Donald Diddams
The Art of Digital Art
Her Shoes in the Alley
Posted on March 13, 2023
A white sandal with bright shiny sequins was laying on its side in a secluded spot in a downtown alley. It was worn and smudged with dirt around the sole. I wondered if it had just been thrown away and if so, where was it’s match? Or was there another very different story?
That’s how it is with so many things we see. There are questions and mysteries and alternative meanings. And stories we can tell. Here are a few examples.
The Instant City
Posted on November 28, 2018
It isn’t exactly instant, but in the space of a few decades, Abu Dhabi has gone from a desert town to a metropolis. Skyscrapers are sprouting from the ground, and the camel’s nose of oil wealth is much more than just under the tent.
Development may be a strategy to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on oil, but it is hard to imagine who will occupy all these expensive new buildings coming onto the market all at once. On the other hand, just building them may be the more immediate goal right now.
Palm Avenue Perspectives
Posted on July 9, 2014
Palm Avenue is one of the more attractive streets in downtown Sarasota. It is lined with art galleries, boutiques and restaurants, palm trees (many of which will soon be removed), historic buildings (some of which will be removed to make way for another high rise for the affluent), and even a large verdant grassy patch (soon to be dug up and covered over with a hotel).
Even after these changes, Palm Avenue will still be attractive — and probably even more comfortable for some. But it will also be different, and so will the rest of the city. With every change, the benefits of the change are trumpeted — and the losses and questions papered over with glossy brochures. These “Perspectives on Palm Avenue” ask whether we are building the kind of city we want.
The Other Side of the Brochure
Palm Avenue Home for the Cars
Life Repeats Itself
Who Owns the Water?
St. Croix — Hotel Caravelle Artwork
Mocko Jumbies
Donald Diddams 