I started taking pictures of pipes several years ago. The way the pipes and valves contort in space and the bright colors in which they are often painted make them hidden works of art. Now I look for pipes when I’m roaming about the cities I visit. Here are five frames of pipes from five different cities.
Faded, San Francisco
I found this pipe on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Its once-bright colors have faded. Its paint is flaking and yielding to rust. Even where the paint is struggling to hang on, the rust is emerging and inexorably spreading. I like the splash of yellow added by the pole in the foreground.
If you look in the window at the top right of the picture, you can see a reflection of Alcatraz. Put this pipe on your “must see” list for San Francisco. Let me know if you find it.
Fountain Bleu, Atlanta
No bright colors for this pipe. It and its brothers line a fountain outside the Cumberland Mall in Atlanta. It has been cobbled together from various straights and bends and topped with a nozzle. I did not get to see this pipe in action, but it looks purposeful basking in the morning sun and silhouetted against the blue and white of the tile.
Fontainebleau is a region in France south south east of Paris. It is the home of the magnificent Palace of Fountainebleau.
Fresh Water Pipe, San Angelo
This working pipe is from the Lily Gardens in San Angelo. My desert city has a world famous collection of water lilies (go figure). You can find some pictures of the Lily Fest in a previous post. The pipe, adorned in basic black, is busily keeping the lily pond hydrated while two blue water lilies look on. Is it weird to take a picture of crusty old black pipe when it is surrounded by beautiful lilies? Oh well.
Oops!, Boston
When I look at this photo, I see a puppy that just made a piddle on the sidewalk and its unamused owner looking on. Or, a kid that just dropped his three scoop yum yum special hand made double caffè macchiato caramel ice cream (on sale, $12.95) onto the sidewalk and his equally unamused mother. Or just a small pipe who’s horked up his breakfast while his older sibling stands by, her cool totally blown. It’s always something with those pipes.
Pipe Fountain and Friend, Galveston
Someone else thinks of pipes as art! Here is a fountain made of pipes and valves that I found on the Seawall in Galveston. It is behind the Fish Tales restaurant, 25th Street and Seawall Blvd. If you travel to Galveston, let me know if you spot it!
The bird friend of the fountain is a European Starling (Sturnis vulgaris). Most accounts that I can find indicate that the European Starling was introduced into the United States in 1890 in Central Park, New York.
Note Added in Proof
Pipes as art? How weird is that? However, when I visited the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, I saw a print from a 1939 negative by Ansel Adams called “Pipes and Gauges”. You can see the print at the Ansel Adams Gallery. Or search “Pipes and Gauges, Ansel Adams” in your browser and find it that way.
Pipes and Gauges is a beautifully rendered black and white photo of some very industrial looking pipes and a row of gauges. If Ansel thinks pipes are a worthy subject for art, that is good enough for me.
Want to see more pipes? Check back soon for the Pipes Gallery!
These photos were taken with Canon 6D and 6DII cameras using a variety of Canon lenses. The photos were processed from RAW files using Darktable, which is free and open source darkroom software available for Windoze, Mac, and Linux.
Really like the Fountain Bleu
Thanks! I really appreciate it that you take time to look at my blog.