Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle
If you ever want to gain an understanding of the wealth and power that advertising can bring, visit Hearst Castle in central Califonia. This remote, extravagant palace, built at the start of the 20th century, symbolises many things – especially wealth, power and how neither can buy good taste of the kind that otherwise springs from a spiritually-coherent self. It is especially saturated with the artistic artefacts of european Christianity, in what seemed to me like a shout of victory of money over faith.
This photograph shows one of the two big swimming pools. It’s dripping in classical forms, huge and immensely inviting on a hot day. The other, indoor pool is even more impressive, with its mosaic floor hand-tiled in Murano glass. Neither pool is effective at washing away loneliness or guilt, as you’ll know if you have watched Citizen Kane.
The Global Mink 