rss feedSaturday sightings: Under the sun, in Seattle
When the sun shines overhead in February in the Seattle area, you take advantage of it.
Even if it’s not February.
The top photograph is of Bird Song Listening Station, a sculpture by artist Douglas R. Taylor and located at the Seattle Center.
From the sign near the art piece, which was unveiled in 2008 and features solar panels, part of a bicycle frame, a bicycle wheel, freewheel and derailleur:
As breezes fill the sails of the wind turbine, a small generator sends an electric current to a battery that powers the listening station. Sunshine on the pole mounted solar panels also powers the work. The bird song of the Western Finch is available when there is sufficient wind and sun energy. In autumn finch colonies feed on the seeds of London Plane trees such as those found growing on this site.
Speaking of bicycles, my friend Martin has a nice collection of the human-powered two wheelers.
I spotted the image of the person on the door of a public restroom at the Seattle Center.
If you’re interested, the topic of public restrooms – from the perspective of designers – was the subject of a video made for Dwell.
If you’re interested in stick figures who know martial arts, have a look at a widely-circulated animated clip from Xiao Xiao.
The work is good and includes Matrix-style moves. But keep in mind that it is martial arts – and it’s only animated.
The bottom photograph is an image of, well, Godzilla.
And as I type this, the sun is finally setting on the Seattle area for this Saturday.
