weighted catenary arch

Coincidences

 Posted on May 22, 2016      by Russ Widstrand
 0

Jeremy Green "Coincidences" 05/22/16

Jeremy Green “Coincidences” 05/22/16

The St. Louis Arch was designed by Eero Saarinen, a renowned 20th century architect and industrial designer. The arch has to be seen to be believed. Although most pictures of it are beautiful by default, they do not ever do it justice. Besides it’s graceful and natural curve, which is described as a “weighted catenary arch” (a curve naturally formed by hanging a weighted chain), the arch’s sheer giganticness and shimmering stainless steel skin make being in its presence an awe inspiring and humbling experience. It is art. Big art. Photography, like architecture, is a beautiful conspiracy of art and science. Photographers’ inclinations vary on which side of that conspiracy they are weighted…more heavily on the art side, or on the science side. Whenever I go to an art museum or an art exhibition, I start to see art everywhere. Am I really seeing art, or am I just visually punch-drunk from the art experience? I don’t know, but I always shoot through it, because I’m a photographer and I can’t help it. After having taken my daughter to the top of the St. Louis Arch, we got ready to head out of town for the drive down to Texas. Just before getting in the car, I decided to get a drink of water at the hotel lobby’s water fountain. I couldn’t help but take a picture (albeit with a crude digital pocket camera) of what was before me and see the similarity to the shot I made of the arch from my hotel window the previous evening. There are no coincidences.