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Posts Tagged ‘Coney Island’

Video of the Day: Coney Island Time Lapse by Dave Pentecost

Posted in amusement park, Amusement ride, video, tagged Coney Island, Dave Pentecost, fisheye video, Lounge Lizards, Lower Eastside Girls Club on December 3, 2012| 2 Comments »

Set to “I Remember Coney Island,” a 1981 recording by the Lounge Lizards, Dave Pentecost’s Coney Island Time Lapse features footage shot in the summer of 2012 of the amusement rides in action. “This circular fisheye video is intended to be projected in the digital dome in the new Lower Eastside Girls Club community science and art center,” says Pentecost of his test cut of the footage. Perhaps it’s the holiday season, but the delirious tempo and fisheye view make the whirling Wonder Wheel, Brooklyn Flyer and other rides look like a cinematic version of tree ornaments.

Dec 2: Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s First Swim of Season

Posted in Events, News, video, tagged Coney Island, Coney Island Polar Bear Club, Freezin for a Reason, New Year's Day, winter swimming on December 1, 2012| 1 Comment »

The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is going for their first swim of the season on Sunday, December 2nd, a month later than usual due to Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. “We extend our condolences to everyone who was affected by the hurricane,” Dennis Thomas, president of the winter swimming club told ATZ. “We are happy to help out the Parks Department and the Aquarium with cleanup and look forward to a shortened but a good strong season.” Last year’s first swim, shown in the above vid by a club member, was on November 6th and the water temp was 51F.

The Bears swim at 1pm every Sunday from November through April. There are currently 150 full-time members of the club with about 100 coming out for weekly swims, says Thomas. Membership is closed for the 2012-2013 season, but you can join them for a guest swim. Just show up at the Bears “Clubhouse” at the Aquarium’s Education Hall on the Boardwalk at West 8th Street by 12:30 pm with your bathing suit, a towel, surf boots or an extra pair of sneakers, and some warm clothing.

Just 31 days away, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s annual January 1st Swim is one of the more unusual ways to welcome the New Year. It’s become increasingly popular and a winter counterpart to the Mermaid Parade. On New Year’s Day 2012 in Coney Island, a record 3,000 “Did “It” at the Polar Bear Plunge, nearly three times as many as the previous year, Thomas told ATZ. The event is free and open to the public, but Freezin’ for a Reason is also a major fundraiser for Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life threatening illnesses and their families.

Aquarium Director Jon Dohlin Greets Coney Island Polar Bear at Post Hurricane Sandy Cleanup on the Boardwalk. November 17, 2012. Photo © Princess Polar Bear Capri

Coney Island Taxidermist Takeshi Yamada in AMC Reality Show

Posted in art, Television, tagged AMC, Coney Island, Immortalized, Immortalizer, rogue taxidermy, Takeshi Yamada, taxidermy on November 29, 2012| 2 Comments »

Coney Island Artist and Taxidermist Takeshi Yamada is one of the Immortalizers in AMC’s new series Immortalized. Photo via AMC

ATZ has learned that Coney Island artist and rogue taxidermist Takeshi Yamada will be one of the stars of the new AMC TV reality series “Immortalized” premiering on February 14th. “My sea rabbit will be a household name,” said Yamada, who is one of Coney Island’s most recognizable eccentrics. He is frequently photographed clad in a black tuxedo strolling the Beach and Boardwalk with his sea bunny Seara, a taxidermied wonder with webbed feet and a mermaid’s tail.

In the TV show, Yamada will be one of the taxidermists known as the Immortalizers. According to the press release for the unscripted new series: “Each episode will feature one of four highly regarded ‘Immortalizers’ facing off against a ‘Challenger’ in a competition. Their task is to create a piece to be judged on three criteria: originality, craftsmanship and interpretation of the designated theme. Whether the artists are known for their classic or rogue creations, each week they will work to perfect this centuries-old art form in an unprecedented battle.”

Rogue taxidermy is the creation of oddities and curiosities using traditional taxidermy materials and techniques. “I hope more people will be interested in the art of taxidermy (traditional taxidermy) and rogue taxidermy (freak show taxidermy or sideshow taxidermy) by watching this television show,” Yamada told ATZ. “I had a great time creating truly monumental scale and spectacular rogue taxidermy monsters for this TV series.”

When we first met Takeshi back in 2004, he was creating these gaffed specimens for traveling sideshows and museums. He uses a variety of natural materials to create his taxidermy art, which includes Fiji mermaids, two-headed babies, dog-headed spiders, and a mummified six-fingered hand. Having seen Yamada defend his Grand Master title at the Secret Science Club’s annual Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest at Bell House, we can honestly say his challengers are up against a formidable competitor.

Despite the fact that the first floor of Yamada’s home and studio on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island were devastated by five feet of sewage water during Hurricane Sandy, destroying most of his artwork, the artist remains stoic. “The show must go on,” he says. Takeshi was in the middle of producing two giant sculptures and a wooden crate to ship them to Los Angeles when the storm struck. “Some of the artwork was destroyed or heavily damaged. So, I stayed at my house with no heat, gas, land phone line or electricity for over a week after the hurricane for repairing them –some of my artworks were not saved– and finally FedExed them before the temperature dropped to 27 degrees.”

The AMC series “Immortalized” consists of eight, half-hour episodes and premieres on Thursday, February 14 at 10pm.

Dragons, mermaids, and other wonders on display at public lecture of Dr. Takeshi Yamada at Coney Island Library, October 29, 2010. Photo © Takeshi Yamada via flickr