The four horseman of the Apocalypse

SMO©2010

CONQUEST, WAR, FAMINE, & DEATH

VOLTRI VII

B. Human beings are so unhappy  that tey would be bored even if they have no reason for boredom, simple because of their nature. They are so vain that with thousands of legitimate reasons for boredom the slightest thing like tapping a billiard ball with a cue is enough to distract them.

Blaise Pascal
Pensees and Other Writings

     Photography :SMO©2008

VOLTRI -VII

David Smith

For a while I thought I lost these pictures,  it must  be few years past since   I took 

them. I remember  it was  summer of 2008.   Couple friends from Argentina were 

in town for a short stay. One day before their  departure we  decided to take a day 

trip to Washington DC, the plan was to see the National Galery and come back at 

same day. After few hours drive from New York, we  arrived DC early afternoon. 

I park the car as close as I can get to  East Galery, I didn't  want to waste any time,

the outside the hot air mixed with high  humidity made our short  walking difficult.

Atrium of the East Galery felt cool and refreshing. Angular stone walls of Atrium

covered with playfull reflections of light coming through skylight  above. Quickly 

we head up to second floor. There I saw the Voltri first time. It had a true presence 

It was a sizeable sculpture,   about 10  feet  long and may be seven feet high, built 

from Iron, yet it seemed weightless. Later, I found out this was one of the twenty-

seven  sculpture David Smith  produced   amazingly short  period of time; during 

the thirty day stay in Spoleto, Italy in 1962.

Below chronological information provided by David Smith Estate

1962-63

Smith is invited by the Italian government to make two sculptures for exhibition in Spoleto during the Fourth Festival of Two Worlds in June 1962. He is offered as his studio a decommissioned Italsider steel factory in Voltri outside Spoleto and provided with a team of steel workers as his assistants. With these resources, Smith makes twenty-seven sculptures in thirty days, using the tools, machines, objects, and materials he found in the Italsider factory. Before returning to Bolton Landing, Smith arranges to have material from the factory shipped to New York. Upon his return, he begins his Voltri-Bolton series (twenty-five sculptures, 1962 to 1963).

DOLMABAHCE SARAYI

CEILING SHOTS

One may ask-
 "What part of the palace is this?'
-it is the most utillitarian part
I would have replied-
you give me a confused look.
"It's the part that you get yourself
relieved from the all biological pressures."
I may add.

SMO©2012

FRAGMENTS OF NEW YORK STATE PAVILION

Observation towers of New York State Pavilion,  build for the New York World Fair 1964.
Towers was the tallest structure at the  fair (226'). Once beneath the towers is the Tent of tomorrow, worlds biggest suspension roof, comprised of hundred translucent panels held in place by elaborate network of steel cables, entire  roof structure supported by sixteen 100' tall concrete columns. The base of the pavilion covered by a giant map of New York State, pieced together by 4' x 4' terrazzo panels.
Almost half a century latter what left behind is rusted pile of steel, web of steel cables suspended in the mid air  and 16  concrete  columns circling around reminiscent to the ancient Stonehenge ruins
I visit the park last week to see a play at the recently renovated Queens Theatre in the park, which was originally designed by the architect Philip Johnson for the World Fair. Rotunda entrance hall of the the theatre surrounded by the high glass windows. Before the start of the show I bought myself  a cup of coffee, settled down on a chair  and watch the towers for a while. I felt that the rusted look of the structural steel, complex network of  cabling, pointed edge metal supports, all was giving these towers  mad max kind of futuristic look, in a long shot may be they were the left overs from a spaceship, accidently crushed on the earth some time ago.

SMO©2012