As you know, we here at The Lost Ogle are suckers for OKC nostalgia. We never miss a chance to take a trip down memory lane, remembering the people, places and things that made our childhood appear great, and then try to profit from the memories through unlicensed t-shirts:
Seriously, though, isn't nostalgia awesome? There's nothing better than reminiscing about fonder, simpler times, when the only things that mattered were scoring a seat in the Crystal's cartoon room, picking out your Mold-A-Rama at the zoo, and getting lost in the Ominplex's molecular crystal lattice playplace. Remember that crazy thing? Here's a pic that I found in the Oklahoma Historical Center newspaper archives:
Because we live in a nanny state where letting your kids crawl around in a germ-infested molecular petri-dish of bacteria and disease is frowned upon, the Crystal Lattice has gone the way of Ho Ho the Clown and no longers exists. At least that's what a friend told me.
Fortunately, our friends at Oklahoma Contemporary have decided to throw Gen Xer's and Millennials a hypercolor bone and bring us Cloud City – an artwork by Tomás Saraceno that you and your family can experience on 11th and Broadway through October 16th. It reminds me of a cross between the lattice and the Omniplex's mirror maze. You think Tomás could have gone all out and included a harmonograph in the middle, right?
Here's a pic I took during a personalized VIP tour of the exhibit:
The pic really doesn't do Cloud City justice. I got a complete walk through to the top of the structure and it's a fun, trippy and tiny bit disorienting experience. You're surrounded by mirrors, clear glass and air. I entered one room and thought I was at the end of the tour. I had no clue there was huge opening to walk through right in front of my face. If Cloud City was on display at the State Fair, it would have definitely made Lucas' list of "Things to do at the fair while you're high."
As I mentioned, Cloud City is open through October 16th. If you're in or around downtown, you should stop by and check it out. You can also make reservations online, if you're on of those organized planner people.
Anyway, I guess that concludes this edition of TLO Nostalgia Lane. If you have any fond memories from your youth, share them in the comments. Or better yet, just buy one of our t-shirts. We want to be rich.
