Saturday, March 28, 2009

Canto III of Dante's Inferno


Click on the image to enlarge. There is much to learn about the modern condition in Dante. TS Eliot new it almost 100 years ago and anyone who takes the time will find out more about the workings of human nature in 100 Cantos then can be found in any university and this only requires a library card! In this image a typescript of Eliot's The Wasteland (in which he does a straight lift from the 3rd Canto) is laid over a collage of illustrations running the gamut from a medieval illustration of Dante's 3rd Canto, postage stamps and other clues to the connections between 14th Century Italy and 21st Century America. Collage is a type of construction or assemblage of images and other detritus. It is my aim to show connections between the past and present in both art and literature. At its simplest it is like Zippy: "Wherever you go, there you are!" In another sense we can learn from a deep study, what motivates and drives people and perhaps learn how to navigate the middle of this realm of addiction and aversion with a steady gait.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

certification confirmed

We helped Habitat step up to LEED in 2008 and we want to congratulate all involved because the USGBC just confirmed that all 27 homes have been certified Platinum. This almost doubles the number of LEED certified structures in St. Louis.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Bissell Point Treatment Plant

Yesterday I toured a waste water treatment plant just North of Downtown. It is one of seven such facilities in the St. Louis region. I recommend a tour to anyone who doubts the positive value of impervious surfaces, cisterns and rain gardens in site development. Slowing down stormwater doesn't have the same level of attraction to a homebuyer as a geothermal HVAC system which would save a lot of money. But, if one thinks a bit bigger it is easy to see the value to our community of doing a better job managing storm water.

This image is taken from the catwalk of the trickle down filter tank towards the arch. The thinner stacks house bio filters that take the stink out. You may click on the image to enlarge.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Monk's Mound


Saturday, March 14, 2009

from the St. Louis Business Journal (click on image to see the profile)


Thursday, March 12, 2009

the symbols of my youth transformed

The Berlin Wall was in many spy movies and was a potent symbol of the Cold War. As a kid it filled my imagination with horror and fear. Now it is a sculpture in Fulton, Missouri.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Tanzania Update

http://samepolytechnic.org/tanzaniahomepage.html is the place to see details of a very cool project in East Africa we are helping with a bit. The real work is being done by a group of students and faculty at Cal State Polytechnic San Luis Obispo. Here is a quick note about their 2nd trip to the site.


Richard,

Our travel to Tanzania has been confirmed. We will be there March 21 - April 3. our tasks include surveying the site, performing soil tests, gathering cultural data, observing active wastewater treatment systems, collecting wind data and having fun. All the necessary equipment we will bring ourselves along with a digital camcorder and s couple laptops to work with the site plan in AutoCad. Thanks for the support. We will send and post photos ASAP. If there is something specific you would like us to do or recommend let me know.

Thanks, Max

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

click on the image to enlarge