Giant 'telescope' artwork links London, New York

[Merlion]

See this for yourself if you are in London or New Yorik. But I don't know how long this is going to be there.

Giant 'telescope' links London, New York

May 22, 2008. LONDON, England (CNN) -- As the first splinters of sunlight spread their warmth on the south bank of the River Thames on Thursday, it became clear that after more than a century, the vision of Victorian engineer Alexander Stanhope St. George had finally been realized.

The Telectroscope lets Londoners and New Yorkers see each other
in real time.


Identical scopes are in place near the Brooklyn Bridge in New York
and Tower Bridge in London.

In all its optical brilliance and brass and wood, there stood the Telectroscope: an 11.2-meter-(37 feet) long by 3.3-meter-(11 feet) tall dream of a device allowing people on one side of the Atlantic to look into its person-size lens and, in real time, see those on the other side via a recently completed tunnel running under the ocean....

And all the credit goes to British artist Paul St. George. ...

[grommet]

That's incredibly cool. beyond the gimmick, the concept of family reunions, etc around this is solid, a contribution.

[Scout]

That is incredible. I kept reading the article thinking they would say it was a hoax. It sounds real. Is it for real? Scout

[Merlion]

It is not a hoax, Scout. The images are real and real-time, but not the tunnel and telescipe of course.

Did you click into the link? The artist sets up webcam at both ends, and what people see are very large monitor screens, or enlarged screens.

[sculptor]

i'd give a buck to know which side moons whom first

[Scout]

Yes, I read the whole thing and I still wasn't sure.

sculptor, who do you think? Scout

[grommet]

Dibs!

[racine]

not quite a tunnel, more modern than that. its really linked and working in victorian hyperspace but they fitted the glass over later because the early usage went a bit awry, a new yorker mooned an english lady teacher of the old sort, the 2ooo mile long buttox were given a 500 mile long[78mph] slap .. after an immediate emergency session in churchills bunker with gas masks and tin[gazunder] hats on- it was decided that that was it. the future will have to wait. bit like computers really

[Merlion]

I understand this giant telescope/tunnel will be on show at both ends until June 15. Wonder what the artist'll do with it after this.

[jOe~]

Well, my telescope is only 7 feet long and is used to look at non-human moons. Guess it's craft at best, and not art. Ironman is right again about intent.

[evaldart]

There is no audio on this piece but they do supply a board and marker for short verbal communications...in the big picture technology has only just given mankind the ability to tell each other to bugger-off (as the brits would say) over great distances. And people will line up for hours to do this.

This thing aint art.

[Merlion]

Evaldart, you are near NYC. Did you go down there to have a look?

[jOe~]

Evaldart, you are near NYC. Did you go down there to have a look?

And, did ya moon anyone???

[evaldart]

I only wait in lines for rollercoasters, turkey legs and Star Wars sequels. Not for a blown up look through a glorified picture phone. I would moon the artist though, if he were around.

[sculptor]

Originally Posted by grommet

Dibs!

Oh?!
WOW
really?
O.K.
when?
(I don't like flying, but think maybe a quick trip to the other end 'llbe fun)

[grommet]

that is a sarcasm smiley, but thanks for humoring me.

[Merlion]

Ha! Yesterday I went to see a 'new media art' show in a local gallery. One of the artists there has a similar idea to this 'telescope', using two webcameras and two large monitor screens.

In his case, he puts both screens down into two water wells with elevated rims. Looking at the screens is like looking at water reflections in the well. But instead of seeing yourself, you see somebody else who was looking down the other well at the same time.

I would not say if one artist is copying the idea from the other. They are done more or less at the same time, nearly half a world apart. This local display has been on show first in Hong Kong before moving down here.

[StevenW]

Originally Posted by evaldart

Not for a blown up look through a glorified picture phone.

Right, now if they could pass some fish and chips through that thing I'd hang around.

[evaldart]

Originally Posted by StevenW

Right, now if they could pass some fish and chips through that thing I'd hang around.

I'll wait in line for a tall can of Carlsberg's Special Brew

[sculptor]

Originally Posted by evaldart

...
This thing aint art.

Maybe, maybe not not

bronze was not invented for figurative sculpture---it took an artistic outlook to morph the thing of utility to use as a thing of art
(and, unless you're a plumber, when someone begins to talk about a "bronze"... ...(whatever).
you ain't thinking valve, grommet(escutcheon), union, coupling, etc....instead you're most likely thinking sculpture or statue) (justaguess)

and the "tunnel" is apparently indicative of an artistic outlook in the use of the materials
so maybe it ain't not art at least as much as it "ain't art"