Watching it Live
On a cold day, the 2nd of January, I was living in Chicago and, with the holidays over, I decided I was bored. Looking for something new to do, I rented a car and drove the 2 hours up to Milwaukee for the day because I’d never been there. It was a beautiful winter day, cold and brisk but with clear skies.
I spent most of my time at the Milwaukee Art Museum, tucked between the tall buildings of downtown and the shores of Lake Michigan. But I didn’t spend my time in the actual museum looking at the art on display. Instead,. because I’m an architecture nerd I spent my time wandering through the lobby and across the grounds. I marveled at the intricate details, fine lines, geometric shapes, sweeping curves, and the iconic wings.
Towards the end of that spontaneous day, I set up my camera to take time lapse photos and watched the museum close, literally. In real time it takes 3 and a half minutes for the wings to retract and protect the structure from a cold winter’s night. When I look at the piece I created for the shop, I remember watching those wings moving and I think of my spontaneous “hey, why not” trip to Milwaukee and I am inspired to say “hey, why not” more often.