"Lights in the Night" by Bill Svoboda

"Lights in the Night" by Bill Svoboda


This drawing was made to capture attention.

From the complexity of it's lines, to the tension created by the negative space on the right, this is intended to be a statement piece ... to make an impression on the viewer.

Sitting with a glass of your favorite evening concoction, your mind can get lost in the tiny lines that make up these two giants of the Minneapolis skyline.

This drawing stands out from all of my other drawings because there is a depth and complexity to the way Well Fargo Building and the Capella Tower play together on the canvas ... from the vertical lines that rise from the unseen ground, to the angles of lines to give it movement and dimension.

But there's also a story about these two buildings that fills my mind.

Depending on where you are in the city and your view of the Wells Fargo building and the Capella Tower, one might appear taller than the other.  But in reality, the architect of the Cappella Tower made it just slightly taller than its counterpart, the Wells Fargo building.

Legend has it that the architect of the Wells Fargo building constructed it so at night, when the exterior lights illumate the skyline, they would create the resemblence of a face. As you're driving by and look up, you may see the nose,  the eyes and a mouth ... eerily etched into the building. I say "eerily" because in some ways it looks like a demon ... somewhat ominious towering over the city.

Contrat that with the Capella Tower, which appears to have a halo around the top.

An angel and a demon lighting up the skyline now.

While this is only legend, and I can't prove or disprove the story, it gives new idea to lighting up the night - to capturing the attention of the viewer.  In this scene the demon is taller than the angel, but you only need to change your angle and the angel becomes taller than the demon.  Light always fighting dark, with Minneapolis as its stage. 

So as you drive by these two buildings at night, I hope you'll see these two buildings in that light ... as they light up the night. 

And I hope you find yourself victorious in your own story - your own battles - your own struggles - to come out on top, because in the end, light always beats the dark.
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