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 3
Promotional banner created by Astroland Amusement Park, seen at
Astroland Amusement Park
Thor Equities is the major real estate developer.
(August 30, 2008. Takeshi Yamada)
Astroland
Amusement Park
in Coney Island
Today,
there are two amusement parks in the amusement district in Coney
Island, Brooklyn, New York. They are Deno’s Wonder Wheel
Amusement Park and Astroland Amusement Park. For more
information of Astroland Amusement Park, see following website.
http://www.astroland.com/
The
amusement park district is a visually very attractive place, and
it attracts numerous people from the film and TV industries. In
fact, you could see crews working hard filming TV programs such
as “Ugly Betty” (some are from other countries such as Japan and
Germany this month, August 2008) and theater films (not
mentioning independent film makers and film students from New
York University) almost every week at Astroland Amusement Park,
Dino’s Wonder Wheel amusement park, Boardwalk, and Coney Island
Beach according to Takeshi Yamada.
“Dante’s Inferno” is the personal favorite of Takeshi Yamada at
the Astroland amusement park.
(July 25, 2008)
Takeshi Yamada walks through these two amusement parks when he
goes to beach walk with his familiar, (Seara the Sea Rabbit)
every day during the amusement park season. Many photographs
were taken during his casual promenades around the amusement
park district and Coney Island Beach, and he produced a series
of photographic-rich articles entitled “Summer of Coney Island
2007”. Followings are website links to them.
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland2007summer.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland2007summer-Pt2.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland2007summer-Pt3.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland2007summer-Pt4.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland2007summer-Pt5.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland2007summer-Pt6.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland-LaborDay2007summer.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland-LaborDay2007summerPT-2.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland-LaborDay2007summerPT-3.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland2007-BB-Part1.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland2007-BB-Part2.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-ConeyIsland2007-BB-Part3.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-JGS-S-CI-PT1.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-JGS-S-CI-PT2.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-JGS-S-CI-PT3.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-JGS-S-CI-PT4.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-JGS-S-CI-PT5.html
Yamada
also participated in numerous artistic, cultural, and
educational events at the amusement park district since he first
visited there in the summer of 2001. Yamada also undertook
numerous original fine art performances for the public. Shown
below are a few examples of Yamada’s public fine art
performances and fine art exhibition in Astroland Amusement Park
in the recent years.
Takeshi Yamada started public performances with
his original horseshoe crab artworks
at amusement park district and Coney Island Beach
shortly after he moved to Coney Island in 2002.
Cyclone roller coaster turned 75 years old in
June 2002.
(Photograph by Diane M. Taros)
Yamada and Merryl Doyle on the “Circus Day” at Astroland
Amusement Park.
Astroland’s Cyclone roller coaster is in
the background (August 7, 2004)
The
sideshow art exhibition on the “Circus Day” at Astroland
Amusement Park. (August 7, 2004)
The
4-foot long rogue taxidermy “Fiji mermaid” of Yamada was on
display on the left wall in this sideshow tent.
Yamada in his home-made costume “Chinese Dragon King” (horseshoe
crab warrior)
with
two gorgeous mermaids at the mermaid parade. Yamada won the King
Neptune medallion.
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-WarrorMaskPT1.html
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TY-WarriorMask2.html
The
Astroland’s Cyclone roller coaster is in the background.
(June
21, 2003)
Artifacts of Astroland Amusement Park
As a
variation of his “Artifacts of Dreamland Fire of 1911”, Takeshi
Yamada also created a series of artworks on wooden boards
simulating ones used at circus sideshows in recent decades in
Coney Island. Specifically speaking, these artworks were
inspired by the vaguely scheduled demolition of the Astroland
Amusement Park in the amusement park district of Coney Island.
Community
meetings are held weekly recently. Even as of today August 1,
2008.
Artifact of Astroland Amusement Park: Freaks from
Coney Island Wax Museum
(exhibition sign)
6.5x19.5 inch, acrylic on wood panel, 2005
Artifact of Astroland Amusement Park: Chupacabra from Coney
Island Curiosity Museum
(exhibition sign)
4.5 x 19 inch, enamel on wood panel, 2008
Note: About Simulationism Art
In
recent decades (peaked in 1980’s) in the United States, there
were conceptual artists started using words and texts as their
media of choice to create artworks. (In plain English, a small
group of crazy artists in the late 20th century tried to treat
words and sentences as artworks just like what Asian people have
been doing for many long centuries in the form of artistic
calligraphy on sheets of paper.) Examples of such artists in
America are Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Ed Ruscha, Robert
Indiana, and On Kawara, etc. This author considers Yamada’s
series of artworks entitled “Artifacts of Dreamland Fire of
1911” are counterparts to artworks by those simulationism/neo-geo
artists.
(left) “5 Feb. 2006”, painting on canvas by On Kawara, 2006
(right) “Protect me from what I want”, electric display by Jenny
Holzer, 1985-86
(left) “The End”, acrylic and ink on paper by Ed Ruscha
(right) Fanatic anti-family value leftwing political activist
Barbara Kruger’s “I shop therefore I am”.
“Love”, silkscreen print by Robert Indiana is another pop icon
in America.
This silkscreen print (just like T-shirts is printed) is called
“art” and sold with outrageous price tag.
By the
same token, Yamada’s series of artworks entitled Coney Island
Brand Exotic Canned Foods are counterparts to Campbell’s Soup
Can artworks of Andy Warhol.
By the
same token, Yamada’s series of artworks entitled Coney Island
Brand Exotic Canned Foods are counterparts to Campbell’s Soup
Can artworks of Andy Warhol.
Examples of
Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Foods
rogue taxidermy, Takeshi Yamada, mostly 2004-2006
Exhibition color flyer designed by Takeshi Yamada. On the
occasion of the month of the Thanks Giving Day,
this flyer featured yummy oddities – Coney Island Brand Exotic
Canned Foods.
Campbell’s
Tomato Soup, silkscreen print on canvas by Andy Warhol.
Surprisingly, this is one of the most famous artworks in
American history.
For
more information about Coney Island Brand Exotic Canned Foods by
Takeshi Yamada, see following article by Takeshi Yamada.
http://www.sideshowworld.com/TYConeyCans.html
The Heart of Coney Island
Takeshi Yamada and Seara (Sea Rabbit) at the Coney Island
History Project Office.
(August 5, 2007)
