It’s funny to be at the age when you pine for days gone by. I mostly try to live in the present so longing for the past is something I rarely indulge in. These temple of doom drawings though are stirring the memory pot, and bringing forward memories of my former self. Last week I dreamed of a past car accident, and this week my thoughts were of a previous mini-relationship.
Back when I was young and more adventurous than I am today I dated a fella from Toronto. I lived in Michigan at the time attending grad school at the University of Michigan. The trip to visit my paramour took roughly 5 hours, and traveling across the border always scared me a little because I’d have to cross the Ambassador Bridge. The Ambassador isn’t a very long bridge by big bridge standards but for me it was enormous and terrifying. I’ve always been afraid of bridges a little. Anyway my mind was always set a little at ease when I passed by the ruins of Michigan Central Station. It would greet me when I left for Toronto and welcome me home when I, very reluctantly and with heart-aching, returned to campus. Here’s some pictures of Michigan Central:
Thinking about this building, in its ruin, and that bridge, and that failed relationship – failed due to distance – somehow my mind made it a facade, the south facade in fact, of my temple of doom series. Here’s the finished work:
It’s no lovely rendition in my opinion but seeing the drawing executed serves as a nice little reminder of that youthful heart-sick melancholy man that I used to be.
A couple days ago I was on a walk about. It was after Thanksgiving in fact, with my present very dear boyfriend on that unusual-for-November warm Thursday evening. We happened by the temple of doom, the Masonic Temple on Linden Street, Allentown in all its monolithic glory. I took these creepy shots of the building, thinking they would be a nice forward for a little book that I’d like to make of these drawings when the series is finally done. What do you think? Okay until next time….
Anthony Smith Jr. 