Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., travel | Tags: architecture, cape cod, rest stops
I have no artwork to show you, as we were at the Cape last week. Sooo…lovely. I love escaping from my own house and routines. Yes, we still had to do the dishes, cooking, and laundry while we were there…BUT we didn’t have to WORK! (even though I love my work)
We went to the beach! We went for a walk! AND, I ate numerous fried clams and soft serve ice creams. I think that I gained ten pounds there…so I’m feeling a bit squishy as a result.
One fabulous thing that I got to do was go to the Provincetown Art Association (PAAM) for 20 WHOLE MINUTES, but hey…better than nothing! (note the air of grouchy domestic angst)
It’s a lovely building designed by Machado Silvetti. Check it out:
Apparently, there was a lot of flak from locals who wanted the building to look like an old house, even though the NEW building WASN’T an old house. This gives many architects migraines, including me. I understand that people are more comfortable with a plastic McMansion (which is bad), than a contemporary eyesore (which is also bad). BUT…if you hire talented people, you can get contemporary, contextual AND beautiful. Sometimes, though…I don’t totally begrudge fake-traditional. Take the rest stops on the Mass Pike:
It looks like residential architecture, not commercial. Maybe that’s ok in this instance, as people are travelling and would prefer to be led to believe that they’re eating at someone’s “house”, and not in a “food court”??? Those dormer windows though…there isn’t anything up there. I tried to find an example of good, contemporary rest stop design…but I couldn’t find anything.
This is a reststop in Georgia. No, not our Georgia…the other one. It’s by J. Mayer H. architects in Germany. Now, I’m NOT suggesting that this would have been good for the Mass Pike…but they’ve definitely not made their reststop into a McMansion. Here’s a little airport that they did:
Now, THAT…I think is lovely. We’d never do that in the US. Sad.
ANYHOO…what a ridiculous tangent! I was going to talk about the Robert Motherwell show at the PAAM, but instead I got onto REST STOPS???? What’s wrong with me?
Just so you know…the Motherwell show was lovely. He has a series of ink drawings which are meant to embody the power and force of the sea. They were really amazing.
If you can get to the show…I’d recommend it. It’s open until Sept. 30. I may be inspired to thow some paint around as a result. Looking at the state of our kitchen cabinets, though… what I should actually be doing is picking up a brush and painting those instead. Maybe they need some splashy black blotches on them? No? Could go with the splashy dirt blotches? Eww…so gross.
Just kidding! (nervous laughter)
I should probably go on some kind of diet now to lose my fried clam pudge. Maybe I’ll start by only eating stuff that we grow in our garden??? Example:
This is our carrot. I’m going to look like Heidi Klum in a week if I stick to this diet!
Actually, the odds are not good that I will either:
a. stick to a diet
b. look like Heidi Klum…EVER.
The bottom of her FOOT is probably nicer than mine. Actually, everyone within a 1/2 mile radius is likely to have more pampered feet than I have. Hmph. At least I don’t wear those shoes with the toes. Perhaps, I should, though….
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slightly wonky 
You are so funny! I recommend Susan Palladino’s new print course to you at CCAE–she is very talented and a nice person, too (an unusual combination). ic
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Comment by Iris Chandler September 7, 2012 @ 10:05 amHi, Iris! The class sounds great. What kind of prints are you doing? Monotypes? Solar plate etching? I looked at the class, but it meets on Saturdays, which is kind of a challenge for me. Keep me posted, though!
Comment by slightlywonky September 7, 2012 @ 7:25 pmThe architecture of the buildings #4 and #5 photo is so awesome!.
Comment by Katherine Flores September 7, 2012 @ 11:21 amSo amazing, right??? 🙂
Comment by slightlywonky September 7, 2012 @ 7:26 pmindeed :)looks like a contemporary design. i love contemporary 😉
Comment by Katherine Flores September 7, 2012 @ 9:40 pm