bachanon Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 i went by the menil and rothko chapel yesterday and the broken obelisk in the reflecting pool in front of rothko is gone. anybody know what's up? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowbrow Posted April 4, 2005 Share Posted April 4, 2005 It is down for maintenance for a few more months. I know its been down since at least last september. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted April 4, 2005 Author Share Posted April 4, 2005 guess i owe penance for my lack of attendance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quirkmiter Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 i went by the menil and rothko chapel yesterday and the broken obelisk in the reflecting pool in front of rothko is gone. anybody know what's up?<{POST_SNAPBACK}>The pool bottom was deteriorating and no longer allowed the water to reflect the obelisk very well. THe base of the obelisk was never really designed for immersion, and the base was corroding severely.The pumps were located very far away and required excessive HP to overcome friction loss as well as other problems with control. The velocity of the supply jets was interfering with the smoothness of the surface, further reducing the reflective quality of the water. The lighting was obtrusive, consisting of loose fixtures set on the bottom with exposed wires. The list was extensive.The base, plumbing, pool, planting, irrigation, paving, and edge will be completely renovated in a couple of months. All of this work required the removal of the obelisk. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowbrow Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 Now that is information. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted January 16, 2006 Author Share Posted January 16, 2006 MLK MEMORIALBroken Obelisk battle-bornSculpture once rejected by City Hall is getting restored and rededicatedBy LISA GRAYCopyright 2006 Houston Chronicle On Thursday a crane lowered Broken Obelisk, one of the city's best-known sculptures, back into its reflecting pool in front of the Rothko Chapel, and tomorrow or Wednesday, conservators expect to finish their 18-month restoration project. But today, on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the rusty, elegant sculpture once again stands as a reminder that much of Houston once considered King to be more a rabble-rouser than a saint.link 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowbrow Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 Excellent. That is just a few hundred feet from my front door. I'll have to go give it a look see now that it is back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestGrayGuy Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 Quirkmiter:Spoken like a true engineer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 The pool bottom was deteriorating and no longer allowed the water to reflect the obelisk very well. THe base of the obelisk was never really designed for immersion, and the base was corroding severely.The pumps were located very far away and required excessive HP to overcome friction loss as well as other problems with control. The velocity of the supply jets was interfering with the smoothness of the surface, further reducing the reflective quality of the water. The lighting was obtrusive, consisting of loose fixtures set on the bottom with exposed wires. The list was extensive.The base, plumbing, pool, planting, irrigation, paving, and edge will be completely renovated in a couple of months. All of this work required the removal of the obelisk.That's what you get for using our Yummy and nutrient rich Houston tap water. DRINK UP ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas911 Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Actually the obelisk was in dire need of repair also. It is a total make over. To bad they couldn't coincide the re-dedication with MLK day. BTW, I saw the broken obelisk in New York City as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 The Obelisk Formerly Known As Broken 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 According to The New York Times (Oct. 22, 2006), a new 20 foot-tall, 37-foot wide sculpture "constructed out of fiberglass, pulverized marble and lime cement" is to be installed on Nov. 12. The artist. Michael Somoroff. describes it as "a sculptural translation of light as it moves across the chapel." (Pictures of Illumination I can be seen on the artist's website.)If I'm understanding this correctly, it will be installed inside of the chapel. Wonder how they'll shoehorn it in there? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 (edited) If I'm understanding this correctly, it will be installed inside of the chapel. Wonder how they'll shoehorn it in there?i may be totally out of line but i think the chapel is fine how it is. i've been going there for years. the one thing that is very moving for me is that the meditative space remains the same as everything else outside of it changes. if installed inside i'm not sure how they could still have weddings and funerals there. Edited October 23, 2006 by torvald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 according to the plat on his website, it appears to be going outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 (edited) according to the plat on his website, it appears to be going outside.then i wonder how long before it is tagged?i think the only thing saving the current sculpture is that it is surrounded by water. Edited October 23, 2006 by torvald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 According to The New York Times (Oct. 22, 2006), a new 20 foot-tall, 37-foot wide sculpture "constructed out of fiberglass, pulverized marble and lime cement" is to be installed on Nov. 12. The artist. Michael Somoroff. describes it as "a sculptural translation of light as it moves across the chapel." (Pictures of Illumination I can be seen on the artist's website.)If I'm understanding this correctly, it will be installed inside of the chapel. Wonder how they'll shoehorn it in there?It's going to be on the east side of the chapel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feufoma Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 It's interesting that the NYT reported this but our local joke of a paper didn't take the time to include it amongst the teen beat and news wire reports. What a city... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 according to the plat on his website, it appears to be going outside.You're right. According to the Rothko Chapel website, it will be just east of the chapel. torvald, I'm hoping the security force can keep it free from tagging, but I wouldn't take bets either way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 You're right. According to the Rothko Chapel website, it will be just east of the chapel. torvald, I'm hoping the security force can keep it free from tagging, but I wouldn't take bets either way.Do they ever have problems at the Cullen Sculpture Garden? I'd hope people have a little respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 Do they ever have problems at the Cullen Sculpture Garden? I'd hope people have a little respect.there is night security at the cullen sculpture garden. i have seen some of the sculptures near the menil tagged... forgive me , i don't know what they're called... the geometric ones in the park there.plus, tagging is all about disrespect and public damage. you can reference some of the graffiti threads on this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 there is night security at the cullen sculpture garden. i have seen some of the sculptures near the menil tagged... forgive me , i don't know what they're called... the geometric ones in the park there.plus, tagging is all about disrespect and public damage. you can reference some of the graffiti threads on this forum.i guess i have a little faith that they would choose targets like a bus stop or street light control box instead. in the 90's the grinders made it rough for us by grinding on marble, limestone, etc on downtown building causing it to chip off. Some of the old timers made it rough for them by beating em up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 (edited) i guess i have a little faith that they would choose targets like a bus stop or street light control box instead.sadly, from experience, i don't. they'll tag those things but they also tag old buildings, murals (like the one at mary's), the red ball finials on the new 59 bridges, shop windows, the menil sculptures... just look at the sears building on allen parkway.also:Taggin is all about fame. Like when NEXT won the houston press award for best Houston tagger his fame level shot up. Or when "REBS" and "RITE" got on the news for taggin all the freeway signs and causin 10s of thousands of dollars worth of damage, their fame level shot up. And if you remember what rebs tag looked like, you'll see you don't need a lot of skill to get a lot of fame. Taggin is about gettin your piece on a 150 foot tall billboard. . . Edited October 23, 2006 by torvald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 At least it will (temporarily) offer the bums a semi-private place to urinate. Hopefully, the Philip Johnson project will be completed and pee-able before this sculpture is removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamtagon Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 I think the new sculpture is going to make the best art setting experience in Texas even better. Before the Nasher Collection was committed to the Dallas Arts District, I was kinda hoping it would make a home in the Fort Worth Cultural District, that the park next to the Kimball is perfect for a sculpture garden. A Nasher annex in Fort Worth is still on my wish list.The park with the Rothko Chapel is just about my favorite place in Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkingMan Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 then i wonder how long before it is tagged?Have you ever seen the other Menil sculptures -- the ones outdoors -- tagged? (I haven't.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 Barnet Newman's 'Broken Oblisk', in the plaza pool in front of the Rothko Chapel, was defaced with a swastika several years ago. It has since been completely refurbished and resealed and is back in place. This sculpture, which is arguably Houston's most controversial and artistically important outdoor expression, was dedicated to MLK and its defacement was a crude political act and not an ordinary 'tagging' if that word can be used at all.The new sculpture seems a little wayward to me. It seems too close to the building. The back appeals to me more than the front where a large, vagina-like appendage spills forth above the entrance to the cave. It is somewhat more magical at night. I think I will like this sculpture over time but at the moment I'm feeling a little squimish about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuajbp Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 This sculpture, which is arguably Houston's most controversial and artistically important outdoor expression, was dedicated to MLK and its defacement was a crude political act and not an ordinary 'tagging' if that word can be used at all.i just need to say that dedicating that sculpture to MLK was a joke! Could we commision a sculpture specifically for him & not just rename an old one. Seems kinda disrespectful 2 me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 I dont' think that Broken Obelisk was was rededicated to MLK. It was made specifically as a memorial to him - far from disrespectful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 I dont' think that Broken Obelisk was was rededicated to MLK. It was made specifically as a memorial to him - far from disrespectful.That had always been my impression, too. Hair splitting seems to be in order. While Broken Obelisk was not constructed as a memorial to Dr. King, it had not been dedicated in any way until after Dr. King's assassination; "rededicated" doesn't apply.In my opinion it's a fitting tribute. That Barnett Newman probably didn't have Dr. King in mind at the project's conception doesn't negate its appropriateness.From the MOMA Learning website:The idea for Broken Obelisk (an obelisk is a tall, four-sided structure that comes to a pyramidlike point) came to Newman in 1963, but he was unable to create the work until he was introduced to a steel manufacturer in 1967. In 1968 Newman dedicated Broken Obelisk to the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated that same year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenH Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 The Rothko Chapel and assorted pieces by Rothko from the Menil collection will be featured tonight on Simon Schama's "Power of Art" episode about Mark Rothko. Show starts at 10 pm on KUHT. Mies' Seagram building and Philip Johnson's Four Seasons restaurant are also heavily featured. If you can, watch it in high def. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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