Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Thematic Photographic - Round

This week at Thematic Photographic, Carmi asks us to explore the theme ROUND. What is round? is it a circle, a sphere, a mound? Is it an open ring, an orbit, an arc?

Here's something I can't identify. I was walking down Main Street in Los Angeles' downtown. On top of a 19th century building at the corner of Main and 5th, I saw this.

I had to walk across the street, and move all around the intersection to get a good picture of it.

What is it? It looks like a windvane, or a sundial. It is mounted on the roof of an old building that used to be a market, but now houses a homeless services agency.

In Downtown Los Angeles, 5th Street east of Broadway has become known as "The Nickel" - partly for its number, but also because it was a place where you could get a nickel bag of anything.

Who created and placed this sundial here in The Nickel? I've searched for answers. There's nothing I can find, not on the city's Cultural Affairs site, not on the Conservancy site, not on any arts organization site.

But here it is - an orb, an open O, a sundial - ROUND - hidden in plain sight from all except those who look up to the sky.

If any of you Los Angeles folks know what this art piece is - tell me.

10 comments:

mo.stoneskin said...

Is this post missing something, or am I missing something? The latter wouldn't surprise me!

mo.stoneskin said...

I'm amazed there wasn't anything on it - did you climb up? Maybe it has an inscription...

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

I love seeing the world around you with your eyes. :)

Tristan Robin said...

I don't know what it is - but it's just beautiful.

I want one.

KBeau said...

Don't know what it is, but those look like flowers and grass growing around the circle. You said the building used to house a market. Was it a flower market perhaps?

Elisabeth said...

How interesting...a mystery. Very nice entry...thanks for sharing.

Pamela said...

my immediate thought was that there were spikes to keep the pigeons from landing on it.

But, I think rather it is just an unusual artistic work.

I'd put it on my roof. (:

Woman in a Window said...

I'm thinking artistic interpretation of sundial. Yup. Even before I read what you wrote. But who knows?

JCK said...

It will be great fun if you find out.

Totally off topic, but was reading a comment you made at Kate's Ahead of the Wave, and did you know that my mom went to Cornell!

I've never visited the campus, but will someday. I hear it is just stunning.

Amanda Guthrie said...

Looks to me like a sundial, but it is beautifully ornate. Great shot for the weeks "round"