Then and Now
St. Louis Aloe Plaza
When I was a kid, living in Southern Illinois across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, the height of cultural experience for me was getting to spend time at the massive public fountain titled the The Meeting of the Waters. These fountains and sculptures in Aloe Plaza in front of the St. Louis Union Station, which was still functioning at that time (albeit in a state of faded glory), always transported me, made me feel as if I were in a Europe that, at that time, I could only imagine. A formative experience, that, today, echoes in every city I visit.
St. Pete fountains
Where I live now, St. Petersburg, Florida, has its share of fountains, too. They’re not the neo-Renaissance style of the St. Louis fountains, but have their own style. Sadly, in disrepair now, there was once a tourist attraction here popular in the 20s and 30s styled as Ponce de Leon‘s Fountain of Youth, as seen in this vintage postcard. (“Pssst…it wasn’t really the fountain of youth!)
Although most of its installations are not fountains, St. Petersburg has the tradition of an extensive public art program; Pinellas County, of which St. Petersburg is a part, also has an extensive program. One of the St. Pete projects is the Straub Park Bicentennial Fountain. We’re in a drought right now, so it’s currently not running. This Waymarking photo shows the fountain in operation.
My favorite here, though, is actually the more utilitarian fountain pictured above at night-time, which, in operation even during this drought, daily aerates Mirror Lake, St. Petersburg’s first water supply, originally known as Weir Lake. This lake, critical during the Spanish-American war when Teddy Roosevelt trained his roughriders here, was the target of an unsuccessful poisoning attempt by the Spanish. Now, of course, it’s a pleasurable location where folks enjoy taking a jog, stroll, or bike ride around the lake and its fountain.
Asia
China
Whenever I’ve had the chance to travel, cities’ fountains have been attractions for me. In the Imperial Garden of Beijing’s Forbidden City is the Dui Xiu Shan fountain, seen above, where water, running down the hill, spurts out of dragonheads on the back of lions.
Thailand
This small fountain at the base of a banyan tree on the grounds of the Vimanmek Teak Mansion gives you respite from Bangkok’s busy streets. There’s an interactive 3-D panorama at this Thai Palaces site.
I don’t really have enough informed experience to know if my suspicion is correct, but both the Chinese and Thai examples suggest to me that perhaps Asian fountains attempt to blend with nature rather than stand apart as works of art.
Europe
Rome
For sure, the European attitude toward fountains is exactly that: an opportunity for display, as in the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome, (of Three Coins in a Fountain fame) pictured above.
Versailles
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VERSAILLES FOUNTAINS, VERSAILLES, FRANCE
Of course, even a huge fountain is dwarfed by the excess of the Palace of Versailles as seen in this photo taken by my son when he and I traveled to Paris together.
Yes…I definitely think that the aesthetics of Asian and European fountains are polar opposites.
USA
MOMA
Sitting beside Henry Moore’s Family Group, watching, with them, the small fountain at the center of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, I reconnected with childhood memories of running, full-tilt, all cares abandoned, down the long hill in front of the St. Louis Art Museum to the fountains at its foot. Museums and fountains and gardens definitely belong together.
The MOMA Sculpture Garden is discussed at length in this fascinating website (and concept): Great Public Places and in this personal blog, City Garden Guide, devoted to covering gardening in New York City.
Central Park aside, the idea of gardening in New York City is almost as improbable as my sister’s gardening on the side of an active volcano in Hawaii! (Follow the progress of her gardening at Lava to Lilikoi.) Improbable as these gardens may be, they definitely exist and, as I discussed in a bit of green post, humans seem to always find a way to civilize their cities with a bit of nature, whether that bit be greenery or water.
NYC Waterfalls
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OLAFUR ELIASSON, THE NEW YORK CITY WATERFALLS
This past year, I was fortunate to get to see, during the final month they were running, the New York City Waterfalls, by artist, Olafur Eliasson. Three of the four waterfall installations are pictured above. It was pleasing to note that everyone I saw looking at these art works of water were able to transcend any prejudices they may have had about “modern art.” The power and energy of these works, and the physics of falling water itself, spoke directly to people’s hearts.
Las Vegas
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BELLAGIO FOUNTAINS, FACING PARIS HOTEL, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
We do live in a commercial world. Thankfully, commerce hires artists to sell its products! (Yes, “sex sells;” but, so does art, and the two aren’t mutually exclusive.) Here is a very good example of commercial water art: The Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas (pictured above), looking out toward the hotel, Paris Las Vegas. I was transfixed. Of course, I was instantly transported back to the “dancing waters” I’d get to see at summer chataqua when I was a kid or in the town circle fountain in Belleville, Illinois, where my father was the first English speaking Methodist minister in that community of German immigrants. Then, as now, choreographed water displays synchronized to music are a fascination.
Hawaii
A couple more examples of nicely done commercial water fountains: the Ala Moana Center water sculpture (above, left) and a simple Asian style koi pond and water fountain (above, right) in front of the Sheraton Honolulu hotel, the Princess Kaiulani, affectionately called the “Princess K,” by locals.
Humans and water
Trafalgar Square
Since, in our primeval state, we were nourished, as a species, by water, some lingering genetic memory seems to bring people to the water’s edge, even if in the center of a metropolis such as London. Above, folks soak tired feet in the fountains of Trafalgar Square.
V&A
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V&A MUSEUM GARDEN/FOUNTAINS, LONDON, UK
Here, visitors relax by the fountains in the John Madejski garden at the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum in London. One side of this courtyard was originally built as residences for museum staff…what a wonderful job that would have been. The museum has a hawk which daily is used to chase away the pigeons.
Greenery civilizes a city. So does water. And so do pets–the subject for another post sometime in the future. But, in anticipation, take a look at two plaques (pictured below) on the wall of the V&A John Madejski garden. Proof that it’s the things that touch our heart that are the things that matter.
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V&A MUSEUM GARDEN, TWO PLAQUES COMMEMORATING FAITHFUL PETS
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
On one of your journeys you may want to stop by Fountain Hills, Arizona. It has the 4th tallest fountain. It spews water to a height of 582 feet every hour. It’s the main focus of the small but growing town outside of Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s surrounded by the beautiful McDowell mountains. It’s a must see if you haven’t seen it already.
What a great article. I took a little break from lawyering to read through and look at the pictures. The only fountains that I’ve seen personally are the Mirror Lake fountain, the Trafalgar Square fountain and the garden and fountains at the V&A Museum. Now I’m ready to go back to work. Thanks and hugs, otter.
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