Atlanta- Oyster shots and Imperial Collections.

My most recent stint in Atlanta, once again working at the Georgia Aquarium, was filled with highs and lows. There was more than the usual bar going on this trip due to the company I was with. This caused me to come across some very interesting things that I would normally not have experienced. Every day we had lunch at The Righteous Room, a nice little bar on Ponce de Leon, we also frequented the Millyard Tavern in Cabbage Town and a very special place called Six Feet Under across from the Oakland Cemetery on Memorial Road. Six Feet Under became my favorite of all the spots. At Six Feet Under you can order great sea food and get a variety of booze, they even have a list of oyster shots which is, yes, a shot of booze, tabasco and an oyster at the bottom of the glass!

Table at Six Feet Under with Firecracker oyster shots and a sea food steamer basket.

Abraham Mignon" Flowers with Dragonfly"
My normal pilgrimage to theHigh Museum of Art was also very satisfying. I took in a still life exhibition and a very interesting exhibition of art and artifacts from the Vienna Imperial Collection.

The Vienna Imperial Collection had everything, from medieval suits of armor to fine art, with a few unexpected surprises between.

Jost Bürgi, a clockmaker and scientific instrument maker, is responsible for this (below) instrument for drawing perspective. I was shocked to read that this man was responsible for inventing the algorithm among other mathematical tools. He improved clocks to the level that they could be used as scientific instruments for tracking the movement of stars. This device was made ca. 1604

The next surprise was "The Alchemical Medallion of Emperor Leopold the First" This artifact created by alchemist Wenzel Spiler von Reinburs is wrapped up in magic and economics ( that is all I will say).

A funny little side note there are three paintings in this exhibition depicting Jupiter (or Zeus if you like) seducing women in different disguises. This made for an interesting museum experience as I looked at the painting of Jupiter and Danaē simultaneously with a group of young students on tour of the exhibit. As they studied the painting of the god appearing to seduce Danaē as a "shower of gold" snickers and suppressed laughter moved through the crowd. I imagined what Titian, who painted the beautiful canvas, would have thought. I imagined him being pleased.

Jupiter and Antiope painted by Bartholomeus Spranger

Atlanta Georgia- Report from the Field, Part 2- The Goat Farm

During my stay in Atlanta I visited the real estate experiment called The Goat Farm. The Goat Farm is a for profit project which focuses on reinhabiting old run down factory buildings with an artist colony. Is it working? Well, according to the folks I met there it not only is working but is growing by leaps and bounds. There is a waiting list for occupancy and the developers are getting more and more spaces up to code for studio and living space.
Here is an abbreviated document of my stroll through the grounds on a weekday in the afternoon.
When I arrived the first building I came to was being cleared out and there was a sale of the contents ( mostly huge machines- drill presses , stamping machines etc.-) where I did purchase some items- some of which will figure into a future 13th Grape multiple.

The building range from functioning spaces to dangerously run down structures

 Machines abound, converted into tables or workspaces.

There is even a cafe that was open when I arrived. Besides the occasional photo shoot I happened upon this is the only place I found residents of the compound.

Inside the cafe they served coffee in an atmosphere of one part bar one part library.

Here at the cafe I wandered into a conversation between several guests who had also been at the clear out sale and some metal smiths. The smiths talked passionately about lost metal working techniques that they were trying to keep alive through classes they offer at the compound. I met a fellow from the UK named Mark J. Hopper and another resident metal worker named David Sturgis. Mr. Hopper later took me on a tour of his working studios and class rooms.

Hopper offers a therapeutic metal pounding night to relieve stress with this circle of anvils located in his space. He also gets some of his metal flattened out ( a head start to the process at least) for his own ends.

mjh@designerblacksmith.com

Custom knives created at the metal shop. Some of them for kitchen use with handles made of old recipe books and resin. A very beautiful and clever use of material.

The space of jewelry designer/manufacturer Billie Hilliard.

www.billiehilliard.com

Overall I had a very inspiring time at The Goat Farm. I left with the wish that we could create and sustain something like this in Tampa. It is a smart thing for a developer to do. The developers and administrative wing of the project are obviously making money and the residents seem happy and fulfilled. I look forward to visiting The Goat Farm in the future and seeing the progress.