LESLIE SEATON

Winter, 2014: Buildings, signs, street art.

North High School

I lived in this neighborhood for 6 yrs and now have live in Seattle for 8 & this Sikh temple (next to the smaller one that's currently in use) has been slowly slowly slowly under construction that whole time. When I used to go on my evening walks, this corner always had a pleasant faint smell of nag champa or some similar incense.

Phoenix Seed & Feed / Sturges Hay & Grain Capitol Warehouse

Phoenix Seed & Feed / Sturges Hay & Grain Capitol Warehouse

By Carlos Rivas and Jesse Perry

Another detail from same Carlos Rivas and Jesse Perry mural

Happened upon Family Circle cartoonist Bill Keane's gravestone during unintentional detour thru cemetery. I liked his comic as a kid, esp those that had the little dotted line trail showing what the kids had gotten up to. Apparently he met his wife Thelma when stationed in Pacific during WWII (she was Australian). She was the model for the mom character. And apparently it was her doing that the copyrights for his work were returned to him from his syndication co. I think it's sweet that they used his own lettering style for the marker.

I guess I am glad Bank of America has retained these original mid century bas relief sculptures but sure wish they hadn't painted the building this awful brown over the original white (as seen in book pic at top).

Jesse Perry

Met this fellow named Gilbert working on a piece. He's 34 and been doing street art for 20 yrs. Said new low pressure paints give painters more control over their results. Has painted in Europe and noted differences in acceptance bet there and the States. The paints for a big piece can cost $600-1000 and he's been in the Painters Union and a certified motorcycle tech to support himself and his work.

Architect W.A. Sarmiento. Per "Midcentury Marvels:" "to attract the attn of passing motorists, the roof structure of the building was exaggerated...inspiration may likely have come from the shape of Oscar Neimeyer's Expressionist cathedral in Brasilia." Originally a bank, is now a Souper Salad.

Phoenix Financial Center. Another Sarmiento bldg inspired by Niemeyer. Per the "Midcentury Marvels" book about PHX architecture: "local urban legend [was] that [it] was designed to imitate the holes of an early computer key punch card" but Sarmiento recently said they "were intended to minimize solar heating & employee daydreaming." 

Another bank with corn-centric bas relief on its exterior. Panels by r. Phillips Sanderson. Built in 1962, orig Valley Natl Bank.

Architect Al Beadle. Built in 1967, inspired by Mies Van see Rohe. Still in use by the union today.

Dulceria Arcoiris

Detail for what was the AZ Bank built in 1963, designed by Ralph Haver & Associates. Another van der Rohe-influenced building. Now a restaurant but they seem to have done a very nice job of maximizing and building upon the existing Midcentury design.