Tag: San Jose

In San Jose, California

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Cabbage at the Library

Cabbage Sculpture

From the street of San Tomas Aquino Rd. I assumed I was looking at a simple, though attractive, vegetable sculpture. Then I got closer and saw there was more to it. Notice the roof of this library has a rain spout directed to the top of the sculpture. Then, looking closer I saw that the sculpture has curves that channel water and a drain near its base. It is a part of the rain water drain path! That is just neat. I found that the artist Elizabeth Conner (https://elizabethconner.com/section/348652-Public-Art.html) calls this work “Cabbage”.

Cabbage Sculpture

From the top you can see how the water is channeled all around the grooves of the sculpture’s leaves as it flows down towards the drain.

Cabbage Sculpture

Waterways work their away around it all and it has integrated lights to backlight the leaves at night.

Cabbage Sculpture

I like looking at this and hope to be near it when it is raining some day.

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Alley off of Stevens Creek and Bascom

Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom

When I saw this one I instantly liked it and assumed it was completed for the most part. These photos of the Alley behind the corner of Stevens Creek and Bascom were taken a couple of weeks apart and show some changes. For this mural, it was dramatic and still excellent even though very different to me after the artist added the lines you will see next.

Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom

I like it both ways so much I can not quite make up my mind which way I would prefer it. Each way feels different to me like separate and excellent works. I ran into the artist, Augie WK (https://www.thejamsbrand.com/augiewk), selling some of his artwork at a SoFA First Friday event and told him how I liked this mural off of Stevens Creek and how I liked it both ways so much. He told me that he’s heard similar thoughts often from people with his art. He sometimes uses the lines and sometimes does not when he employs this style in his work. I’m glad that I was able to stop and appreciate this mural in both phases.

Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom

Here are some more works in the alley from various artists. New pieces pop up every once in a while so this alley already has more works than is captured in these photos.

Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
Murals behind Stevens Creek and Bascom
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Eclipse – The Moon and the Sun in our Space

10/14/2023 Eclipse from San Jose

The eclipse on October 14th, 2023 as seen from San Jose, California. This photo was taken soon after the maximum coverage as seen from San Jose through a protective film over the camera lens.

Somehow, when they are lined up like this, it makes it easier to imagine these giant balls floating in space, suspended from all sides by their gravity in relation to space and to earth and myself. I know they are always floating like this, though the alignment makes it more real to my mind, placing them in relation to each other, the sun and moon, making their shared presence in the same sky less abstract. Instead of two circles in the sky as I often sense them; like this, it is easier to sense these giant spheres as very real worlds, more than circles, right out there in our neighborhood of space.