Yesterday's art exhibit in the Valley was split into two locations: the second was a gallery and the back lot behind it, several blocks away. We walked through the neighborhood and along the way, there was art in some unexpected places. You had to be looking for it.
This assemblage was on the door of a rather run-down building. You can see the graffiti - typical of the neighborhood. You really need to click on the picture to see it well.
Marty and I had a discussion of whether graffiti is art or not and decided that lots of it is, except when it is defacing or covering up other art that is there. I didn't take a picture of a wonderful mural that had been spoiled by some spray painted graffiti. Boo, hiss. Here is another door with art attached: I forget the title -- something about a witch.
When we passed this window, I thought at first it was art but then decided it was not meant to be part of the exhibit; it is authentic street art, which I frankly preferred to the assemblages.
The gallery had more of the cut tyvek pieces and this piece of art which was actually making a social statement - but you had to read the notebook that was part of the installation to understand what it was about. Too long to go into. Visually, however, this was another of my favorites.
As we walked back to our starting point to make one more walk through the first exhibit, we ran into a couple of guys from the neighborhood standing outside the gloomy-looking corner bar owned by one of them. The bar-owner was excited about the arts district, hoping, no doubt, that it would bring business into his watering hole and persuade new customers to eat his meatball sandwiches and fries along with their drinks. Uh - maybe next time. He also told us that this building on the diagonal corner of the next block, was going to be rehabbed and turned into a restaurant. (I had actually shot this picture before we knew this). I love the idea of all these dreams coming to fruition - although it will be a long process. 
By the time we were ready to leave the original exhibit, I had decided I was going to drive away with my own found object. Earlier, as we had explored the factory's compex's nooks and crannies, I spotted an object on one of the brick sills at the right rear of this picture.
I do not know what it is or what I am going to do with it; however, I had no choice but to liberate it from its lonely perch. For the moment, IT (because I haven't decided on a gender)
is in the garden, leaning up against my wall.
Frog prince? Hooker? Yard art? Sculpture? Or just another piece of junk? I don't know -- but he or she makes me smile. And smiles are always good!
7 comments:
My husband said it is a manifold. therefore it must be a man? Manny? Unless it s a catalytic converter, in which case it may be of the feline persuasion, gender notwithstanding.
Sounds like a nice day out and about and I applaud your scavenging abilities!
It is female - look at the curve of those hips. And given its sulky cocked hip attitude I'd say it was about 15 with a boyfriend of 19 and aring through it's (sorry , her) bottom lip!
Warning: Too much modern art can create serious illusions of living in a world where everything is art. -- I made a little website about a part of town where I lived before, which was run down 30 years ago and then worked itself up to be a living quarter:
http://www.allerlei-kuenste.de/Ottensen/index.html
I like your frog prince idea. He is a rather effeminate frog prince with a really strange codpiece.
It's an exhaust manifold from a car. When I was moving from CN to VA in the mid-70's, driving my 60's Triumph Spitfire, the manifold and exhaust pipe fell off somewhere in Delaware. I put the top down, stuffed it between the seats sticking out into the air, and finished the VERY LOUD drive to central VA.
It's probably a car part of some sort, but i prefer to think of it as a snake with binoculars or a periscope.
She is definitely leggy and, judging from her cocked hip, an unwilling server/waitress. See the two cocktails she's holding?
Suzanne G in NC
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