Jimi Hendrix' guitar
The back entrance
The Experience Music Project (EMP) is a Seattle outfit dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in popular music. EMP claims to capture and reflect the essence of rock and roll, its roots in jazz, soul, gospel, country, and the blues, as well as rock's influence on hip-hop, punk, and recent genres.
It sits at the foot of the Seattle Space Needle and is housed in a structure designed by the flambouyant architect, Frank Gehry, best known for his work with aluminum sheets, forged and molded to simulate the properties of fabric. He uses them as fabric would be used in pleats, ruffles, drapes, and tucks. One forgets that metal is the medium he uses--an artistic feat of grand proportions. But it is just a bit over-the-top for me. I think his best work is the Dancing Couple Building in Prague where the aluminum sheets effectively duplicate the swish of a woman's skirt in mid-twirl whilst dancing with her partner. The glass windows were also fashioned to show movement in dance for consistency. His choice of retaining the original color of aluminum, which is silver, was crucial for the piece. Had he opted to color the building, it would have cheapened the whole thing.
The EMP seemed Baroque, Rococo, and gypsy all at once--a bit rich for my blood, too Liberace meets Little Richard.
The highlight of this Museum was the sight of Jimi Hendrix' guitar. I worshipped at the altar of a music god while the children kept chanting, "Jimi who, Jimi who?"
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