THE COIN TOSS

a persistence of vision thaumatrope sculpture

Once Upon A Time, about a hundred years ago, Mr. Abbot Kinney, and a partner, owned all of the land from Ocean Park, Santa Monica to Marina del Rey. They began building a city in Ocean Park, including roads, homes, hotels and an amusement pier. Ocean Park was good, stable, land. South of Ocean Park the land was a “swamp.”

When Kinney’s partner was replaced, the new partner didn’t share Kinney’s vision. To sever the partnership and split the parcel they agreed to Toss a Coin.

Kinney won the Coin Toss, and chose the “swamp.” His partner said: “See, I told you he was crazy!”

But Abbot Kinney had a grander vision for creating an unique community by the sea: he dredged the swamp to create canals, built Venetian architecture, a salt water plunge, a dance hall, piers, wild amusement rides, and much more. It was VENICE OF AMERICA, Kinney’s mash-up of Venice, Italy and Coney Island.

8" x 8" x 2" soldered copper Coin, with steel frame, sign & post                  robin murez  2014

Site:  1337 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice, CA                     Sponsor:  Alternative Apparel

Click here to read Blogtown's review of The Coin Toss

And here, Venice Stories depicts me as graphic art superhero flipping the Coin

VENICE UPDATE captured the Coin Toss here