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I discovered a source for florescent plexi tubing and felt the urge to create something tubular (of course) that again reflected
musical themes. Oboes were a start but pretty busy to carry additional forms and elements. The thought that came
to me was a pipe organ. [God, I love the bone moving bass vibration that comes out of one of those cathedral beasts.]
However, the symmetrical white forms were already mentally established in my design and it occurred to me these could
be stylized steam coming from a calliope. The organs I found initially were Barnum and Bailey style zoo-wagons
but they were scary ugly and strictly functional.
Finally, after working a while
longer, it struck me [yet again], that there used to be river showboats on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers (to name just
2) that brought a kind of mixed theater, carnival and burlesque shows to the principle river cities from who-knows-where,
New Orleans(?) On to St. Louis, Cincinnati Memphis, etc. (Please see the play and Technicolor movie "SHOWBOAT"
for a reference.) I remembered how they looked with Art Deco smoke stacks and railings and the double boomed gang planks
for cargo. The Captain would set off this huge calliope miles up stream to alert the townsfolk that "A SHOWBOAT
was comin!" and "yal can look to be entertained for the next few days!"
I really thought to include the brass and perhaps this will be the first of a serious as I think the polished brass IS missing
in this piece.
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