There’s a footbridge that connects a shopping center to a public park. It’s a nice bridge—very big, very wide. Maybe that’s why they decided to embed little lights in the pillars, or uprights, or whatever those little sections are called that are slightly higher than the rest of the bridge. They’re nice and add a little aesthetic interest and, seriously, following the recent horrific bridge collapse I just have even greater appreciation for all types of infrastructure, especially when it’s well-made and maintained.
I still wonder why the lights are there, though. People probably aren’t visiting the park after dark. Any crime happening is more likely under the bridge, and the shopping center is well-lit enough that even if someone wanted to cross the bridge at night there’d be more than enough ambient light to get them from one side to the other.
I also like the little touches some people have added to the lights. Civil engineering is both a science and an art which is why infrastructure often gets little aesthetic touches that aren’t functional but make the mundane a little nicer, but it’s even better when actual artists add something too.
Give someone a blank space and they’ll fill it with art! The city should commission graffiti artists to do all the posts!
The city really should commission graffiti artists to decorate the whole bridge! It would look a lot nicer. There have been a few programs to commission local graffiti artists to do murals and other works and I think we’d all be happier if they did even more.
I love all the embellishments and finely observed details, Chris. Thank you.
ANN J KOPLOW recently posted…Day 3819: Juggling
Little touches can do a lot to transform a place which is why I appreciate the not so little touches of your comments, Ann.
Hey Chris,
Have you ever been tempted to do a little graffiti embellishment? Mona
Mona,
That’s a very interesting question and one I’ve thought about a lot. The thing is, if I added some graffiti to something I’d feel like I couldn’t talk about it. I’d think of it as standing by itself so much that it would be overdoing it to try and talk about it. With someone else’s work I feel I can offer my own interpretation–I’m bringing something new to the work. If I said anything about my own graffiti, well, that would just be overdoing it.
Chris,
We shall not ask you to gild the lily, then, my friend — that is if there was a lily to be gilded. 🙂 Mona