[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > If it was practical, you could even have several lyric panels, erected in a circle, >kind > of a Joni Stonehenge, with lyrics from some of her various eras.
I like this! And, to take it further (I hope you don't mind), in a lushly grassy area I see 8 slabs of highly polished large rectangular stones, "granite markers" but so big and flat-sided they don't remind anyone of tombstones, and so highly polished that viewers can see themselves (I love it when the viewers can literally become a part of the art), and with the music and lyrics etched in. The songs I'd pick are Hejira, Refuge of the Roads, Woodstock, Circle Game, Both Sides Now (all of which I consider her "classics" even though some are not my favorites), and then three others chosen... somehow. And I would put the slabs at north, east, south and west, and then the other four in between those, and with plenty of space between each slab so it doesn't feel claustrophobic inside the circle. > In addition to the lyrics, the panels could have artistic etchings, encorporating >Joni > themes (possibly even a hint or two of smoke to appease the smoking crowd). In the > center of this could be a bronze of Joni, or preferrably a bronze collage of Joni >related > items - paint brushs, dobro, a guitar, an ash tray, an Eagle and a Serpent,a pair of > Forceps and a Stone, a beret, etc. I'd leave all this stuff out, but then I tend toward minimalism, and simple, pure lines, and rich materials. The shadows created at different times of the day would be another design element. > The collage bronze could then be set in the center of > a circular bench, where you could sit, and view the various panels. I like the circular bench idea, maybe white marble with a pool of water in the center. That may not be practical for Canada since it would be frozen for part of the year, but if it was gently moving water, ripples from the center outward, then maybe that would keep it from being frozen in all but the very coldest months. > If glass isn't > practical, than the panels could be made of stone, or metal - hey this way, you >could > even put lyrics on both sides of the panels. I'd keep the outside of the panels rather plain and mysterious so that people are enticed into the center and then are surprised. (Surprised like going down an alley in Florence and then at the end of it finding yourself in a big welcoming plaza -- that's a wonderful feeling.) Maybe the outside face of one of the slabs could have Joni's bio, and maybe her image etched in if there's no statue of her. It would be possible to have a bronze figure of Joni sitting on the marble bench, and I'd have her looking at the "Hejira" panel since that song has so much to do with immortality. That may be too obvious, though, and kind of corny so I'm not sure about that. Another thought is to have a full size figure of Joni leaning against the inside of one of the panels. I've always liked her attitude in the photo used for the TNT tribute poster. That would be fun, going into the circle and seeing "Joni" standing there looking sassy. > Anyway, this was just what came to my mind when I thought of a Joni tribute. I >prefer > the collage idea because the likeness would be hard to capture, and then we would >all be > bitching that it doesn't look like her, plus then there's the whole issue of what era > Joni do you portray, etc. The likeness *could* be captured. There's a bronze statue in NYC of a man in a suit hailing a cab that's so believable cabs were stopping and he had to be moved back from the curb. I don't know who the artist is, but could find out. Any representation will never be able to include all of the details about Joni so it would be a matter of distilling it all down to symbols. Even the likeness of Joni, if there is one, would be a symbol. And discussion and bitching would all be part of the process. Just my more than 2 cents... Debra Shea
