One of my pet projects involves unexpected photos of the IDS Tower in Minneapolis. The iconic skyscraper was constructed in 1974 during the golden age of disco. This photo is a time capsule, an ode to an architectural superstar and the “collective ecstasy” of the seventies.
disco ball IDS
With water rushing, dripping, and cascading from all directions, the fountain in Peavey Plaza is a favorite. Torrents tumble over ledges and surge down staircases with all the roar and mist of a mighty waterfall.
fountain, peavey plaza
There is something vaguely surreal about this scene. As if the man in the bowler hat parked his bicycle and went off in search of a green apple á la Rene Magritte.
street reflection with bicycle
Through this transparent collage, the viewer gazes across fields of wheat like a sweep of tea-stained time. Crumbling limestone fortified by glass and steel, Mill City Museum embodies the space between then and now. In this place: the birth of a city, the rise and fall of industry, fortunes made, lives lost. A trace of flour in these stones. Daily bread. Time passes, the river flows, the wheat bends in the breeze.
view through window collage, mill city museum
BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, MINNESOTA 2003 JoAnn Verburg, St. Paul, Minnesota
14’ x 25’ collage made of glass, photographs, steel and cement
Sunlight turns the skyline into a house of mirrors, distorted sky fragments everywhere. The many skies, each its own twist on reality, create a dizzying aerial funhouse for the eyes.
skyclad skyscraper
Old meets new in a collage of signs and architectural styles. The Foshay Tower was once the tallest skyscraper in Minneapolis; now, it holds its own among the modern glass towers that surround it, reflecting the past back through the eyes of the future.
cityscape, foshay reflection
Peavey Plaza is a great public space in Minneapolis. In the summer, the plaza fills with people, the sound of rushing water and plenty of live music.
self portrait in peavey plaza
The random formality of these yellow columns caught my eye. I like the visual echo of the three windows, the multiplicity of textures, and the muted color palette.
yellow columns
Another day, another fountain, another security guard telling me it’s against corporate policy to allow photographs. “Too bad,” I sighed, “It’s a really cool fountain.” Luckily, I already had a few frames. It really is a cool fountain.
water wall
American Express Client Services Building, 901 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN
Water, reflections, clouds – this picture is full of favorites. All that, plus (as I’ve said before, I’m sure) I just love symmetry!
cityscape with reflecting pools
