Statue in Cozumel
Gargoyles, Grotesques and Sculptures
I have always had a great fascination of carved figures on buildings and in parks around the world. Including them in my city wanderings is usually a plan and I am always anxious to see what creatures I can discover. Gargoyles, grotesques and creature carvings have been around for many centuries and serve many purposes. In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between. A Grotesque is a very ugly or comically distorted figure, creature, or image.
Archway in Lansing, Michigan
I wonder what kind of wild imaginations were involved with the renderings of them and what their original purpose served. Some of them must be derived from dark, scary dreamscapes! Here are a few that have crossed my path:
Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota Florida
Detroit Masonic Temple, Michigan
Water Fountain in St. Louis, MO
Lion Head in Grand Rapids, MI
Ancient Face on an old Irish Church
An ancient Alien in Mexico!
All photography by Robyn Porteen