO dance across the waves.
Photos 07 Sep 2009 07:31 am
Labor Day
- Labor Day is one of those holidays you show off your flag, if you have one. In the past, it was expected that the flag might be an American flag, but times they are a changing.
My friend, Steve Fisher, found some other flags flying in Middle Village, Queens.
These are they:
Aside from the Welcome flag, there’s one for the Mets.
Queens, home of the Mets, is where many of their fans reside.
It’s doubtful the flag will help their season.
Just in time for Obama’s speech to the school children.
Just decorative. Very positive.
A little too positive.
Here come the Italians. Prouder of their heritage
than they are of their country – I guess.
A lot of flags but nothing in stars and stripes.
If you look in the background, you’ll find
some itsy bitsy American flags for the holiday.
I had to post this brilliant shot by Steve
from a past post. How could I not
end with the real McCoy?
Happy Labor Day, everyone.
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Many thanks to Steve Fisher.
