Reub's journey

18 April 2014

Travel

I just returned from a trip to Ithaca, NY, and it was a good one.  Even so, embarking on a cross-country journey always involves the nuisance of pet-care, house-watching, mail-holding plus the  mixture of dread and excitement for the actual travel. 


Airports aren't relaxing places. They overflow with stressed-out people making trips that have nothing to do with pleasure or vacation, travelers rushing to go places they would rather not be. However I do appreciate the effort made by architects to improve the atmosphere. Detroit's hub is a good example, filled with natural light,with soaring ceilings that look like wings, and a bright red tram that speeds silently above. Very nice.


Detroit airport has a spectacular light-and-sound show running continuously as you change concourses. I love this thing.



"Waves In, Waves Out" is an all-textile installation at the Portland airport, by Japanese artist Sayuri Sasaki Hemann. It is dedicated to all people whose lives were changed by the earthquake/tsunami in 2011.

I also love the changing art displays at most airports. Next time you travel you should take a moment to look; it will improve your experience.



So if you're traveling, take a deep breath and try to enjoy it, eh? Pretend you just got a free ticket to an art museum from which you will emerge in a different time and place entirely. Bon voyage.

18 comments:

  1. it has been many years since i've been thru detroit. glad they made it a little less stressful. the portland textile installation is really neat!

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    1. twg, surprisingly, the Detroit airport is upbeat and very nice. It's a major hub for Delta.

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  2. never been in the Detroit airport but I do love all the public art that airports sport nowadays. Waves In, Waves Out is amazing.

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    1. Yeah, I was very drawn to this installation & it looked beautiful in the dappled light of that space.

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    1. If you're flying out of pdx any time soon, look for this artwork, Rosaria. I know you'd like it. Concourse D!

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  4. You are some photographer, Kerry. How did you manage to make an airport look all artistic and meaningful? (I mean, aside from the actual art. Which is pretty cool.)

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    1. Stephanie, it's odd, but I often take pics at airports. They have strange light, unexpected exhibits, and a lot of shiny things. The newer airports are quite interesting.

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  5. Gosh, DFW is an international airport, and to my knowledge, has NOTHING like this! I would enjoy traveling so much more if it did.

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    1. DFW is huge...I've been there once or twice, but don't remember seeing stuff like this there either. They need to step up their game.

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  6. I have been trapped a couple of times at the Detroit airport. Thank god for books!

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    1. Right? Portland airport has a great bookstore. Not sure about Detroit. But we did chill at an Irish pub there. Smithwicks beer!

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  7. I avoid airports and air travel. It never dawned on me that I might miss some interesting sights. Regardless, I think I will enjoy your photographs and continue to avoid the hassles of flying or picking up or delivering passengers other than driving to their gates.

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    1. This winter, especially, was a difficult one for flying: so many storms disrupting travel! That makes it more important to have nicer airports for people to ride out bad weather.

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  8. To travel is one thing, but to go by air is another as we sit crammed like sardines in a can. Still, you get there quickly, and there's the anticipation of what awaits at the other end.

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    1. Middle seats are the worst. But sometimes there is somebody quite interesting sitting next to me, and that's nice. I don't do chat-ups though. They always have to initiate it, if only with a smile or a comment.

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  9. Those are awesome pictures! So pretty...I don't ever plan on seeing them in person, the last time I flew was in 2000, and then 9/11 happened, and I honestly don't think I'll ever fly again. By car or by boat, okay, but not by plane. I hate to feel like this, too...

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    1. Wow. I can see how that could happen. But air travel is statistically more safe than anything else. But then again, if you happen to be on that one plane....yeah. A reality of living on the coast is that to get almost anywhere one has to fly, otherwise it's a 4-6 day drive. :-(

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