Monday, March 31, 2008

Mario Nunez sent this photo of one of Buffalo's small architectural (and mechanical) wonders, the Colonel Ward Pumping Station. Mario says, "The building that houses the pumps is roughly a city block long by a half block wide. Only one of the six pumps was removed when the city water authority installed an electric pump."

Think about the sculpture you have seen, and then think about these great things, the Colonel Ward pumps and the Corliss engine below. Is there really a difference between art and engineering? The line is often indistinct when viewed as form, color, or concept. So what if something is useful! Should that be a mark against its value?

1 comment:

  1. Doug, When I drive past the refinery in West Tulsa at night I see beauty. It looks like a glowing city. I am on the outside and can see the turning wheels of an unknown society inside.

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