The following
photographic-rich
article features
story of historical Dreamland Fire of 1911 in Coney Island,
Brooklyn, New York, which ended the Golden Era of Coney Island’s
entertainment industry. Also unique original artworks by Takeshi
Yamada inspired by this historical disaster were featured here.
In addition, artworks inspired by two other major fire disasters
took place in the city where Yamada lived for 13 years before
his moving to Coney Island are also covered. Yamada
is one of the most active educators and artists in New York
City, and has had over 450 fine art exhibitions internationally
with his paintings and sculptures. The manuscript was produced
by Dr. Eriko N. Bond, noted art critic and New York City author,
as told by Yamada.
TAKESHI YAMADA
ON
Chapter 2
Prophet witnessing the Great Fire (self-portrait)
acrylic on canvas 20x16 inch, 2000
This painting predicted Yamada’s moving to Coney Island two year
later.
Dreamland Fire of 1911 in ended the golden era of amusement park
industry there.
Artifacts/Artworks of Dreamland Fire
Being
inspired by the Dreamland Fire in 1911, Takeshi Yamada created a
series of unique and original artworks. They are not paintings
representing scenes of the lost Dreamland. Yamada wanted his
subject matter to be conceptual, yet something profoundly “real”
based on the unique and distinctive culture, history and
heritage of the Dreamland of Coney Island then.
Specifically, Takeshi Yamada created artworks “simulating” (not
representing, duplicating nor replicating) the historical
artifacts being found at the ruin of the Dreamland amusement
park in Coney Island, , after the Dreamland Fire in the
simulated universe. For the nature of this series of artworks,
canvases were not used. Instead, old wooden boards (some of them
are many decades old and warped/chipped at the corners) were
used as raw art materials.
Shown
below are series of artworks entitled “Artifacts of Dreamland
Fire in 1911” by Takeshi Yamada.
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Coney Island Anthropological Institute (plaque)
13-3/8X20-7/8 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2005
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Coney Island
Mermaid World (plaque)
12.5x19.5 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2005
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Coney Island
Voodoo Shoppe (plaque)
12.75x19.5 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2005, Cooperate
collection, NYC
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Coney Island School
of Wizardry (plaque)
13.5x21.25 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2006, Private
collection, NYC
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Coney Island UFO Research Institute (plaque)
13x19.75x1-3 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2006
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Museum
of World Wonders
(plaque)
13x19.75 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2006
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Coney Island
Voodoo World (plaque)
12-1/2 x 19-3/4 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2006
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
SEA DEVIL
7-1/4 x 19-5/8 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2007
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
ALIVE
2007, 6-3/4 x 19-3/4 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2007
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
DRAGON
6-3/4 X 19-3/4 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2007
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
SEA ELEPHANT
6-1/2 x 23-3/4 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2007
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
MERMAID
4-7/8 x 20-1/4 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2007
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
SEA DRAGON
6-1/2 X 23-3/4 inch,
acrylic on wood panel, 2007
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
SEA SERPENT
6-1/4 x 21 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2007
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
SEA RABBIT
6-1/4 x 21 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2007
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
CHUPACABRA
7 X 16.25 X 3/4 inch, 2008
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Coney Island
House of Voodoo (plaque)
Enamel on wood, 9-1/4 x 20-1/8 x 3/4 inch, 2008
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Coney Island
Psychic (plaque)
Enamel on wood, 7-1/4 x 15-3/8 x 1-1/2 inch, 2008
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Reading (six-fingered fortune teller)
Enamel on wood, 10-1/4 x 7-3/4 x 1-5/8 inch, 2008
This is one of the signs displayed at the original Coney Island
Psychic.
The heavy thick “divine wood” was alleged coming from Salem,
Massachusetts.
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Future (ritual object)
Enamel on wood, 5-1/4 x 11 x 1-1/2 inch, 2008
This is one of the ritual objects used at the original Coney
Island Psychic.
The heavy thick “divine wood” was alleged coming from Salem,
Massachusetts.
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Hope (ritual object)
Enamel on wood, 6 x 9-1/4 x 1-1/2 inch, 2008
This is one of the ritual objects used at the original Coney
Island Psychic.
The heavy thick “divine wood” was alleged coming from Salem,
Massachusetts.
Artifact of Dreamland Fire in Coney Island in 1911:
Life (ritual object)
Enamel on wood, 6 x 9-1/4 x 1-1/2 inch, 2008
This is one of the ritual objects used at the original Coney
Island Psychic.
The heavy thick “divine wood” was alleged coming from Salem,
Massachusetts.
Drawings
Shown
below are samples of drawing on paper for creating the series of
artworks entitled “Artifacts of Dreamland Fire of 1911” by
Takeshi Yamada.
graphite on paper, digital enhancement, 2004
An example of Yamada’s preliminary drawing on paper.
Roller ball ink pen on paper, 2004
An example of Yamada’s preliminary drawing on paper.
Note:
For more information about fortune tellers, fortune telling,
divination, wizards, witches, shamans, Miko (Shinto temple
priestess), Onmyouji, psychic, etc., read an article entitled
“Fortune Telling and Divination: Coney Island Sideshow and
Beyond” by Takeshi Yamada.
Takeshi Yamada, Seara (sea rabbit), and Mermaid at Coney Island
Beach.
(June 10, 2008)
