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Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog 
how terrible and outstanding your materials and your art. i agree as a creative we can create anywhere, anytime with anything. …and… not that i want to take your materials away from you… but i hope we human beings figure this one world and one planet out some day. because i know you could still have access even if this material was appropriately placed in the first place… i like the point you make beyond the enjoying moments of your art. aloha.
I am often struck by the similarity between us and the materials we make and use. Styrofoam, to me, describes “us” well during this point in time. Thanks for your comment Rick!
aloha Albertus – yeah, you are right, styrofoam is a mark of our culture and time. i’ve been thinking about a similar mark in all the words we use on and with products and services now – from disclaimers, warnings, inspections, fill out forms, notices, tickets and advertising to PR and, and, on and on… material i use frequently now in collage and altered images… products of our time and culture.
i also have to say it was presumptive of me to think i knew how all your material got to where it is there. floods and other possibilities may be contributing factors as much as irresponsibility. …still what is along your canvas way is a mark and product of our culture, time and place. you make ingenious use of it in positive ways. i like that. – aloha
Hi Al. I was tracking that tire–or tires–until I saw the chair. Someone actually left a chair by the river? Or did it wash up there? Something about the chair–perhaps because I don’t recall seeing any other ‘furniture’ in your photographs–just stopped me in my tracks. Now I’m wondering if I’ve gotten too accustomed to your found art creations? huh? And only when something as UNexpected as a chair appears do I begin to wonder what the heck is going with our water. As for the tires—EEEGADS–the darn things are everywhere. Dark, brooding menaces the whole lot of them–even when tied to a tree for a swing tires ‘bother’ me. Hmm.
A Chair! A chair! My kingdom for a chair. Down by the river, of course.
I have found many river chairs over the years and the thought of them drifting downriver is buried forever deep in my mind. I have featured them in the blog before, in fact, this chair made an appearance earlier in the year. What did you think of the lack of words? Thanks Eva!
As for the lack of YOUR words–I rather ‘missed’ your unique voice and perceptions. Had the shadow of it in mind due to your previous writings. The images do work well–it’s just that your words compliment your creations in such interesting and engaging ways, Al.
ps, The concluding image of the single tree/plant is really lovely.
Merci, it helps form a bridge from the last post.
first them uprooted trees final the young tree perfect
it is sad hey what people just disregard
Yes it is…the sad part is that one doesn’t miss what one doesn’t see or know about. We need people to go through life with their eyes, minds, and hearts open.
I liked the picture story. I have several picture storybooks and my Granddaughter can come up with new stories from the same book that make me listen with wonder.
What I felt most strongly from this story is that through it all there is a positive strength in this world. The beauty of nature, in one small tree, will rise up! Thank-you for this, Al.
Thanks Leslie, It was fun playing with just the images this time and something I hadn’t done before. Sometimes I think the words get in the way. I think posting the final image of the tree “ends” the story on a more upbeat note than finishing things with a tangled ball of monofilament!
Ah, I really like this format for creating narrative, Albertus! How fun to piece together my own stories looking at this series of photos (a little like what Leslie was saying!) This is so interesting in conjunction with your storytelling posts… I love the combination. This moment of reflective silence, where we’re forced to reach into ourselves…
I don’t know how I missed this post! I love the story, it looks like the styro figure is trying to make a quick getaway! The river looks quite menacing and the chair is just so surreal and out of place! The roots on No. 4 pic look very grasping – no wonder styro man looks frightened! This is a sinister narrative – LOVE it:-)
Lynda, the river is not the only thing out here with under currents.