We have had (along with the eastern half of the country) a lot of rain recently. When it has precipitated, it hasn’t been gentle rains, but rather torrential, monsoon-like downpours. Consequently, everything is saturated and the Ohio River has quickly risen to engulf the riverbanks that are normally wide and clear this time of year. I took a chance between rain showers to see if I could access my site for a few hours. Maneuvering through the underbrush I was able to investigate the river’s edge that was slowly but surely creeping inland. As a gauge to how high the river has risen, in the above photos…you should be able to walk out to those willow trees that are now in the middle of the river. I watched columns of ants marching for higher ground. The river’s edge attracts animals, particularly birds, that are hunting insects being driven by the advancing water. I’m here doing a similar thing…except I’m looking for interesting junk that has floated in with the driftwood. I always find something and here are a few recent images of this river treasure.
This is a plastic bell pepper to add to my ever growing collection of faux food. This collection has grown considerably since I last photographed it in its entirety. I’ve added several fast food items and I now can boast owning several plastic hamburgers and hotdogs to accompany the fruits and vegetables.
I don’t recognize this character’s head, but I responded to the tongue sticking out! It was this discovery that caused me to go on a tangent. I decided that in the relatively restricted area I was investigating that I was going to collect all the different green plastic items the river was delivering to me. This is what I came up with.
I was amazed at the collection I was able to put together in less than an hour’s time. Each item is unique…even the green plastic bottles which are different sizes, designs, and have different colored bottle caps. Among my other finds include green discarded fishing line, a green “Lincoln log”, a lost lip balm cylinder, a hair curler, a circular green plastic “smokeless” tobacco “tin”, a flip flop, etc…
I then took my 21 green artificial objects and arranged them in a line on an interesting wooden object I found that looked very alter-like. This is a very different expression of what it is to be “green” and the plants behind these objects concur. It was now time to visit my site and see if anything had happened there and perhaps to make something new.
I had that “oh no” feeling upon arriving. There were several changes since my last visit. Whomever is building this structure appears to be trying to construct a roof over my spot. Most of the materials that I have gathered over the months were just thrown out and around the site. There is no way for me to work here now in its present configuration. I wonder if the rain prevented the “work” from being completed? And then it dawned on me…where is the figure I left here? I found him a short distance away.
This is how I found him disarticulated and face down. It appears that he was just lifted up and thrown aside. I knew if I was to learn what had happened that I would need to reconstruct him. It took me a bit of time to find his various parts, but I ultimately was successful and set him up on the “roof” in a sitting position.
I said…”Dude, what happened here and to you?” My friend was quite excitable in retelling the tale. He said a couple of people came by a day or so after I was last here and just started ransacking the place. The last thing he remembers was flying through the air and then blackness. He at least confirmed my suspicions that more than one person was involved. Here is the evidence I used to draw that conclusion.
The last time I was here I noted a giant polystyrene cup lying in the sand just outside my space. Upon returning, I picked up these additional cups and the blue bottle that were casually thrown on the ground and photographed them on a nearby log. I’m deducing that these people live in the area since they sell these mega drinks at a nearby gas station. Now as much as I’m torqued about being evicted from my spot…finding these added cups here makes me mad! There is already enough junk in the river without bringing more and leaving it here! It seems the height of disrespect and irresponsibility and my remade figure concurred.
My friend was growing excited with the thought of his recent tormentors returning to the scene of the crime. He asked me what I was going to do about this and I have to admit it’s a dilemma for me. Generally, I appreciate it when people interact with my art, however, there is little evidence that there are respectful spirits at play here. I decided that if the river kept rising (and at this point it was about twenty meters away) that matters would become moot. The water would rearrange the context here and I would simply begin again. If, however, the river doesn’t reclaim this spot…I promised my figure that I would reassert my will. I might do a little engineering of my own and see how I might modify the structure to suit my needs. If you were me…what would you do? I told my mustachioed figure to sit tight and that I would return the following weekend if the river would allow it. To be continued…?
Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog 
Ah Al, yes, one’s blood pressure does rise with contempt some people show for everything NOT them which is evident simply by how they deal with what they no longer have a use for. The blue plastic containers make a huge statement. Consider how often that is dione everywhere and shudder. People do it in movie theaters all the time–bring things in, perfectly capable of carrying them when full of popcorn and other edibles and then when the containers are empty, or not, they just LEAVE their trash behnd them and walk out. I think that alone says alot about what sort of people our society spawns. No, it’s not a nice picture at all. When we do the same to our living environment at large it gets ugly fast. Generally I figure that out species at large does not deserve the incredible Earth we have as a home. Us ‘gone’ would be better for the other species for sure. I doubt the wolves being hunted for no good rational reason would disagree. Nor the birds with fewer places to live, the bears, the raccoons, the whales, turtles et al.
As for what to do about your outdoor studio site at the river–oh yes, I have some ideas……
Those over-the-top, all you can drink cups that Mayor Bloomberg wants to ban are everywhere. I noticed in the last photo of this post that one such cup was rolling in with the waves! For the price of a cheap soft drink you also get a cup that is no friend of the environment. My more cynical friends just shake their heads at me and smile because they know there are just too many people in the world and indifference is epidemic.
Yeah? Indifference is epidemic? Hmm. Let’s see, shall we send them to Idle No More or to Peaceful Uprising? Hm?
Let’s try Peaceful Uprising because they’ve got that great “front man” ex-con for the Earth, Tim DeChristopher whose had some decent mainstream exposure lately on Letterman and Bill Moyer’s shows.
Feel free to edit out the link since this is your blogcasa, Al and I do not wish to offend you by rearranging the furniture…
For Al’s cynical friends: Peaceful Uprising –> http://www.peacefuluprising.org/
Oh and to HEAR something beside cynical laughter, Try some Folk Songs for Climate Justice to raise your heart spirits:
http://music.peacefuluprising.org/releases
Hear, I’m not ALL gloom and doom today. 🙂
As much as I try to remain open minded there are days that require more effort than others! A song may be just what I need and I thank you!!
Eva…I think your comment is valid and has a place here. Besides, those “cynical friends” don’t read this blog anyway and generally are more interested in art as usual.
Thanks Al. 🙂
I think you’ll enjoy the songs as they’re all connected to the environment and nature and all tell wonderful stories. Cheers, my friend.
“Indifference is epidemic” So true, Eva. And, Al, I’m sorry about the bad interactions at your site and about the blatant disregard for the natural world.
One important area my project informally explores is human behavior and I realize this isn’t always a pretty picture. Ultimately, the health of the environment is more important than my site or the art I attempt to make here. It’s hard to get into the mindset of people who don’t see that the well-being of the planet directly affects us.
At some point those drink containers will become so large that the people will be unable to carry them. I’m sorry the interaction this week was not at all playful, maybe the giant drink consumers intuitively made the link that your moustachioed fellow is a little critical of their behaviour. But in the long run, nature has a way of erasing all this wanton destruction.
Those huge Styrofoam cups have become my symbol for all that is overkill, overindulgent, and over consumption. For 99 cents you have a cheap ticket to obesity and all its related health issues. You are right about nature at large having the final say.
I’m of the theory that large styrofoam cups are the real sentient beings here and humans are nothing more than seed dispersal mechanisms deployed at their will. For the plastic shall inherit the earth.
Interesting theory! I have often thought it was the really small things in life (bacteria, viruses, fungi, insects, etc…) that call the shots.
OMG! I would not have left my friend there! Even with the promise, he may never be seen again! I really liked the photo image of the “green things” lined up in front of the green of nature’s foliage. We artists work on trying to paint the greens in nature because our manmade green pigments just don’t measure up. Obviously we can’t get it right in manufacturing green plastics, either. Natures greens are much better!
The plastic cups? Shame. Shame. I am constantly picking up dicarded cups, even in my neighborhood; that and pop cans and bottles……
Good post!
Yes, I’ve been thinking of that image with the green items contrasting with nature myself. My “friend” knows that I often work in this way. I have taken small mountains of Styrofoam out of here, but realize I can’t get it all. The trick is to make something with these throw away materials that someone else might want to take home. Sometimes this actually works!
We have the same sort of problem here in England too, A couple of days ago, by our relatively small secluded riverside with my small grandson, we were both shocked to find a huge pile of cans and plastic drinks bottles etc – obviously dumped after a party. Like White Buffalo – I find it hard to understand how people suddenly lose the use of their arms when it comes to carrying their litter home. But of course logic doesn’t enter into it.
We have had unusually wet summers the last couple of years – with torrential downpours like you – but thank goodness, at the moment it is what I would call normal summer weather. Though I have noticed some peculiar behaviour with the trees – dropping fruits and leaves at the wrong time of year…
I think you are right to let the river dictate what happens to your site – though I worry about Mr Moustache, and hope you will let us know how he makes out!
I shall let you know how it all plays out. I’m mystified by this throw away behavior as well. I’ve observed fishermen (whom you would think would have an appreciation for the outdoors) just discarding their waste fishing line in the very place they are fishing. People are becoming immune to seeing this as wrong.
The first green thing you picked up reminded me instantly of a Maori doing a haka. This is a very eerie war dance in which the Maori warrior demonstrates his superiour strength by waving his weapons at the enemie while grunting and crying and fiercly grimacing with eyes bulging. It culminates in poking out of the tongue. However on second look, the green thing looks a bit half-heartedly. More conviction might have fended the intruders off.
I have no idea what toy this came from, but the tongue sticking out goes along with some of the figures I’ve made out here. My eldest son plays rugby and their uniforms appropriate Maori tattoo designs. I wonder if the Maori women have their own haka-style dance as well.
Yes, rugby is a great carrier or the old tradition. I usually watch the beginning of an All Blacks game only to see the haka 🙂 As far as I know the women’s role in the war dance was supplying the background music, but I believe there are other forms of hakas. Nonetheless women poke out their tongues as well, as a sign of great defiance. But the other facial expressions of the figure you’ve found doesn’t support this theory.