Archive for ‘December, 2015’

Going Goth(ic)

on December 17, 2015

Every city, large or small, has a soul. Nowhere in Connecticut is this more evident than New Haven. It’s a wonderful city with a wealth of culture supported by a vibrant arts, entertainment, and dining scene. And, while New Haven is a great place to see up and coming bands or sample new-age fare, it’s soul is truly powered by the past. Nowhere is this old soul more evident than on the campus of Yale University.  Yale’s history can be traced back all the way to the 1640s, when the colonials made efforts to establish a college in New Haven, in order to preserve the tradition of European liberal education in the New World. Gothic architecture dominates the cityscape here and, against a gray December backdrop, these Old World structures bring about a sense were’re still surrounded by the souls of scholars from colonial times past.

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On High in New Haven

on December 15, 2015

It was a surprisingly gorgeous mid-December day here in New England. The sun was shining and the air was crisp, but not too cold. As such, I decided to take my camera out with me as I walked between meetings at my ‘day job’ and try to look at some of the usual sights with a more careful eye.

I’ve always found this sculpture fascinating. I don’t know if it’s just due to it’s uniqueness, or the odd dichotomy of such an artistic work being placed smack dab in the center of a federal building campus (when I think fed, I don’t exactly think style). The sculpture is by Alexander Lieberman and, according to the gsa.gov website, this is what Lieberman has to say about it:

In this sculpture, elongated cylinders recreate the loftiness found in Gothic cathedrals. Lieberman
intended the public to walk around the sculpture, and experience a sensation similar to what he felt
when he visited St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. “That is one of the reasons why I have called the
sculpture On High because I feel that the sense of physical elevation is associated with spiritual
elevation.” The red color of the sculpture provides a focus within the federal building as a point of
meditation and wonderment.
I have to admit, I felt some of that. But, more or less, I was just happy to be outside.

 

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