09.28.09
Posted in Look at 10:36 pm by Erin
We followed the Mississippi River towards Minneapolis, and stopped at the sculpture garden outside of the Walker Art Center. My favorite work was Dan Graham’s Two-way Mirror Punched Steel Hedge Labyrinth (fourth image): depending on which side you were looking at, you could see other viewers, a reflection of yourself, or a combination of the two in varying levels of translucence. Aside from being a technical marvel, I loved what I perceived to be the commentary on surveillance and self-absorption inherent in the work. Later, I ate the most amazing portobello mushrooms with toasted goat cheese and balsamic vinegar reduction…mmm….
We continued on to Pipestone National Monument, with a lovely walk around the area where Native Americans still quarry for the stone that they use to make pipes. There are offerings of tobacco tied to trees, gorgeous prarie grass, and gorgeous pinkish-red stone walls jutting towards the sky.
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09.24.09
Posted in Look at 8:50 pm by Erin
In the crapshoot that is the family to whom you’ve been assigned, I got really lucky. Everyone in my family is very interesting, talented, and artistic. So I was really looking forward to a 10-day roadtrip with my mom, from Ohio to Wyoming. We set out in her teardrop trailer, which is a super-cushy way to camp for this tent-and-an-outhouse girl. We crossed Lake Michigan on a giant steamship, visited Madison, Minnesota, Pipestone, the Corn Palace, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, the Badlands, Wall Drug, and Deadwood.
What’s that? You want photos? Very well:
Madison was beautiful; my favorite part was waiting at a red light on my bike, and at least four other bicyclists queued up behind me. It’s the sort of bike traffic that I’ve never experienced before, outside of races I used to participate in.
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09.21.09
Posted in Look at 9:54 am by Erin
This is the scene that greeted me this morning:
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09.15.09
Posted in Look at 1:38 pm by Erin
When people come to visit, there are a handful of things that I like to show them: the art museum, sculptures, Snowy Mountain range, Vedauwoo, and the Wyoming Territorial Prison. The prison was in use in the late 1800′s, and counted Butch Cassidy among its colorful inhabitants. The site includes the restored prison, which highlights the compelling stories about its prisoners, a broom factory where they worked, the warden’s house, and quite a bit more. My favorite areas are the exhibits about the female prisoners, and the working platen press. If you find yourself in Laramie, Wyoming, it’s definitely worth a visit.
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