Pyramids: Special Economic Vortex Zones Of North America
- Setken Of Melbourne
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
This post is not as much a review as it is a celebration of a recently published extraordinary book by US photographer and artist Ian James.
My obvious obsession with all things Kemetic / Ancient Egyptian and Egyptomania is not lost on my readership or collectors of my paintings. So when someone else presents their own foray into a related subject, as is the case with the survey of pyramid complexes in the USA undertaken by Mr. James, it certainly got my attention[1].
In preparing this article, I am reminded of my own foray into the US undertaken in 2015 to study the manifestation of the Netjeru / Ancient Egypt / Kemeticism / Egyptomania in the United States.
Resulting in a series of paintings I called The Netjeru In America, one of these paintings is my best-known work to date thanks to it being on the cover of Egyptology book Profane Egyptologists by Dr Paul Harrison[2].
As curator Aurora Tang points out in the preface, art historian and photographer Harold Allen (1912 – 1998) was an early documentarian of Egyptomania artefacts in the US. Personally, I have been aware of at least three of the pyramids featured in the book, including one I have been inside – The Luxor Casino in Las Vegas[3].
The Onan “gold” pyramid in Wadsworth, Illinois is another, as it was featured in a TV special that I saw some years ago. Had I known about it in my aforementioned 2015 excursion I would certainly have gone. As turns out, one of the most stunning images in the book is indeed of the Onan pyramid.
Built in 1977 by Jim Onan, a garage door tycoon, it was originally a 5 storey, 5 bedroom home, but was damaged badly in a fire in 2018. The original gold plating was apparently removed owing to neighbour complaints. It still serves as the family home of the Onan’s as well as a museum and tourist attraction.
The third of these pyramids I had hitherto been aware of is the Summum pyramid in Salt Lake City[4]. I had taken an interest in Summum’s ideas for a short while in the 90’s, and seriously considered getting mummified at the end of my life, but the costs involved are too steep.
The Summum pyramid was built between 1977 and 1979, and is 40 feet long at the base, 26 feet high, and oriented towards true north. It also incorporates the golden ratio in its design.
The Maricopa House in Arizona has three storeys and apparently one of these levels is partially under ground level. There are two master bedrooms and a living space of 3000 square feet.
In the book, this structure is afforded 3 photographs, rendered in black and white with cacti and pharaonic statues abound. The desert narrative we associate with pyramids in Egypt enhances these desert state structures.
The Pyramid house in Fort Davis Texas is one of the buildings included in the commentary featured at the end of the book, detailing a trip the artist made to that state and others nearby. It is a glimpse into his thought process in capturing the structures on film, and some of the related anxieties and adventures in doing so.
I like this house with its Osirid green, and wonder if the builder had that god in mind when creating it? It was on sale for US$80k in 2023 and sits on half an acre of land. It spans 2,116 feet and was built in 1986. It has one bedroom and 1 bathroom. It is in the photographing of this pyramid that James broke his tripod.
The Art Studio / Meditation Pyramid of Why, Arizona, is another featured in the commentary, and another example of pyramid dwellings in that desert state.
This was a rare instance of James reporting going inside a structure. He met one of the owners, Jennifer, who invited him in. He had a discussion about the building and the nearby bus that she and her husband Steve lived in.
There is a film that acts as a companion to the book released earlier this year also. Titled Eighteen Pyramids, it is a 33 minute exploration of a selection of buildings featured in the book. Shot on 16mm film and with a cool green graphic version cover that features his photo of The Pyramids of Indianapolis, it is a film I am much anticipating.
The book is quite heavy (shipping from the US to AU was very high) and beautifully presented with silver embossing on the front and back. An actual photo is embedded on the cover (see top of this post), the gorgeous Righteous Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Iron County, Utah[5]. It arrived in a lovely box heralding its contents.
I just love that someone else in the world is so turned on by pyramids that they would create these art projects. I see parallels with my own obsession about obelisks.
Referencing Aurora Tang’s preface again I will finish with a quote:
“Meanwhile, the Egyptian pyramids of Giza have become sites of hyper-tourism, complete with their own gift shops, admission fees, sound and light shows, and themed restaurants. Which is the original and which is the copy - and does it even matter? Have the re-creations now begun to inform the source?”
The book can be purchased here.
[1] Despite needing to be very frugal at the moment owing to some dire life circumstances, fate had it that I was given enough birthday money this year that I was able to purchase this as a treat
[2] Published by Routledge Press in 2017, this book is the first academic survey of Kemeticism or the modern day “pagan” worship of the Ancient Egyptian gods
[3] Please see page 7 of the book where Aurora Tang devotes a decent paragraph to the history of this building
[4] I missed an opportunity to see this in 2015, made even more stinging in that I landed in and left from Salt Lake City airport when visiting my friend the iconographer Ptahmassu in West Wendover
[5] Fun fact: I am not a Mormon but do entertain the concept of magic underwear, as do they
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