What I did yesterday

[vilakins]

I went into town yesterday because the Civic Theatre, the magnificent 1920s theatre used in King Kong, was open for the Auckland Heritage Festival, and I love it. I used to go there when it was a cinema, which it still is during film festivals. It's an amazing place: the auditorium is like a sultan's palace open to a starry sky, and I've always adored what I thought were lionesses with glowing eyes crouched either side of the stage. I found out yesterday that they are in fact Syrian panthers. The rest of the cinema is an extraordinary mixture of Hindu, Buddhist, and African themes. I took two more pictures to add to my Civic Theatre gallery.

[Edit:] Thanks to glitterboy1 for finding this: very cool virtual tours of the Civic Auditorium and Wintergarden.

It was not a good day however. As part of the festival, I did some painting which was stolen while it was drying. No one else's was taken. Just mine. Someone is passing it off as theirs now.

I was so upset that the Aotea Square craft market failed to cheer me up. I just got some lunch (Indian) and some hand-made chocolates and some coffee and went home -- but not before taking a picture of the new espresso coffee van there that Stark's Bar run, complete with what I can't see as anything but a Stykera logo. :-)


Elephants and Buddha in the main foyer


Buddha in alcove in the main foyer


Stark's espresso coffee van in the Aotea Square market

And now for something completely different: the works of art that are Japanese manhole covers (found on User Friendly).

Comments

[trixieleitz]

I love those lavishly decorated theatres - one feels like one has experienced the exotic, even before seeing the performance.

I'm so sorry about your painting - what a horrible thing to do :( *hugs*

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm just getting over it after a trip to Nosh (the local gourmet supermarket) for cheese.

The Civic is the most beautiful of those old theatres, and the only survivor after they knocked down the St James and His Majesty's. I'm so glad they preserved this one.

[kerr-avon.livejournal.com]

Love your photos- that theatre is beyond gorgeous.

I don't know if it's any comfort to you, but in a perverse way, the theft was flattering- that someone chose your painting to steal out of all of the ones they could have grabbed. *hugs*

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It stinks though, esp after all the trouble I went to to make them as good--and stealable--as possible. I suspect the bastard is passing them off as his own work.

[kerr-avon.livejournal.com]

*grrr* You hadn't signed them, I guess. *sigh* The world has some rotten folks in it.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I suspect the tour group I had to fight my way through to get back to the collection area.

[kerr-avon.livejournal.com]

It's just amazing to think of the brazen nerve, just picking something up in a public place and walking off with it.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

There were lots of paintings drying. I don't suppose the dozy people running the event would know who did what. I got fed up trying to make them understand what had happened.

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

The theatre looks amazing! I've just spent a while googling about atmospheric cinemas, which was something I hadn't met before. Fascinating - thank you!

I'm really sorry about your painting, though, after the time and effort that you must have put into it. Bah, people! *hugs*

The site with the manhole covers has some beautiful photos of Japan.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks. [hugs back]

I hadn't really explored that site beyond the manhole covers. Wow, they have some really stunning photos, and the flower ones are gorgeous too. Thank you!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

And you know the weird thing? My Civic photos are the only decent ones of the interior on line. I hope I'm not breaking some sort of copyright.

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Odd! But if there were no signs to tell you not to...

The Civic's web site has some QTVR movies (I just made myself dizzy with the auditorium one, whizzing up to the ceiling and round :-))

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Oh, that must be new! They only had tiny little photos which barely showed anything before. I must check that out!

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

It's under the 'tour' link on the left-hand side, and then 'virtual tour'.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, that's extremely cool! I think they only had the other tours with the tiny photos before. Thank you!

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your stolen painting - how horrible. :-(

It looks like you had fun at the Civic Theatre though - I always love going there.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

So do I! Gorgeous, magical place.

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about the theft. :(

Lovely photographs!

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

:-) Thanks!

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Bah to art thieves! But kerr_avon is right, at least they were connoisseurs.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It's little consolation. I just wish I'd stayed there instead of wandering off for a short walk. Oh well.

[daiseechain.livejournal.com]

That sucks about your painting. Let's hope it smeared on their clothes.

Those manhole covers are really something. I wish we could persuade the UK to do similar.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

They're gorgeous, aren't they!

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

someone stole your art? That is just dreadful :0(

The photos are great, and I love the manhole covers

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Aren't they beautiful? I love the whole idea of making functional things works of art too.