assemblage art | Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog

Archive for the ‘assemblage art’ Category

On the Trail of the Red-eyed Tortoise

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, Art, art and environment, Art and Nature, art and the environment, Artist at Exit 0, assemblage art, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, Found objects, fresh water, material culture, Ohio River, photography, plastic, recycled art, repurposed art, sculpture, sense of place, Site specific art, Styrofoam, tagged Art, artist at exit 0, Ekostory, Falls of the Ohio State Park, found materials, found objects, material culture, nature, nature story, plastic bottles, rare tortoise, rising river, sense of place, site specific art, Styrofoam on February 14, 2016| 7 Comments »

Imagine my surprise to return to the same spot I had been working at last week…only to find it underwater! Such was the case on my latest foray to the Falls of the Ohio State Park. In the week since I was last here, we did experience one day where it pretty much rained all day long. Still, in my experience, the intensity of that storm would not account for all the high water I was seeing during this visit. Flooding in February is commonplace, but also usually tied to snow melt in the upper Ohio River Valley. Perhaps what I was seeing was a combination of heavy rains upriver from Louisville and snow melt? Regardless, this required a change in plans in the field. I decided to go where nature would allow me to go. In this case, high, dry land was to be found in the western section of the park. I had to walk widely around the edge of a rising river, but this interstitial zone between wet and dry is often a very interesting place to explore.

Among today’s discoveries includes this green plastic, tug boat that floated in with the high water. This, however, was not the only transportation related toy that I found on my walk. Here is something else that I came across.

It’s missing two wheels, but this plastic toy car may have given a Barbie-sized doll a ride once upon a time. How long had this piece of plastic been floating in the river? I like to go down to the river’s edge because this is such a dynamic place. You never know what might be washing ashore while you are there! Soon I reached an area that was crisscrossed by downed trees and logs that had floated in which forced me away from the water and higher up on the riverbank. That’s when I made another significant discovery.

As I was walking, I heard the distinctive sound of leaves rustling on the ground and I knew an animal was nearby. I followed the sound to its source and came upon a very rare creature that appeared to be exiting an abandoned groundhog’s burrow. I took a couple of quick photos and backed off. This proved to be a good move since my actions did not necessitate a full-scale retreat back into the hole it was emerging from. Hiding behind a tree, I let the tortoise take its sweet time as it fully came to the surface. I was practically holding my breath the entire time and for good reason. It’s not everyday that you get the opportunity to photograph and study one of the world’s rarest reptiles…the Red-eyed Tortoise (Gopherus helmeti).

The Red-eyed Tortoise was first discovered by naturalists early in the 19th century. The Falls of the Ohio (and on the Indiana side of the Ohio River) is the southernmost point of this uncommon creature’s range. Perhaps they were never plentiful to begin with? Everything I was witnessing about this tortoise seemed to suggest that it is not only slow, but likes to take its time. If this animal had a motto it would be something like, “Hey, what’s the big hurry”?

I watched as the tortoise very deliberately walked to the water’s edge. What I knew from books about this reptile was that it is omnivorous, but if it is hungry for live food than positioning itself near a rising river driving small animals up the bank would increase the chances of successfully catching a meal. Unfortunately, I did not witness anything so dramatic. In fact, during my time in the presence of this tortoise…I did not see it eat or drink at all.

The tortoise lingered at the edge of the river for a while. It very deliberately examined the driftwood. Perhaps this was part of its hunting strategy? There was something I was very curious about and it had to do with the temperature. Most reptiles are cold-blooded and require the sun’s energy to warm them up. Was this also true for this tortoise? Although it was warmer today, it was still far from spring-like temperatures and so how was this reptile able to deal with the coolness? The secret resides in its unique shell design and composition. During the colder days, the tortoise’s carapace is made from a hard, foam-like material that not only protects it from blows, but also insulates and retains what heat this animal is able to generate. In the warmer weather months, special vents in the carapace do the reverse and provide cooling ports that keep the tortoise from overheating.

I did catch one other puzzling behavior and it was in connection with a cache of river-born plastic bottles that had accumulated next to a large, downed log. The tortoise appeared to initially be interested in them, but one sniff had our hard-shelled friend reacting adversely and it moved as quickly as it could away from that area. I did not personally check out these plastic bottles, but I theorized that one of them was probably still carrying its toxic, noxious contents that the tortoise picked up on? Regardless, it did beat a retreat away from the river and I followed from a respectful distance.

The last view I had of the Red-eyed Tortoise had it going head-first back down into its winter burrow. There was a brief “flurry” of legs as dirt and leaves were used by the tortoise to seal the hole back up. I made a mental note of the area where this burrow is located, but also realized that with the advent of warmer weather…this whole section of woods would transform in practically unrecognizable ways. Perhaps this is for the best because even with the purest of intentions, I would not want any undo harm to come to it by drawing unnecessary attention to it. I would be very selective about who I would tell about this tortoise’s existence and even more careful about who would see the images I made of it. Of course, I hope I will get the chance to see it again, but I’m also prepared to have this be the one and only time I had this direct experience with it. With the tortoise secure again, I collected my belongings and with the sun setting on my back…started on the long hike back home. It had been a very special day and one that I would savor for some time to come.

Read Full Post »

Plastic Rainbow Arrangement with Fred Flintstone too!

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, Art and Nature, art and the environment, Artist at Exit 0, assemblage art, Clarksville, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, Found objects, fresh water, Installation, lost and found, material culture, nature, Ohio River flooding, Photograpy, tagged Art, art made from plastic, artist at exit 0, found materials, Fred Flintstone baby bottle, material culture, nature, photography, plastic butterfly, plastic containers, plastic rainbow, public art, recycled art, repurposed art, sense of place, site specific artworks on February 8, 2016| 4 Comments »

Beyond the Woodland Loop Trail in the western section of the Falls of the Ohio is where today’s river adventure finds me. It has been many months since I last visited this side of the park. I have been looking forward to walking on the driftwood that accumulates on this riverbank. As always, I’ve got my trusty walking stick and collecting bag with me. It’s time to find what there is to find and make something from that. Right away, I found this plastic butterfly or moth (fireworks perhaps?) and enjoyed taking several images of it juxtaposed with the riverbank landscape. Just a quick look around and I can see lots of plastic and polystyrene to potentially use. I will also keep my eyes open for a good site to do one of my plastic arrangements that I have been having fun with of late.

I was fairly confident that I would find as much plastic debris on this shoreline as I had found in the eastern section of the park. That would prove to be correct and I brought an extra collecting bag along to help with the gathering process. I have been enjoying organizing the colorful plastic bottles and containers that I find into mostly chromatic and rainbow-inspired arrangements. The driftwood and sand out here is unified in coloring presenting a monochromatic landscape where bright, colorful plastic notes sing out among all these lost trees. You soon realize as you sort out the plastic from the driftwood, how much of our material culture is intermixed into everything else.

After walking the high water line for a couple of hours, I dumped all the colorful plastic I had collected onto the sand. I thought I had picked a good location that was between the water and the riverbank. I picked up a nice plastic milk crate along the way to assist with the gathering. I notice that I usually pick up intact items preferring them over plastic bits and pieces…although, I will use fragments too especially if they are a hard to come by color. Most all of the plastic bottles and containers I find have had their labels washed off by the river. I put a lot of trust in the cleaning power of millions of gallons of water.

Using the patterns and intervals of driftwood that the river had previously laid down here as a supporting structure where today’s found plastic is sorted by color and staged. Here is where you might find out that you picked up more green bottles than yellow or that purple was that day’s hard to find color.

Here’s a view looking eastward with a bit of the skyline of Louisville suggested through the distant trees. From my experience, fewer people visit this section of the park and many who do often prove to be residents of Clarksville which is just over the flood wall. Let’s show a few more images of how this piece rounded into shape.

I like the big wooden beam lying parallel to the plastic. Not all the driftwood out here is of the wild variety. I find lumber cut-offs and planed planks of all kinds and have used them in my art as well. These shots were taken on a beautiful end of the month day where we had a respite from the cold and grayness.

There was one large blue plastic drum that was buried in the sand and had water in it as well. I didn’t like how it intruded into these pictures and so tried to take it away. Well, it was much too heavy for one person to life out of the sand. Fortunately, among the few people I did see on this day were old river rat friends who gave me a hand with this. The blue drum nearly folded in half takes its position at the end of the line.

I hung around and admired all the bright colors as they revealed themselves in a setting sun. I think this is the most complex plastic assemblage (as far as variety and number of individual pieces used goes) that I have made thus far. I will go ahead and tell you that this work no longer exists except as digital images. Over the past week, we had strong rain storms that went through the Ohio Valley resulting in a high river. Although the rains didn’t affect us directly, all the water that was dropped into the watershed caused it to inundate many of the familiar places on the riverbank that I like to work. The river has been unpredictable of late and I have had at least three new projects washed away. As I walked home, I did find an interesting bottle that I walked over before. I’m fairly sure this is Fred Flintstone based on the diamond pattern on his “garment”. A quick inquiry over the internet yielded some results. This find was originally part of a four plastic baby bottle set that featured Fred, Barney, and their kids Pebbles and BamBam. This vintage baby product was more than likely manufactured between 1977 and 1984! I wonder if its possible for my find to be that old? Judging from the wear and tear and severe fading…that’s a distinct possibility. Happy with my new find…I dropped it into my collecting bag. I think it is the unusual items I come across that make this such a fun way to spend time at the river. With the sun going down, the temperatures are getting cooler…time to go home. Until next time from an ever-changing Falls of the Ohio.

Read Full Post »

Two Arrangements in Plastic

Posted in Absurd, art and environment, Art and Nature, art and the environment, Artist at Exit 0, assemblage art, collections, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, flip-flops, found materials, Found objects, Installation, lost and found, lost sandals, material culture, nature photography, plastic, Plastic art, public art, recycled art, repurposed art, repurposed materials, sculpture, sense of place, Site specific art, watershed, tagged Art, art and the environment, artist at exit 0, assemblage art, colorful plastic containers, Ekoart, Falls of the Ohio, found objects, material culture, nature, photography, plastic, plastic art, recycled materials, repurposed art, sense of place on January 24, 2016| 6 Comments »

Over the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday weekend I was able to make it out to the Falls of the Ohio State Park on a couple of occasions. It helped that this was a three-day weekend. I was curious to see what was lying around the riverbank after our first dusting of snow had blown away. As I was expecting, I found a lot of plastic bottles and containers, Styrofoam, and plenty of driftwood. I first inspect an area for the larger pattern left by the river. The stuff that floats most readily often defines the high water mark on the riverbank.

This is a typical detail of stuff that builds up on a driftwood mound. There are many automotive and boating references particularly plastic bottles that held various petroleum products. There is also a wealth of plastic beverage bottles to illustrate the carelessness of some folks recreating on the river. I have a mental image of this stuff eventually flowing downriver, into the Mississippi River, and out into the wider world through the Gulf of Mexico. What I see at the Falls of the Ohio is only what I see. I know there is a glacier of plastic and junk that by passes me and will show up somewhere downstream. With each succeeding flood, I keep thinking that all the stuff that had been accumulating upriver has already been washed into the watershed. That, however, doesn’t seem to be the case and the amount of “fresh trash” that shows up in the park seems not to have a limit.

Both days that I worked at the river were very cold ones. The piece I made using found yellow and green plastic was the coldest with temps hovering around 10 degrees and it was colder than that with the wind. After picking up what caught my eye, I retreated to my little studio area near the U.F.O. (Unidentified Floating Object) that is this welded and painted steel platform that washed into this area over five years ago.

I saw a possibility in the space under the UFO that was formed when the river shifted the driftwood mound. I cleared the space a little bit and found a plank and stump in which to set up what I would eventually call “Arrangement in Yellow and Green Plastic”. All the bottles and other colorful plastic items were picked up in the immediate area. The wind was really biting and so I sought shelter by the treeline. It took a little patience to make this piece because the wind kept blowing away the lighter items. Eventually, I fit everything together and held it in place by strategically using found bottles that still had weight to them because mud or sand had become their new contents.

My photos of this piece vary from one another because elements kept blowing off. I was struck that I could make a colorful gradation using primarily yellow and green plastic found just in the willow habitat. I favor doing these color pieces because they also reference the electromagnetic spectrum and without light, those ancient plants that lived and succeeded millions of years ago would not eventually become the crude substance from which these bottles were fabricated. It’s interesting to me to think that much of the energy we derive from fossil fuels is captured starlight from an ancient time. We owe it to the plants to be able to stabilize this energy through photosynthesis and fix it into their very tissues.

Eventually, the cold started to get to me and I was fast losing what little light was present on this day. I might have moved the blue plastic drum out of the bottom picture, but it was frozen into the ground and full of sand and mud and would have been a challenge to lift. After awhile, I began to like it for the additional color it lent this scene. One thing concentrating so much color in one area does is call into attention the brown drabness that subsumes everything else.

I returned to the river two days later. It was still very cold, however, a big improvement over the previous day. The sun was shining and the wind was absent. Having completed and photographed one colorful plastic arrangement, I set about creating a new one in a different palette of colors. Searching the area I decided to work at…I could see plenty of red and blue plastic items spread out among the driftwood. It took me an hour or so to pull these bottles and objects together. I wished that I might have come across a few more violet or purple items, but I guess these are colors that are used less than straight up red or blue? I know that in terms of lightfastness, red and purple plastic fades away quicker than many other colors.

Using a bit of the geometry I was feeling from the willow trees and the way the sunlight was hitting their trunks…I decided to site “Arrangement in Red and Blue Plastic” on the sand. There’s a distant view of the Ohio River through this informal avenue of trees. Watching how the shadows of the tree trunks were being cast upon the sand was an important element in the overall composition of this piece.

Among the items comprising this work are a blue plastic child’s putter golf club, the cap to a plastic cane that held Christmas candy and several flip-flops of the right color. When I finished this piece, I left it in place as I did the other arrangement. Perhaps the next time I return to this area, I may combine the two groups of plastic? I could create another grand rainbow with the addition of finding more orange in particular. I probably would throw in some black and white plastic items since they are here in quantity as well. I felt relatively good about this weekend’s projects and some of the images that resulted. When I am occupied with a project, I really don’t feel the elements in the same way. I suppose there is a bit of mind over matter happening too. When I do feel the cold, however, is when I decide to turn for home and come across a frozen sight like these containers locked in ice! Stay warm and safe everybody…from the Falls of the Ohio.

Read Full Post »

First Snow of 2016

Posted in Absurd, art and environment, Art and Nature, art and the environment, Artist at Exit 0, assemblage art, birds and birding, collections, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Found objects, Installation, lost and found, material culture, nature photography, photography, plastic, repurposed art, repurposed materials, sculpture, sense of place, Site specific art, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, artist at exit 0, fake snowman, Falls of the Ohio, Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center, found materials, material culture, nature, photography, plastic bottles, plastic dinosaur, plastic duck decoy, sense of place, site specific art, Styrofoam, willow tree, winter on January 16, 2016| 5 Comments »

The new year is off to an auspicious start. First we had a bit of minor flooding that rearranged the park and the new and improved Interpretive Center has successfully opened. I was curious to see what the river had left behind and make my first foray upon the riverbank and fossil beds. On the day I had prepared to venture forth, well, it snowed the night before and covered many areas with a light dusting of what looks like confectioner’s sugar upon the landscape.

I come prepared…mostly. Even covered up, I could feel the wind and the cold which was blowing hard enough that it made my eyes water. Reaching into my trusty Dutch field jacket, I pull out my vintage “Wind-Dodger” goggles and put them on. I came across these goggles still new in their 1950’s box at a favorite junk store that is now gone. They were manufactured by the Kono Manufacturing Co., of Woodside, N.Y. I think the graphics on the side of the box sold me as to their value. Printed in red ink it read:

“The scientific construction of the Wind-Dodger fits the natural contours of the features-providing maximum exclusion of wind and rain and all foreign particles in the air. The elastic tape holds the Wind-Dodger firmly in place under every condition of work and play in all kinds of weather.” I am a big believer in the value of science.

Further more, printed on the side of the box, was added they were suitable “For Work” and “For Play” and would be useful to railroad men, farmers, mechanics, construction workers, as they engage in sailing, hunting, fishing, flying, skiing, and driving. It was a natural leap for me to assume that they would also be perfect for a river junk artist like yours truly. One thing that the Kono Manufacturing Co. forgot to say is that they also steam up inside the goggles and require frequent drying. Still, they prove to be better than nothing.

The scarf I’m wearing is the oldest piece of clothing I own. It was given to me by a friend and artistic mentor back in the mid 1970’s and somehow I have held on to it over the years. I realize that with a lot of the clothing I own…I can be ridiculously sentimental.

The biting wind and cold are a concern, but so is the footing. The snow covers up a multitude of sins that cannot be seen. It is still slippery out here and in places the mud hasn’t completely frozen. Much of what I think I can find out here will remain hidden until warmer weather returns. But, I’m out here anyway and so I make a quick walk around some familiar places and record what I can with my camera phone.

I discover that a favorite willow tree is now almost completely bent over and resting on the ground. A huge log that the river deposited on top of this tree has shattered one of its main branches. I suspect that it is not long for the world. Spring flooding will repeat this battering process and I assume the tree’s prognosis is not good. Of course, there are other things that present themselves in this frigid landscape that rode in with the high waters.

My eye is immediately drawn to this purple plastic “dragon” rocking toy. I find another giant reptile reference on the rocks nearest the river and here it is.

This plastic sauropod arrived in a fresh water wave. I believe this species was formerly called “Brontosaurus”, but has been renamed “Apatosaurus” since it was discovered that an earlier scientific find gave the new name priority over the older, more familiar name. I briefly allow myself to soak in the irony of finding an object made from ancient petroleum that washed up on these even older fossil beds that references this prehistoric animal. Heady stuff indeed! Nearby, was my next find that continued this line of thinking.

And, what happened to some of the dinosaurs? It is believed that they evolved into birds. Right on cue, I find this plastic duck decoy! It represents the male Northern Shoveler, (Anas clypeata). I have found many other plastic duck decoys out here, but this is the first for this pretty species. The winter river at the Falls of the Ohio is a good place to see different duck species. In fact, winter may be the only time of year to see many of them. The river is steaming because the actual water temperature is warmer that the surrounding air, but the wind is a little fiercer too. I decide to keep walking and soon come across an old project I did from last year.

I created this site specific piece using green plastic bottles after last year’s flooding. It was sited high upon a big mound of driftwood that was too big for this recent minor flooding to affect much. Originally, I had filled the underside of what I think is the remains of a boat dock with the green bottles. Time has shifted the bottles to the bottom of the wood form.

While the snow is beautiful and transforming as these snow-covered vines can attest to….it is also getting ridiculously cold! The fingers on my right hand hurt and sting from the cold because I have to take my glove off to operate my camera. Soon images of a hot cup of coffee began to intrude upon my winter reverie. It’s time to go home, but there was yet one more very pleasant surprise waiting in store for me.

As I was heading back to the parking lot…I came across an old friend whom I was happy to see! We first met at the Falls on an absurdly warm day in December when the temperatures were in the low 70 degree range! I had photographed him as he was decorating river trees in advance of the holiday season. My old Styro-Snowman buddy was just beaming! At last, he was in his element and I’m so happy that his patience was rewarded. Not wanting to intrude too much in his special moment, I bid farewell and took this parting shot as I left the river. Stay warm everybody…from the Falls of the Ohio.

Read Full Post »

New Exhibits at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center

Posted in Art, art and environment, Art and Nature, Artist at Exit 0, assemblage art, collections, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, Found objects, fresh water, Installation, lost and found, material culture, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, photography, plastic, recycled art, repurposed art, repurposed materials, sense of place, Styrofoam, unusual collection, watershed, tagged Art, artist at exit o, assemblage art, Devonian Period, driftwood, exhibit design, Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center, Falls of the Ohio State Park, flint artifacts, fossil beds, found objects, Lewis and Clark, nature display, photography, plastic, pollution, sense of place, Shawnee language, Solid Light on January 10, 2016| 6 Comments »

On January 8 of this new year, the exhibits at the renovated Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center opened to the public with a grand ribbon cutting ceremony. The interior of the Interpretive Center had been closed for 13 months. About 6 million dollars had to be raised to upgrade the 22-year-old permanent educational displays. After a national search, Louisville-based exhibit design company, Solid Light, Inc. won this high-profile contract and solidified their growing reputation within the exhibit design field. Judging from the enthusiastic response of the people attending the reopening it was worth the wait. I played a very small part with a commission to create an assemblage from objects I found in the park and I was eager to see how Solid Light used it.

The displays are divided into four themes or sections beginning with “An Ancient Sea” that highlights early marine life during the Devonian Period. The extensive fossil beds in the park date roughly to 400 million years ago and are the remains of an early coral reef ecosystem populated with many species of coral, brachiopods, and early fish which make their first appearance during the Devonian Period. I was glad to see some of the older models that made up the original display were re-purposed into the new display. The exhibit is interactive and there are hands on elements that children will enjoy. Large, wall-sized videos help set the scene through many of the sections and in “An Ancient Sea” an animation depicting a shallow marine environment includes fish swimming through sun-dappled waters as trilobites search for food among the corals.

The second theme is entitled “A Changing Land” and covers all the geologic changes from the Ice Age to the appearance of the first Americans. For me, the highlight of this area is the inclusion of the Shawnee language which can be heard spoken inside a reconstructed shelter. It’s wonderful that the contemporary descendants of these ancient people were involved in the design of this display and acknowledges their presence at the Falls of the Ohio.

Previously, the remains of prehistoric man’s material culture (primarily represented through flint tools) were a focal point in the old center’s displays. For those worried that examples of the “real thing” would be replaced with virtual images and copies will be pleased that you can still explore original material through some inspired casework. Be sure to peek inside many of the drawers in the different themed areas to see fine examples of specimens and artifacts.

The third theme “Converging Cultures” recounts the history of the Falls area with the arrival of the Europeans. The Lewis and Clark Expedition is a key moment not only in the history of the United States, but of the Falls of the Ohio as well. Many of the men that comprised the “Corps of Discovery” were originally from Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Wall-sized videos in the Lewis and Clark Theater recount the biographies of many of the men who made this epic transcontinental journey. The story of John James Audubon is also noted and forms a transition into the last themed area of the new displays.

This last section is called “The Falls Today” and focuses upon the Falls of the Ohio as a rich contemporary ecosystem. Some of the old taxidermy mounts have been reused to highlight some of the many species that live within the park. Another large video display, this time a virtual aquarium, speaks to the richness of life in the river, particularly the species of game fish that are of interest to fisherman. There is also a call to responsible and sustainable living and the need to keep pollution at bay. This is where I come in. I was commissioned by Solid Light to create an assemblage of found objects that is representative of what can be found in the Ohio River. Here is the finished result that was placed within its own case with graphic elements added.

The panel within the case is 8 feet by 4 feet large. I posted about the panel as I was creating it and showed many details of the more than 100 different objects that comprise it. Of course, everything I’ve attached here was found within the context of the park. The early reaction is that children in particular love looking at all the odd elements especially the found toys. My panel is among the last things you see as you leave the exhibits area to exit the building. I’m glad that there has been a greater emphasis in this new interpretation to include the current state of the world. One could argue that as interesting as the past is…it is the present that is of the greatest concern. Further reinforcing this idea are the results of the minor flooding we experienced the previous week. As the river has subsided, another massive new inventory of junk has washed into the park. As I was leaving the ribbon cutting ceremony and walking to my vehicle, I could clearly see how much more work needs to be done. Until next time…from the Falls of the Ohio.

Read Full Post »

Finding the Spirit of the Season

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, Art and Nature, art and the environment, Artist at Exit 0, assemblage art, Clarksville, creativity, Found objects, material culture, Photograpy, public art, recycled art, repurposed art, repurposed materials, sculpture, sense of place, Site specific art, Styrofoam, tagged Art, artist at exit 0, children's story, decorating a Christmas tree, Ekostory, Falls of the Ohio State Park, found materials, material culture, nature, nature story, Snowman, spirit of a place, Spirit of the Season, star power, Styrofoam on December 25, 2015| 7 Comments »

Here’s a little story set at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana that will help carry us into the new year. This tale is from a few weeks back, but I have been saving it. I have, however, been using many of the images I created on this day for use with my Christmas cards. Making ornaments, setting up holiday lights, and coming up with a new batch of cards to give away are my ways of getting into the spirit of the season. I also enjoy attempting to put into words something about my Falls experiences and the following is this year’s gift from the river. Today, we are in the western section of the park. I know of four special trees with exposed roots (three sycamores and one cottonwood) that hang out together and have survived a very tough year and were due a visit from me. With the daylight fading, this would be a good place to watch the sun set as the Ohio River turns left on its journey westward.

Getting into the right spirit of the season can be difficult for some folks. Especially, when the weather is abnormally warm and you were hoping for snow to get winter kick started in the right direction. The Falls of the Ohio, like much of the eastern portion of our country, is currently in the grips of El Nino. Our area has set several all-time records for heat for this time of year. What a contrast from last year’s polar vortex! As luck would have it, the Styro-Snowman happened to be around when I was visiting the river. I stuck around to see what would happen next.

Although this snowman wore a fixed expression, his odd movements communicated befuddlement? Something was missing or just not right. I could see him looking around for something…perhaps a reminder of the season, but nothing appeared obvious? After roaming the fossil cliffs for several minutes he stopped and looked towards the sky. That’s when an amazing thing happened and if I didn’t have these pictures to prove it…I am sure you would not believe me. As the sun, our star, was setting…another star much smaller and shaped like a snowflake descended from the sky. I wondered if my friend here had willed it to him or did the star appear spontaneously? As the star drifted by the Styro-being reached up and gently brought the star down to earth. I could sense a feeling of joy coming over the snowman.

Along with the snowflake star…a small white sack appeared on the ground. Inside the sack were five, slightly beat up plastic tree ornaments like the kind you can sometimes find at the Falls after the flooding has subsided. The snowman looked into the sack a pulled out a roughed up, but still functional, deep red ornament. His expression widened and I almost felt like I was reading his mind. The snowman walked over to one of the four trees with the great roots and began decorating its branches.

The first tree the snowman embellished had a more open arrangement with ornaments hung on several branches. For whatever reason, the snowman didn’t find this to be satisfactory and he took his five ornaments off and moved to another nearby tree.

On a low hanging limb of another rugged sycamore, the snowman hung up his ornaments with care. He saved his bright red bauble for last and placed it upon the branch which was accomplished precariously by standing on a large tree root. The snowman looked content when he was finished and paused a moment or two to soak up his handiwork.

Oddly, the snowman had hung up his ornaments in a straight line that ascended the tree branch. Wordlessly, I could tell that he was moved by this alignment, but why? The tree, after all, could have been decorated any number of ways. Something about this configuration made me think of celestial models and how we rank planets based by size or their proximity to the sun. The now extraordinary branch seemingly had this cosmic link going for it. The snowman stood behind his decorations and peered up the line which seemed to be sighted to a particular spot in the night sky that seemed a little darker than the surrounding space.

Without saying a single word, the Styro-Snowman elevated the star that had come to him from high above. He had borrowed some of its magic and now it was his time to pass it on. It floated off until it reached that now dark spot in the firmament that it normally occupied. A bright flash of light signaled that the snow star was back in position. It is said that all life contains a little star power within it and I think I just witnessed that in action. With his spirit lifted, the snowman looked over his shoulders at me and with his fixed acorn smile disappeared into the river.

I dedicate this little story to all who seek some personal connection to the spirit of the season or who simply are following magic stars of their own. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Season’s Greetings from the Falls of the Ohio.

Read Full Post »

Thanksgiving Encounter at the Falls of the Ohio

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, Art and Nature, Artist at Exit 0, assemblage art, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, Found objects, lost and found, material culture, nature photography, Photograpy, recycled art, repurposed materials, sculpture, sense of place, Site specific art, Styrofoam, tagged absurdity, Art, artist at exit 0, climate change, ecostory, environmental story, Falls of the Ohio State Park, found materials, Hulk hand, man and nature, material culture, osage orange fruit, plastic, sense of place, Styrofoam, Winter's arrival on December 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Here’s a tale from my last visit to the river which happened to be a wondrous and warm Thanksgiving morning at the Falls of the Ohio. Before the family gatherings and the feasts that followed, I jumped out of bed to put in a few hours of personal time. As I recall, on this day last year it was 17 degrees and we had already experienced a snow fall. Despite Turkey Day’s balmy 70 degrees, I didn’t see many other folks out here with the exception of a few early rising fisherman who were casting for Sauger near the dam. Nobody seemed to be having much luck catching fish. I decided that I needed to start off my holiday season by doing a little holiday shopping Falls style. Meaning, no money is required…just come out here and sooner or later you will find something interesting that drifted in with the driftwood. After all, everything out here has a story connected to it. It’s finder’s keepers on the riverbank and you can cross off your gift list those particularly “hard to shop for” loved ones in practically no time at all! First, you need a shopping cart and after searching around I found this…see above picture. Despite its small size…I decided to pass on this find because the missing wheels would just get in the way. I decided that one of my many collecting bags would have to suffice. So, what kinds of things stood out on this day?

I came across many fruits from the Osage-orange tree (Maclura pomifera). I love their glowing color and weird surfaces that remind me of brains. A squirrel was eating one when I approached. I have heard of people who put these fruits in their closets and trunks to keep insect pests away from their out of season clothes. People do collect and sell these soft ball size fruits for this purpose. Osage-orange trees have quite a few other nicknames including: hedge apple, monkey ball, horse apple, mock orange, and yellow-wood. Potentially this orb could be a stocking stuffer for an organically inclined friend or two? Our next item was found waiting for me on the wet and slimy fossil beds. The rocks were so slick, I had trouble remaining upright as I approached the mystery object.

Here’s something else sporting an unusual shade of green. As gentle river waves lapped the exposed limestone fossil beds…something that looked like a large fist presented itself lying next to driftwood logs. As I suspected when I first spotted this item…it was a toy “Hulk” hand. Essentially, this is an over-sized, comic book character, soft boxing glove that a child could insert their own hand within when their inner Bruce Bannon gets overwhelmed by their raging Hulk persona! Smashing could then ensue. I considered dropping this into the collecting bag, but it was so heavily saturated with river water. Still, definitely a pop culture item that would be appreciated once the darned thing dried out. I’ll come back to this later, unless someone who wants it more takes it home first!

After I did my rounds around the Willow Habitat, I headed for my outdoor studio under the trees. I had stashed two large chunks of found Styrofoam at my site that had floated into the park earlier in the spring with this year’s flooding. I had to wait months for the largest piece to thoroughly dry out before I could even attempt to lift it. These larger chunks may originally have been parts of boat docks which do absorb water while retaining buoyancy. As I was imagining what I could make with this material, a stranger approached me. I was so rapt upon my polystyrene pair that I had let my usual guard down.

“Excuse me…I don’t mean to disturb or startle you, but do you mind if I ask you a question?” I’m sure I must have had that slack-jawed look of amazement on my face! The absurd looking persona in front of me was much taller than myself. I estimated he was at least 6 feet 5 inches or even slightly taller than that. Dressed all in white, he had a large nose and two eyes that were different colors on an otherwise huge head. Over one of his shoulders he was carrying a snow shovel that was missing half its snow blade. I did my best to gather my wits and replied in a slightly cracked voice…”Sure, what’s your question?” It’s not that unusual for people (especially children) who see me out here to wonder about what I’m doing?

“Can you hear that?” asked the giant. I’m sure I looked puzzled and so he repeated the question. I then stood still and listened and replied that all I heard were the local birds moving through the trees. I had noticed earlier that the chickadees, kinglets, and woodpeckers and other seasonable birds had been especially active on this beautiful day. My large “friend”, however, said that it wasn’t the birds he was hearing but rather something more abstract than that. My response was to ask him what he was hearing that seemed beyond the threshold of my own hearing (which is no mean feat these days)? The big guy gave a one word response to me and it was…”Winter”.

The big guy had this wistful look upon his strange visage and he said, “Winter is coming my friend and that is what I hear.” He then continued, “This year is nearly history now and all it’s good, bad, and indifferent moments will be covered up by a cold, white blanket of forgetfulness.” I’m sure he was right about that, but it did seem odd considering it was 70 degrees outside today!

I asked my new acquaintance if he thought this was going to be a particularly tough winter since he seemed to be presenting himself as something of an authority on the subject?

He replied, “That’s difficult to say considering all the weather patterns and all the factors that generate the weather are in a state of flux.” He continued, “It’s been many, many years since I’ve seen the planet be this confused. I have been wandering the land gathering clues and I’m afraid, that I can’t give you an accurate forecast. The only thing I’m sure of is that at some point winter will arrive and I will be out here to meet it.”

My own thoughts turned to an episode of Falls of the Ohio history. This whole river valley was originally sculpted by one of the last glaciers at the close of the last Ice Age. You can even find deposits of gravel here that date from that period thousands of years a go.

I had to ask this Styro-Snow Shovel Man if he believed the changes in the weather had something to do with our species’ activities? “Well”, he said…”there are a lot of you on the planet now and as a group, you don’t seem very concerned about what’s happening in the big scheme of things.” I reluctantly had to agree with him. I have my own anecdotal information gleaned from this park to back up my own thoughts on the subject. At the time of this writing, many of the world’s leaders are meeting in Paris to try to decide if any changes could be made that might help reduce the impact of our overall activities. I remain open and hope a positive consensus can be reached. Like the approach of winter…we shall see. With Thanksgiving waiting for me…I said my good byes and left my new friend standing in the park. Perhaps I will see him again…after the first snowflake falls?

Read Full Post »

Eric’s Universal Bio Fuel Machine

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, Art and Nature, assemblage art, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, Found objects, Green, material culture, Ohio River, photography, plastic, public art, recycled art, repurposed art, repurposed materials, sculpture, sense of place, Styrofoam, tagged absurd story, Art, artificial and natural, artist at exit o, bio fuel, energy machine, environmental machine, environmental story, Falls of the Ohio, finding one's purpose, found wax, material culture, photography, plastic junk, sense of place, Styrofoam on November 15, 2015| 8 Comments »

When I received the call from my friend Eric, I was already heading to the Falls of the Ohio. A simply gorgeous autumn day was upon us and the smell of freshly dropped leaves perfumed the air near the river. Soon we would experience our first full frost that would truly signal an end to the warm days and the coming cold, grayness ahead of us. For now, everything seemed perfect and both man and animals reveled in being outside. Like so many of my friends, Eric is a bit of an eccentric. He’s highly creative, full of surprises, but has difficulty at times channeling his enthusiasms into something positive and useful. I can somewhat relate to that and perhaps this forms the basis of our friendship? The plan was to meet at my outdoor atelier under the willow trees so he could show me his latest invention and sure enough…I found Eric standing next to what looked like some kind of unusual machine. Eric was fiddling with the various gizmos, dials, and buttons when I greeted him.

My friend was excited to see me and rushed to shake my hand. He spoke to me in out of breath fashion until I told him to relax and slow down. Of course, I was curious to learn what he was up to. Eric told me that he thought he had the answer to all the world’s energy problems and it took the form of this contraption that clearly looked like it was cobbled together from secondhand junk. Eric called me because he wanted a witness to observe a demonstration of his device’s capabilities. If all went well, Eric intended to send the plans for his latest invention to the patent office and from there who knew? Filled with curiosity, I asked Eric what was the function of his machine and how exactly did it work?

To back track a bit, here is a fuller description of the look of this device. The main body of the machine was boxy and covered with a white insulating material. All sides of the box were embellished with tubes, light bulbs, vials of mysterious fluids, gears, pulleys, dials, levers, and what appeared to be radiator panels for keeping the machine cool while it operated. A large yellow hose protruded from the back of the machine. In the front where the operator did his “thing” was a “hopper” where material could be fed into the machine. A large, clear, horizontally mounted bottle introduced water into the process. The whole contraption was mounted on four wheels which made it a mobile power plant that could be moved to any location that was required. Now, I’m not a scientist and so a lot of what Eric told me I frankly did not understand, but in short, here is what the machine did along with its practical applications. The purpose of the machine as Eric explained it to me was to produce “UBF” or Universal Bio Fuel which my friend believed would not only make us energy self-sufficient, but would also solve the world’s hunger problems as well! Anything organic could be fed into the “hopper” and as a way of demonstration…Eric picked up a large arm load of dried leaves and stuck them into the cup and fired up his machine. One of the beautiful things about his invention was that it operated on the fuel that it produced. The next stage occurred within the bowels of this odd mechanism. I could hear sounds of the leaves being broken down, ground up and masticated into mush. Water, various enzymes, acids, and yes…bacterial cultures were introduced into this leaf mash. As this bolus moved through various internal chambers, the mash would ferment and in quick order convert into “UBF”. The desired product has a waxy consistency when cool. Eric’s machine not only could produce “UBF” to be utilized for industrial needs, but also had a soft-serve function where it could be doled out like some nutritious, but hardly tasty ice cream. Flavoring could come later. According to Eric, apart from a cheese-like odor, very little waste would result…so complete were the reactions that created the “UBF”.

As I watch, I’m thinking the machine is working as intended, but soon notice that Eric is frantically operating the buttons and dials and a small puff of white smoke emanates from his machine. He quickly runs to the yellow hose where a small bowl for receiving the “UBF” has turned over on its side. Too much of the precious bio fuel is being produced and is spilling forth and coagulating on the ground. I ask is there anything I can do, but Eric doesn’t hear me and for some unknown reason takes the following rash action.

Eric grabs the end of the hose and sticks it into his mouth! I hear a guzzling sound as he swallows a massive amount of the surplus “UBF”. He then runs to the front of the machine and hits the button that stops all the reactions. Why Eric did not do this first is due to the fact that he panicked. He told me that in his mind, he heard his inner voice saying that this fuel is precious and should not be wasted. Eric had a dazed look upon his face and then the oddest thing happened…all the hairs on his head stood straight up and they remained that way!

Exhausted and over-wrought, Eric decides to call it a day. He leaves his bio fuel extracting machine where it stands and with assistance from me…we head for home. Eric is a persistent fellow and with his mission to solve the planet’s energy needs… I know this latest setback will not keep him down for long.

Sure enough, about a week later, I run into my mad scientist friend back at the Falls of the Ohio on another beautiful day. As it turned out…this hair-raising experience was permanent. The “UBF” is such a rich mixture and the full physiological effects of eating such a large dose are unknown. Certainly, he had eaten more than a minimum, recommended serving which according to plan was to be determined later. Just a little bio fuel goes a long way. Luckily for Eric, there were no other scary after effects. Undaunted, Eric is willing to try his machine again soon, but first he had to clean it out and replenish his water supply. On this day, I find him waste deep in a stagnant pool of water. He has adjusted his hose by placing one end into the water and the other end delivers liquid into the hopper. This is required to flush all the enzymes and other residues out of his bio fuel plant.

As he tinkers with his contraption we converse. Eric told me that he has a lot more to learn about which organic materials produce the most energy. I ask him if by organic, would that also include plastic and a lot of other waste products and detritus that our current technologies produce? He’s intrigued by the question and thinks plastic by-products could work to create energy although he doesn’t think they would have much food value. I nod my head in agreement.

I don’t know if Eric was ultimately successful in earning his hoped for patent. I didn’t hear what happened the other times he tested his machine. I know he places a lot of faith in technology and believes that it will save us in the long run. Of course, reality is more complicated than that. Part of me fears that if he was successful in his quest…some large corporation would just buy him out and warehouse the solution until they could profit from it. What I appreciate about Eric is that he never talked about money or getting rich. There simply are great problems out there in the wider world and he finds fulfillment in trying to resolve them. Working on his machine has given Eric a renewed sense of purpose. As I contemplate the prismatic colors on the surface of the water…I hope Eric finds an answer. Until next time from the Falls of the Ohio.

Read Full Post »

Trick or Treat River Finds

Posted in Absurd, art and environment, Artist at Exit 0, assemblage art, collections, Falls of the Ohio, Found objects, material culture, Ohio River flooding, photography, plastic, sense of place, unusual collection, tagged Art, artist at exit 0, black cats, candy carrier, Falls of the Ohio, found objects, Halloween, Halloween novelties, Jack-o-lanterns, material culture, odd collections, Ohio River, plastic novelties, pumpkins, skulls on October 30, 2015| 5 Comments »

My images have been chosen and I’m writing quickly to create this Halloween-themed post before the big day arrives in our country. Meaning I have until tomorrow to post this if I want this story to be relevant to the day at all! 2015 was a very good year for finding Halloween related junk at the Falls of the Ohio. Some of this stuff I’ve saved into a small collection and the rest of my discoveries are preserved digitally. I have long since moved from the position that I need to save every physical object that I come across. Most of the time, having the picture is good enough.

The two bouts of flooding that we had during the Spring washed all manner of goodies into the park. It was an especially good year for plastic jack-o-lanterns. These common objects are essentially a plastic bowl for receiving and holding trick or treat candy. Naturally, real jack-o-lanterns are carved and hollowed out pumpkins that are illuminated from within often using candle power. I’m always surprised by the variety of plastic jack-o-lanterns that I have come across. This example was photographed as I encountered it…upside down and laying on top of the sand.

Here’s one that was crushed by the flood and some passerby hooked it onto a branched log. Here’s another plastic jack-o-lantern deposited by the river, but this one is much smaller.

Over the years, I have found many Halloween novelties including other containers for holding the precious bounty of candy. The jack-o-lantern form, however, is overwhelmingly the most popular. This year, I did find two different forms. Here is one that is the head from an unlucky black cat!

Now for a black plastic witch’s cooking pot that I nearly overlooked resting in the driftwood. The witch is dancing in silhouette next to her fire.

I even came across the remains of a mask. Costumes are a big part of Halloween and I don’t find many of them at the Falls. This one was pretty muddy, but after cleaning it up a bit…I saw that it was a devil’s mask made from a soft foam.

Okay, let’s look at a couple of shots of assembled river finds. This one has a variety of different character references.

This shot has a little bit of everything including vampire teeth, Shrek, Frankenstein’s head, a skull, a witch’s head, and a couple of scarecrows that also have a Halloween connotation.

Owls also are iconic to Halloween. Here I offer three found plastic bottles in the shape of owls. The big red one was found in 2015 and the other two are earlier.

Most of these are associated with candy novelties, but not all. I put this collection together at home when I noticed I had so many jack-o-lanterns in my various collecting bags.

Can’t say until now that there is actually a Halloween-themed chap stick that you can purchase. I am not likely to run across many of these along the riverbank.

I threw this guy into here because I like how expressive his face is. Some of that is due to the dark river patina it has acquired being in the water for a while. No doubt, I will keep running into this stuff at the Falls of the Ohio and I will try to document and or collect as I go along. One last image from this year…earlier I was doing site specific assemblages using found colorful plastic elements. Here is a detail of one piece I made and look who is taking pride of place? Happy Halloween everybody…be safe and have fun. See you in November!

Read Full Post »

Green Bottles Revisited

Posted in art and environment, Art and Nature, Artist at Exit 0, assemblage art, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, Installation, lost sandals, material culture, nature, Ohio River, photography, plastic, Plastic art, public art, recycled art, repurposed art, repurposed materials, sense of place, watershed, tagged Art, art and nature, art and the environment, artist at exit 0, assemblage art, driftwood mound, Falls of the Ohio, green plastic bottles, lost and found, material culture, photography, sense of place, snow globe on October 26, 2015| Leave a Comment »

That big summer rush is over now. The Interpretive Center panel is finished and this past Saturday, I picked up all the works I had on display at Eastern Kentucky University. I now have no other plans for my art which feels good for a change. I like staying busy, but don’t want to be so on the go that I don’t enjoy what I do. Art is one of those things we eat greedily until it time to move over to the next course. The process of creating and displaying new works has become such a consumptive activity on its own and it’s funny that I don’t hear more artists talking about the good and bad aspects of this. With this officially being Autumn, I went looking for traces of color at the Falls of the Ohio.

I showed up under the old railroad bridge with a mostly empty collecting bag. At this time of year, it isn’t so much the interesting objects that just floated in here with the latest flood, but rather the interesting items that have come to the surface after all this driftwood started to break down. As proof, I offer this recently discovered snow globe or dome. It’s too hard to see from my image, but there is a winter holiday scene inside the dome! It will be cold soon enough and Christmas as well. I’m all set with this little decoration that still has bits and pieces of fake snow inside.

Today I have no plan other than to wander. As luck would have it, I revisited an area that I haven’t checked out in the past 2 1/2 months. One of my favorite pieces I made this year involves setting up green plastic bottles inside an old boat dock that was deposited on top of the driftwood pile and that happens to be in this spot. When I was here last, the vines had pretty much ensnared and intertwined with all this wood and made walking a bit treacherous. All the greenery from those vines is now history, but the woody stems are still a tripping hazard. Coming across my piece from earlier in the year…I decided to reconstruct it as best I could. All the bottles were still here and the light was looking especially good.

Under the wooden dock are four compartments that I filled with the bottles. They can only be seen from this side and so this piece has evaded detection for the most part because it is not visible from the path that skirts the periphery of this driftwood mound. I just happen to like how the light gets concentrated within these green plastic bottles and activates the work in just the right conditions. The wooden compartments add a little structure to what would be generally be thought of as a chaotic composition.

Although we still have plenty of “green” in the environment. You can also see where “yellowing” is happening with the foliage. I expect as the season wears on and transitions to another that this Green Bottle piece will subtly change over time.

Walking over the mound, I came across an area that was completely obscured by vines a few weeks a go. What I uncovered in place was a series of found flip flop sandals I had parked here until a better idea showed up. For now, I record the lightweight shoes and move on. It might be transformed into something different the next time I pass this way.

The cottonwood trees that flank part of this driftwood mound are much “yellower” than before. When I first came out here during the month of May, everything around me was verdant and dark green. After setting this piece up again for the second time, I turned and walked away and cleared my head by walking to the riverbank. I will periodically stop by here and maybe after a few months will be able to create a series of images documenting this site specific assemblage as it changes with the seasons. For now, I will check out if the fishermen are having any luck…at the Falls of the Ohio.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog

Art and images from the Falls of the Ohio.

Archive for the ‘assemblage art’ Category

On the Trail of the Red-eyed Tortoise

Plastic Rainbow Arrangement with Fred Flintstone too!

Two Arrangements in Plastic

First Snow of 2016

New Exhibits at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center

Finding the Spirit of the Season

Thanksgiving Encounter at the Falls of the Ohio

Eric’s Universal Bio Fuel Machine

Trick or Treat River Finds

Green Bottles Revisited

Archives

Categories

Pages

Art and images from the Falls of the Ohio.

Archive for the ‘assemblage art’ Category

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Archives

Categories

Pages