Tag Archives: Colored Lights

String Lights Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles!

January 2, 2020 rezpect Leave a comment

All Photos By Gail

In the first week of December, I was invited to a fantastically fun Tree Trimming Party at The Norwood House, a private Arts and Culture club located in a multi-story townhouse on West 14th Street in Manhattan. The club is filled with beautiful contemporary artworks, rare collectibles and antiques, and eye-catching oddities throughout its many rooms. While I was exploring, I spotted this string of large, irregularly-shaped colored lights, which were draped around a bust nestled on a stairway landing, and they grabbed my attention right away. Because, colored lights.

A close examination revealed that the lights are made from a variety of empty plastic bottles, which have been dyed a spectrum of colors and fitted through the bottom with a single light in each. Crafty!

Is this a likeness of Rasputin? Who knows!

I did some Googling to see if I could find instructions on how to make this specific style of upcycled plastic bottle lights, but I was unsuccessful in my quest. Perhaps you can scrutinize these pictures to figure it out for yourself! Good luck!

Arts and Culture

Ten Photographs of the Coney Island Parachute Jump

July 27, 2016 rezpect 1 Comment

All Photos By Gail

The Parachute Jump is a defunct amusement ride in Coney Island, whose iconic open-frame steel structure remains a Brooklyn landmark. Standing 250 feet tall and weighing 170 tons, it has been called the Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn. Well, I’ve never called it that, but apparently some people have.

Parachute Jump in the Shadow of the Thunderbolt Roller-Coaster

If you Google “Photos of Coney Island” you will see that it is arguably the single most photographed landmark near the Boardwalk. Originally built for the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, the tower was moved to its current site, then part of the Steeplechase Park amusement park, in 1941.

Seen from Inside a Burger Joint on The Boardwalk

It is the only portion of Steeplechase Park still standing today. The ride ceased operations in 1964, when that park shut down for good. How old were you in 1964? I was 3.

The ride was based on functional parachutes which were held open by metal rings throughout the ascent and descent. Twelve cantilevered steel arms sprout from the top of the tower, each of which supported a parachute attached to a lift rope and a set of surrounding guide cables.

Riders were belted into a two-person canvas seat hanging below the closed chute, then hoisted to the top, where a release mechanism would drop them, the descent slowed only by the parachute. Shock absorbers at the bottom, consisting of pole-mounted springs, cushioned the landing. Each parachute required three cable operators, keeping labor expenses high.

The tower lights up at night, and colorful the patterns change constantly. It is quite mesmerizing to view.

I love how my hair looks in this photo. I cropped Geoffrey out, because he said he looked fat. Which, not true. But whatever.

We had fun. We always do.

Arts and Culture

Regine Schumann’s Look Into It at DeBuck Gallery

February 18, 2015 rezpect Leave a comment

All Photos By Gail

Do you enjoy looking at pretty colored lights? I sure do. De Buck Gallery is currently an exhibit by German artist Regine Schumann, entitled Look Into It, and it is pretty groovy. Check out my photos and asses whether or not it is something you would also enjoy viewing!

Schumann is among the most notable artists working in the field of acrylic sculpture today. Her Colormirror series is an exploration in the relationship between color, light and form. Light — and its transformative powers, in particular — plays a key in the experience of her work.

Translucent boxes edged in vibrant colors, the pieces come alive under black light; they are set aglow and a new range of color emerges. I saw the exhibit at night, when the black lights were bringing out the fluorescent aspects of the work, but seeing it in the day, under natural light would make for a completely different viewing experience. So cool!

With their strong minimalist aesthetic, geometry also is an important factor for Schumann, who cites architecture as one of her primary influences. The works on view in Look Into It, with their variety of shapes and sizes, together create a balanced overview of Schumann’s mastery of proportion.

Tiny boxes jutting out from the wall, groups of parallel panels, and monumental slabs work together to create an altogether harmonious and graceful effect. These photos do not do the work justice, of course, so you should really drop by and experience this fun exhibit for yourself!

Regine Schumann’s Look Into It will be on Exhibit through March 21st, 2015 at DeBuck Gallery, Located at 545 West 23rd Street in the Chelsea Gallery District.

Arts and Culture

James Turrell’s Aten Reign at the Guggenheim

August 13, 2013 rezpect 2 Comments

Aten Reign at the Guggenheim (Stealth Photos By Gail)

Any Blogger who’s ever tried to photograph an exhibit at The Guggenheim will tell you it’s no easy task: what with their strict “No Photography” rules coupled with the numerous Art Nazis (aka guards) strategically placed throughout the galleries. And that just blows; because, to me, if you can’t photograph the art, it’s like it never existed. That’s why I only managed to capture a few good shots of James Turrel’s epic light installation, Aten Reign, as it transformed the Guggenheim’s Rotunda from various shades of purple to numerous hues of blue on its way through the entire color spectrum. But these few photos probably serve as a sufficient teaser, because this is one of those exhibits that you have to experience in person to really “get.” Continue reading James Turrell’s Aten Reign at the Guggenheim →