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“Civilization’s
Sexuality”
Tampa
Art Awaits the National Spotlightby
Rufus St. Claire
Photos by John Troesser, July 2012 |
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A muralist working under deadline
finishes an over-sized “postcard” from Tampa while a woman in a large headdress
and a small bikini poses with a large cigar for some sort of publicity project.
The cigar and beachwear are understood, but the headdress? |
“Art,
modern art, was a great, intense, but at the same time vague promise or threat,
depending on how you looked at it. If civilization could be thought of as having
a sexuality, art was its sexuality.” - Anatole Broyard, from his posthumous memoir:
Kafka Was the Rage
As
Tampa prepares for the 2012 Republican National Convention, the papers are abuzz
with news. Restaurants are not accepting reservations from locals and vendors
are arguing over their slice of the monetary pie while the city council wastes
hours of time over the spelling (or misspelling) of certain local street signs.
Even after winning a “fight” with Miami over which city holds claim to having
the “Official” Cuban Sandwich, Tampa worries that the signs might cause some embarrassment.
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| In
the immortal words of Bob Dylan: "Honey,
what does your head feel under something like that?" |
For people without
a stake in the convention, life goes on. A man in nearby Gulfport ponders how
to extract his sailboat that was beached in a recent storm. Motorists on one of
the causeways create a traffic jam when they stop to watch ten manatees who appeared
to be in distress. After the police called in experts from the Clearwater Aquarium,
it was determined that the manatees were mating and the experts requested that
the police “secure the waters” to give the extra- large lovers some privacy. Firemen
in nearby Seminole install American flags on their fire engines after someone
pointed out that the placement of their American flag decals violated the U.S.
flag code.
But for Tampa, the approaching convention seems more important
than the election. |
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Another woman in a headdress
(maybe there is a reason for the model to be wearing one) passively gazes from
the upper stories of Tampa’s 1915 City Hall. |
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The previously mentioned mural
includes the crenellated tower of a 1929 Sulphur Springs water tower that was
bought by the city of Tampa, saved from “death by graffiti” and made into a centerpiece
of a 13-acre park. |
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A mermaid and her merman, swim
with the fishes while an eagle guards a strong box – which may represent how Henry
Plant (developer and railroad magnate) saw the region in his time. (On the grounds
of the former DeSoto hotel, now part of Tampa University). |
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Nearby, the bronze dogs of
Henry Plant bark in the front yard of the former DeSoto Hotel with now houses
the Henry Plant museum. |
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A downtown mosaic (intentionally
pixilated by the artist), showcases several historic photographs, including the
city’s most famous product. |
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Timeless tile work on a restaurant
in Tampa's Ybor City District. | |
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