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The Sun is Up and the River is Down

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, art process, birds, creative process, driftwood, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, nature, outdoor art studio, photography, recycled materials, sense of place, Styrofoam on February 9, 2013| 11 Comments »

The sun is up and this is supposed to be the pick of the weekend. So, a quick breakfast and cup of coffee and I’m out the door as soon as I can manage it. I arrive at the Falls and there is still frost on the driftwood which vanishes except where the deep shadows shade the tiny ice crystals from the warmth of the light. The Ohio River is noticeably down and I find a way to access the narrow sliver of land that is now high and dry…well nearly. An occasional patch of sticky mud remains where a pool of water lingered longer than the rest of the river did.

I brought a large and empty collecting bag. I’m anticipating finding some river treasures to fill it… which I do by day’s end. As expected, the landscape is different, but the same. Meaning there is lots of driftwood in a wide variety of sizes with plenty of other junk mixed in. What is different is the exact context that had existed before is now rearranged. Big logs have floated to new positions and have been added to by wood originating upstream from Louisville and southern Indiana. I feel slightly guilty enjoying such a sunny day when I have friends on the east coast that are covered by the deep snow that fell yesterday.

During bouts of high water, stuff gets snagged in tree branches. I do a little promenade through this frayed rope archway formed by the river. It’s muddier under the railroad bridge, but the biggest tangle of catch-all driftwood is also here. My site is just over this wooden mound and I wonder how it has fared?

Along the way, I keep an eye out for birds like this female Downy Woodpecker investigating the furrows in tree bark. I see a Belted Kingfisher, a Red-winged Blackbird, flocks of Canada Geese which are year round residents, Carolina Chickadees, and a Peregrine Falcon flying parallel with the river. Usually, nature’s colors are subtle this time of year, but I also find this silly bird. It’s bright non-naturalistic color is a quick tip-off that it is probably made from plastic.

I find lots of other plastic items particularly toys, but I will wait until later in the week to post those finds. I did pick up this lucky duck to add to my expanding collection. I like the two walnuts next to the duck. How often have I used walnuts as a gauge for scale?

We are nearly there…just under the willow trees. Be careful of stepping on milled boards for they are the ones harboring bent and rusty nails. The sun has climbed higher in the sky and I’m getting warmer. This bear hat of mine is getting hotter, but I am glad I had it with me earlier in the day.

We have arrived…this is my old spot. I guess I was partly right. The river did reach my outdoor studio, but the water didn’t spread last year’s Styrofoam too widely. The riverbank is slightly higher here and that makes a difference. Walking carefully over the driftwood, I search over and under the wood. Before too long, I am able to corral my wayward polystyrene. I do a little “house keeping” and try to create a semblance of order under the willow trees.

I find not only much of last year’s Styrofoam, but some new pieces as well. I empty out my collecting bag and add to the pile. Interestingly, I did not find any really big sections and hopefully that bodes well for the river at large. Some of the pieces I have here I have recycled many times before to make new figures. I will try to embed these bright white shapes into my subconscious with the hope of creating new and interesting combinations with them. I’m going to leave it here for now. My next post will be a show and tell featuring some of the other items I picked up along the way and put into the old collecting bag. See you then?

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In Snow Cock Country

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, Art, art and environment, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, nature, nature photography, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, art and nature, artist at exit 0, birding, context, creative ornithology, Falls of the Ohio, nature, nature story, photography, recycled art, Styrofoam on February 4, 2013| 12 Comments »

The Ohio River at the Falls of the Ohio is even higher now since my last visit with the fishermen. We have had some wild weather in the interim. First it gets unseasonably warm and then a cold front collides with a wet weather system originating in the Gulf of Mexico. The results of this can be very dangerous as this is the perfect recipe for a tornado outbreak which did occur south of here. My family was awakened to the sound of tornado warning sirens at 4:30ish in the morning. We began that day in the basement of our house which was a rude awakening even for the family dog. Luckily, we didn’t experience any damage although it rained hard and was very windy. And after the cold front blasted through it became extremely cold and was followed by snow. I think we have seen the gamut of winter weather and I was glad to hear the “groundhog” did not see its shadow in Pennsylvania meaning that winter would come to a normal end this year. That is if you believe animals can predict the weather?

I am certain this time that my outdoor studio under the willows is history by now. The Ohio River has claimed the spot and my cache of art materials. Unfortunately, there is a ready re-supply floating in the water. It seems I begin many a post with what amounts to a weather report, but please bear with me. My blog concerns itself with the local conditions which are the context that my adventures and stories are set in. I’m also amazed and concerned that I can detect variations in our weather patterns having lived in this area for so long. Much of the time I feel I’m bearing witness to events of importance to us all. What is happening here is also occurring in other places in the world. As I was walking through the woods on this day, I was surprised by the bird life I was encountering when I expected to see nearly nothing. My Eastern Bluebird friends were still hanging around and they had company. I saw White-breasted Nuthatches, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Brown Tree Creepers and many more especially near the river’s expanding edge. I also saw and photographed another amazing bird which makes up the bulk of this post.

Fellow bird watchers had put the alert out that an unusual visitor was seen hanging out at the Falls. A young, male Snow Cock was seen near the Woodland Loop Trail which is a bird not seen in these parts since the late 19th century. As you can imagine this is a northern bird used to the cold and snow…in fact it depends upon these conditions for its survival. The Snow Cock (like some ptarmigan species) turns nearly white in winter. The rest of the year it sports plumage that is more like leaf camouflage. Regardless of the season, the Snow Cock is a cryptic animal and is shy and retiring. Except of course when it’s time to choose a mate when the males make it a point to be as noticeable to their own kind as possible. I was hoping the bad weather would cause this wayward Snow Cock to linger and I was rewarded by its presence. I took as many photographs as possible. I have a feeling that I won’t ever see this exact species out here again.

The Snow Cock is also called the “Snow Turkey” and “Styro-grouse” because of the large fan of tail feathers it uses for courtship displays. That’s how I found this particular bird which wasn’t all that wary. The young male was rehearsing his dance and song and establishing a lek or territory where he would fight other males for the attention of the females. Although this bird wasn’t going to hang out at the Falls forever, it was nevertheless, practicing this important survival skill. Other interesting field marks included a head crest, an unusual beard growing from his chest, and a long bill for seeds and insects.

I watched the Snow Cock look for just the right spot to strut its stuff. It was frequently hopping from one vantage point (usually a tall stump) to the ground and back. The call of the Snow Cock as you might guess is very chicken-like and not particularly beautiful in its own right. To my eye, it seemed very interested in the water which was noticeably spreading over the land. This might be the first flood it has ever experienced?

I kept my distance from the bird and quietly followed it through the woods. I observed it drinking from melting ice and I left it be hanging out near a large Osage Orange tree along the trail’s path. The wind was beginning to pick up again and more flakes were in the air. Despite wearing good gloves, my finger tips were cold and painful. I decided that now was a good time to go home and I did. I hope the next time I’m out here that the conditions will be more favorable for an extended visit. I had one other small surprise waiting for me along the Woodland Loop Trail. I passed the spot by the creek where I watched the fishermen catch sauger and was amazed and amused that the figure I had made from river junk that day was still there! He was missing his nose, but otherwise he was intact. I guess the fishermen appreciated him as I do you for tagging along on another adventure at the Falls of the Ohio.

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Sauger Saturday

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, Ohio River, recycled art, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, artistatexit0, Eastern bluebird, Falls of the Ohio, muddy waters, nature, photography, recycled art, sauger fishing, sense of place, Styrofoam on January 20, 2013| 11 Comments »

Today has been a full day. The Project Reclamation art exhibition I participated in is officially over for now. I picked up my work from the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany and moved on. Efforts are underway to see if this might make a traveling exhibit that university galleries might be interested in booking. I hope so. Having organized many art exhibits over the years I understand how much work goes into the process of creating a good display. Once a show ends, I often had this feeling that lots of energies and passion were spent by the artist(s) and gallery for a relatively short amount of time and then it’s on to new art and the next exhibition. We consume exhibits like we experience so many other things in life. I think this is one reason why I enjoy this Falls project so much. It exists outside the normal gallery conventions and isn’t bound by white walls, pedestals, labels, and consignment forms. The show is ongoing in the context of life at large.

With my artworks in the back of my car…I stopped by the Falls of the Ohio State Park. The Ohio River has been up due to rain and snow in the northern part of the Ohio River Valley. Under the railroad bridge you can get a good sense for the strength of the current. New driftwood was accumulating and enlarging the wood already present. I could also see a lot of man-made junk intermixed among the natural debris.

Just beyond the distant trees in the above image is the approximate location of my outdoor studio. My “treasure trove” of river-polished polystyrene chunks that I have gathered over the past year may or may not still be there? Once the river level drops, I will be able to access my spot again. Regardless, the area will be rearranged by the river…it will be the same, just different if that makes any sense at all? I may even be able to relocate some of the Styrofoam if it hasn’t floated too far away. From experience, I know whatever I may have lost is unfortunately too easily replaced.

With my usual access points underwater, I explored the river’s edge just west of the Interpretive Center. Along the way, I found enough materials to create this Styro-Witness to help me experience and document the day. Although it was a very sunny day, it was still cool and windy. The river’s high level had me walking among the bottom land trees and walking over the logs that had been deposited here by previous floods. Every once in a while, I would walk into cold water hiding under last year’s leaves as the river creeps inland. The squeaky sound of wood rubbing over wood as logs rolled in the waves was occasionally interrupted by loud cracks as branches were separated from tree trunks.

I was anticipating seeing ducks and geese, but none were around today. The Ring-billed Gulls that were so numerous a couple of weeks a go were less prevalent on this day. Just when I thought I might strike out with the birds…I had another personally notable sighting. I observed three Eastern bluebirds engaging in “fly-catching” behavior flying from their respective perches to the ground and back. I couldn’t see any insects at all, but I did see spider silk tangled among the branches and perhaps this is what they found here? Anyway, the Eastern Bluebird is listed in the park’s checklist as being rarely found at the Falls of the Ohio State Park and in the ten years I’ve been paying attention…these are the first bluebirds I have seen here. It’s really cold up north now and heading our way. Were these birds driven here by that frigid weather? Regardless, I wouldn’t have guessed that mid January would be the time I would sight bluebirds here. Their wonderful predominantly deep blue feathers were complimented by the orange and white on their breasts.

This wooden pallet has been snagged in the branches of this tree for at least a year now. I use it as a reference for how high the river can get. In the early days of this project, I recall seeing an old refrigerator perched in the top of a tree courtesy of the Ohio River at flood stage. Seeing an appliance crowning a tree top is a surreal sight not easily forgotten. I kept walking westward with my latest creation and eventually reached the limit of my walk.

The Woodland Loop Trail eventually turns at a small creek that feeds into the river. Here I found about ten fishermen casting their lines into the high water. I decided to sit for a spell and watch while making small adjustments to my newest figure.

These fishermen were casting small, bright green and yellow, soft-bodied, tailed jigs into the creek and having amazing success. All of them were catching Sauger which is a member of the Perch family and smaller cousin to the Walleye.

Sauger are predatory fish and have sharp teeth. Their eyes seem to glow whenever light hits them just the right way and underscores that they normally live in deep, dark water. Sauger eyes have adapted to gather as much light as possible in the depths. Apparently, they are very fine eating and all of the fisherman I observed were filling stringers of fish. Most of the fish I saw being caught were thick-bodied and in the two to three-pound range although they are also capable of getting bigger. The fishermen were having the best time and there was obvious camaraderie among them especially since everyone was catching fish. I had a good time too, but it got to the point of my adventure when it was time to get home and intersect with the family. I stuck my Styro-figure into the soft wood of the log I was sitting on, took one last photograph, and walked away.

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Unusual Flora at the Falls of the Ohio

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, collections, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Originality, recycled art, tagged Art, art and the environment, artist at exit 0, environmental story, Falls of the Ohio, nature, photography, plastic, plastic plants, pollution, satirical botany, the environment on January 13, 2013| 8 Comments »

It’s been raining off and on for the past three days and so I’ve decided to give the actual Falls of the Ohio a pass this weekend. That, however, does not mean that my heart and thoughts are ever far from the park. Looking through my Falls image archive, I have put together a post on a topic that has been concerning me of late. Increasingly, we feel we can manipulate nature and bend it to our desires without consequences. Man has this vision that we can force nature into our template and that “she” will obey in predictable, obedient ways. Ever see a square tomato grown in a cube? Nature, however, is much more dynamic than we give her credit for and frequently presents ideas of her own. As regular followers of the riverblog may have noticed new fauna often show up here and the consensus is that their appearance is a result of our altering the environment in myriad ways. Over the last few years, I have also noticed some previously unknown plants. Allow me to present a photo-bouquet of highly questionable, potentially toxic, exotic flora.

Meet the Chemical Rose which is a new species I discovered at the Falls last year. It was found growing by an area where an unknown iridescent sheen was percolating up through the sand. It has no leaves and aside from its thorny stem, has no photosynthetic ability. This is a fairly consistent trait of these new plants. They may be parasitic or fungal-like, but I’m sure there is considerable variation on how they live. The petals on the Chemical Rose are hard and seem very much like plastic. More on this later.

It’s beautiful in its own way, but what is it? For lack of a better name, I call this a Sand Lotus. It shares some characteristics with the Chemical Rose. Notice no leaves…doesn’t need them. It’s roots go down deep in the sand. Like the previous rose, its petals are hard to withstand the rigors of the river.

I bet I walked by this strange plant many times before something told me to look again. I call this one the Petrochemical Coleus. Although it has green leaves, it does not possess chlorophyll. This specimen was growing up through the driftwood. It’s small size also makes this one hard to see and find.

Here’s the Flame Nut so-named because what passes for its foliage turns bright red when its seeds mature. Its leaves feel very much like coarse fabric and it seems to prefer sandy environments as well.

This interesting and dare I say “lovely” flower is the Faux Pink Bell. It combines characteristics of several of the mutant plants I’ve uncovered. It possesses hard plastic parts as well as the softer, synthetic petals that are fabric-like. It grows in highly disturbed, contaminated soils. Which brings me to a theory I’ve been formulating ever since I first discovered these strange plants. Although I’ve not done a chemical analysis on them, their resemblance to plastic can not be coincidental? Plastic is after all organic by definition. Plastic is derived from petroleum which is an extract from ancient life and I think there is something in the long memory of life that is presenting itself here? We know that our traditional plastics keep breaking down to the micro level. These really small particles are absorbed by living tissues. Is it possible that this plastic pollution is altering life in reaction to the many changes brought about through man’s activities? Can the long polymer chains connect with DNA? In effect, Nature is demonstrating that it is even more plastic by molding and forming new species to harmonize with the changed environment.

I came across the Polymer Posy growing in the mud. I believe this is as much fungus as anything else or a new theory has been presented. Perhaps this is a carnivorous plant that traps and eats insects? Upon inspection, there are small entry ways along its base that invite small insects like ants to go inside.

Growing out of the wood chips is this botanical novelty I’ve designated the Yellow Bittercup. Again, no leaves required. This flower can appear anytime of the year. I came across this one last summer.

The Orange Forget-me-not is indeed memorable. It is encountered among the driftwood and may in effect break down cellulose to create its own plastic structure. The holes in the flower trap, strain, and direct moisture and nutrients to its shallow root system. And now for something really spectacular in a twisted way.

I did a massive double take upon encountering the Polyvinyl Palm growing from the poor rocky soil in the western section of the park. This is easily the largest of the new plants I’ve stumbled upon in my wanderings. I had hoped to study it more, but another visitor to the park collected it. We have discovered that it is possible to change the chemical composition of the atmosphere through our combined activities. I believe we are simultaneously altering through chemistry the very organisms that inhabit this world with us with unintended consequences. How long will it take before we change ourselves into something different as well?

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Touching Base

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, nature photography, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, art and the environment, artist at exit 0, bowling ball, driftwood, Falls of the Ohio, flotsam and jetsam, found objects, lost and found, nature, peanut butter, photography, plastic Santa, recycled art, Styrofoam on January 6, 2013| 18 Comments »

It’s a new year at the Falls of the Ohio and this is my first foray of 2013. As expected, I have the park to myself. It’s cold, but not unbearable. I can tell that the river has risen and fallen since I last set foot here. The riverbank is rearranged with freshly deposited driftwood and junk. The only wildlife to be encountered are birds. I see the geese and ducks I expect to see, but the stars of the day are the hundreds of Ring-billed gulls that are flying over the river. I begin my visit by walking the riverbank looking for potential art materials and anything else of interest. I do find lots of new Styrofoam, but the pieces are heavy and frozen with water and too much to carry. If the river doesn’t rise again soon, I may get the chance to move the bigger polystyrene chunks to my studio under the willows. Walking the shoreline, here are a few of the other “gifts” I encountered courtesy of the Ohio River.

Half buried in coal dust and gravel is this plastic, scary Santa Claus. I know we just celebrated Christmas, but I couldn’t resist posting this image. He looks old to me and I pull him out of the mud and drop him into my collecting bag. I may try to research him and see if I can find any info about him. On this day, I also found another doll head.

I’m always finding dolls and doll parts. The interesting thing about this particular find is the location. I have on other occasions also found old doll parts in the exact same place. I’m beginning to believe that prior to this area becoming a park it may have served as a landfill? In other areas of the park it is clear that this area was used as a dump from the amount of back fill I come across. Nearby, something blue in the sand catches my eye and I take a look.

In case you were wondering, bowling balls do float. I turned the beautiful blue-marbled surface over and discover that this ball has split in half. The interior is made of a dense, hard foam and this is the reason these balls are buoyant. The outer covering is a very hard plastic and I’m wondering how great a force is needed to break one of these balls open? I imagine it is considerable and is another reminder of the power of the river. Here’s one last find before moving on.

As I walked the riverbank, this jar of peanut butter was deposited by my feet! I wonder where this came from? Near the river’s edge I’m also picking up freshly peeled willow sticks. This is evidence that beavers are in the area. The sticks all bear their teeth marks as they nibble the bark for food. Beavers are very secretive and I have only seen them twice in the past ten years. I like willow wood for its ivory color and use them quite a bit in my river sculptures. I wonder if beavers would like peanut butter?

After scouting the river I head up the bank to the area under the willow trees that I have been using as an outdoor studio for the past year. This ground is slightly higher, but is no match for a flooding river. I have made many temporary studios over the years where I cache the Styrofoam and sticks I use for my figurative sculptures. It’s been perhaps two months since I last visited this spot, but to my eye, not much has changed. I set my collecting bag and walking stick down and select a couple of pieces of Styrofoam for my first figure of the new year.

Before too long, a new figure takes form. Today, I’m breaking in a new knife because I lost my trusty Swiss Army knife out here. That’s two knives I’ve lost since beginning this project and think of my losses as tribute necessary to appease the river gods. My new figure also sports one other find from this day…it’s a button that says “Kentucky is My Land”.

After saying so long to his kin, my latest and unnamed Styro-figure sets out to explore his world. The day started out sunny, but now has turned gray and cloudy. I probably won’t stay out here much longer since the wind has picked up a bit too.

Here is further evidence that the river has risen and fallen recently. A freshly deposited tree has been stranded on the bank and provides an opportunity for investigation. In the distance and past the railroad bridge, one can spy part of Louisville’s skyline. Curious about the tree, my newest figure climbs on top to survey the world from this vantage point.

Every day is a new wonder especially at the Falls of the Ohio. 2013 is a new year, but it also marks my tenth as the artist at exit 0. When I started my Falls project I wondered if I would be able to sustain anybody’s interest much less my own? It was fun learning from the WordPress yearly summary that my blog has been visited by people living in 103 different countries during 2012! I suppose more people now know about this special environment as a result of my activities here which is cool. The Falls are a unique window into the history of life from its past to the present. It’s a place where nature and man’s nature intersect which tells us something about who we are in this moment. I hope my blog continues to be a venue where people can get a sense that creativity can be an active force in shaping the world for the better. As for my latest creation…he decided to hang around to greet any new visitors by the fossil rocks. Perhaps by now, he has gone home with one of them? See you later from the Falls of the Ohio.

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Snow Folk

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, nature, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, artistatexit0, collective unconscious, eco-story, environmental art, environmental story, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, nature, photography, public art, recycled art, site specific art, Snowman on December 30, 2012| 16 Comments »

The last month of the year which began so warmly has finally delivered some cold and snow to the Falls of the Ohio. The newspaper says that somewhere between two to four inches fell overnight. I’m sitting in the comfort and security of my home and all is well except for that small voice in my head telling me I need to go check out the river. The voice is persistent and annoying and makes little sense on such a bitterly cold day. Naturally, I caved in simply because snow events are uncommon here of late and as a chronicler of the Falls, I have a self-appointed mission to document what happens. I also know from past experiences that these snow and ice events can be beautiful and have a way of revealing a different side of this environment. Who knows, maybe I will come across something I’ve not seen before?

Upon arriving I discovered that my way of accessing the riverbank was gone! The trusty wooden staircase that led from the parking lot to the river is completely missing and I think that some of the maintainance issues it had finally caught up with it? To compound events further I discovered that my right boot has a hole in the sole and the cold water I just stepped in has made my sock and foot a soggy, frozen distraction. I’m about ready to get back in my car when I hear that familiar voice again.

This time that voice wasn’t coming from within me, but rather just a short distance a head of me. The voice reassured me I wasn’t suffering a relapse of the flu I recently overcame! Seemingly materializing in thin air was this small, but classic version of a snowman who asked to be called “Blanche”. I suppose that makes her a snowwoman or snowperson and it’s weird the things you think about in certain moments. I would guess that the figure was about two feet tall or so. She had a fishing float for a nose, coal eyes, and bits of red plastic around her neck and mouth. Attached to her head was a rather interesting hair comb. Blanche thanked me for showing up and apologized for “getting into my head”. It was she who had called me to the river to tell me something important. As she spoke, I forgot all about the hole in my boot.

I hope I’m getting all this right because several things were happening at once. While Blanche spoke to me she was also rolling snow into three balls of graduating sizes. What she in essence told me was that while life did originate in the water…the relationship was deeper and richer than that. Water was in fact “life” and the medium where its collective unconscious resides. It is water existing from the North Pole to South Pole in all its forms like snow, rain, ice, salty, fresh, steamy, cubed, etc…that holds the memory, wisdom, and promise of life. As it turns out water also unifies life.

As I was trying to absorb what was being told to me…I snapped a few photos and hoped that the cold wouldn’t affect my digital camera. Blanche took the three balls she created and stacked them one on top of the other.

As I watched, Blanche added a gold plastic hat she found as well as an orange golf tee for a nose. As she worked Blanche hummed a song and I watched in astonishment as a second snowperson appeared before me! Blanche said his name is “Frio”.

It was the most incredible display I had ever seen! Right before my eyes the seemingly inert snow took on another form that came to life and reinforced some of Blanche’s message to me. There would be more. Frio then asked me to continue to tell the water’s story through my blog because the fate of water and life was more important than ever. It was vital that water remained as pure and clean as possible or the normal rhythm of the planet would be disturbed. He told me that the internet was something similar to the collective unconscious and the best way to send out a message to the billions of people now living on the planet. Water and life need all the friends that can be mustered to act on its behalf.

My encounter with the Snow Folk ended in song. Before Blanche and Frio headed out they sang a song to the Falls celebrating how this is a unique place on the planet where time and space intersect in interesting ways. There was a verse dedicated to me and the continued success of my project now entering its tenth year.

I was completely charmed and captivated and thanked the Snow Folk for the song. I watched them turn and walk into the river where they completely disappeared. I’m still trying to digest this experience. It’s not everyday that water speaks to you in your own language. Thankfully, I have these photographs to show you and to add weight to Blanche and Frio’s message to us. After a while, I felt the cold again and decided this time that a mug of hot chocolate or coffee would help me feel my fingers and toes again. Happy New Year to you all from the Falls of the Ohio. See you in 2013.

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Coal for Christmas

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, nature, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, tagged Art, art and the environment, artist at exit 0, coal, eco-art, Falls of the Ohio, found art materials, nature, photography, public art, site specific art, snow flake design on December 25, 2012| 9 Comments »

The coal that I find at the Falls of the Ohio looks like the image above. What I mostly come across in the park are pebble-sized stones and coarse gravel that have been polished smooth by the Ohio River. The same river processes that shapes Styrofoam and wood also alters coal. Over the last two years I have been collecting this coal off of the riverbank and creating site specific art installations and images using this fossil material. Although coal is organic and natural, what I’m finding does not belong in the Ohio River. I believe this coal comes from the commercial barge traffic delivering fuel to hydroelectric plants throughout the Ohio River Valley. During times when the river is running high, materials carried into the water seem to eventually find their way to the Falls of the Ohio.

Before getting to the heart of this post, I would like to share a few other associations I have with coal and Christmas. My Dutch mother told me stories of her childhood and St. Nicholas Eve which is celebrated earlier in the month than our Christmas. Good children might expect small toys, fruit, or candy to be placed in their shoes as gifts from the white bearded saint. If, however, you were badly behaved over the year…you ran the risk of getting coal in your shoe as punishment. St. Nicholas has a chimney sweep friend named Black Pete and he usually does the dirty work. Fortunately, my mom doesn’t recall anyone she knew who this happened to! There are times, however, when getting coal in your shoe isn’t a completely bad outcome.

My mother also recalls how important and scarce coal was one particularly bitter winter and Christmas. It also happened to be during World War II and the city of Amsterdam was occupied by foreign soldiers. I believe she said the particular year in question was 1942? When resources became scarce, people would walk the railroad tracks at night looking for chunks of coal that fell off the railroad cars. People risked their lives doing this. Found coal would be burned in home stoves to keep everyone warm. When coal wasn’t available wood was burned next. My mom remembers that by war’s end, every wooden piece of furniture in the entire apartment was cut up and burned for heating and cooking purposes. Back then, a bag of coal would have been as fine a gift as receiving an orange or piece of chocolate. The times have really changed since then.

It’s becoming more difficult for me to believe that the events of 1942 occurred seventy years a go! Since then, the peace was won (for a short time) and the western economies thrived and grew on cheap and abundant fossil fuels. If populations had stayed relatively the same size, perhaps we wouldn’t be noticing the effects burning those fossil fuels have had on the environment? But the world’s population grew and then grew a lot more which puts pressure on all our resources. Today we live on a planet where billions of people want to live at the same standard of living that the west has squandered away. With China and India experiencing their own industrial growth moments being fueled by coal…the environment at large will surely see further damages.

Since beginning this Falls of the Ohio Project nearly ten years a go…I have created my own unique holiday cards. Every year I send something different out into the world. This helps me get into some kind of holiday spirit. Friends and family tell me that they enjoy receiving these admittedly odd cards. The last several years I have waited for the weather to get more seasonal perhaps with snow or ice present before rushing out to document the moment. As it so happens, it’s been getting warmer and warmer over the past several winters. As a whole, 2012 was our warmest year ever and the calendar page hasn’t yet turned to the new year! Our December began with temperatures in the low 70 degrees mark. Finally, the day after Christmas it has become cold enough and we may see a dusting of snow over the ground.

Currently, I have artworks (a sculpture and photo series) on display in a coal-themed exhibit at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana. While working on my projects, I had a conversation with a sculptor friend of mine who grew up in a steel making town in Pennsylvania. He recalled from his childhood that it snowed a lot during their winters, however, it didn’t take the snow long to turn from white to dull black because of all the coal soot in the air. This inspired me to envision black “snowflakes” or “coal flakes” and I began to create small site specific designs on the ground based on this idea. No two coal flakes I’ve made has been exactly the same as another.

I have located these coal flake designs in fairly public places along side walking trails mostly used by fishermen. A photograph documents each one I have made. To me, this is a form of public art and it’s interesting to see how people will react to these modest designs. Some coal flakes don’t make it because there is something else in the human spirit that needs to disturb or destroy what it doesn’t understand. Many of these designs were rubbed out nearly as quickly as I made them! By now, I’ve created enough coal flakes that it occurred to me that I had my newest holiday card theme already completed in sixteen different designs! The images in this post are just a few of the ones I sent out this year.

And so I ask myself, what am I hoping might occur by sending out these unfamiliar images? Hopefully, people will register that there is a connection between burning fossil fuels and the changing climate we are currently experiencing. The environment isn’t just something that’s out there, but is a big part of the context of our lives that we contribute something to. I also continue to hope, that people will see personal creativity as an advantage our species has over others and that we honor and use this creativity to figure out how to live harmoniously with ourselves and the planet. I feel a lot of our hyper consumption is based on low self-esteem where creativity is replaced with consumption. Here’s hoping in the new year that more people learn how to tap into their own internal resources to help aid the earth! Happy Holidays to all from the Falls of the Ohio!

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Among the Walking Trees…Another Styro-tale

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged absurd story, Art, artist at exit 0, ecostory, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, nature, photography, public art, recycled art, relational art, roots, Styrofoam, tree story, walking trees on December 7, 2012| 7 Comments »

Under the Big Tree, Nov. 2012

I have heard stories about this land and river that are supposed to be very old and have been handed down for generations. Folks back then told each other stories and that’s how things became remembered. Back then, it also wasn’t unusual to find a young one that knew their family’s history by heart and able to recite the names of all the known ancestors going back as far as people could remember. People in the old days must have been very smart and had better senses of memory than we do today. Before writing and such, I wonder if people back in the old days held jobs as living books and sources of information? But I digress… which brings me to yesterday when I encountered the most unexpected sight at the Falls of the Ohio! I first learned about this mystery as a little guy while listening to stories over a camp fire with my recent ancestors. It’s about these special trees that are rumored to live around here that have the ability to uproot themselves and move around. I didn’t believe it either and chalked it up as being another fun story like the Prince Madoc legend, but then I saw these rare trees with my own eyes! And, because these days we have cameras…I took a few snapshots of them so that you can see them too. Check this out.

Sycamore tree, roots and rocks, Nov. 2012

The old stories mention that the boundary between the earth and the water has always been a difficult place to live. It’s an extreme back and forth existence living at the margins of too much or too little. There’s not much nutrition coming out of these fabled rocks, but then again the limestone at least gives you something to hold on to. Water has a way of insinuating itself around every nook and cranny and is always testing allegiances. Around here, some of the trees have learned that they can improve their lot in life by pulling up roots and going elsewhere. You see, some trees have long memories and they know when it’s time for that great once in a thousand years flood or some other cyclical disaster to come back around. Or epic memories are shocked and encoded into the rock and soil and trees are just better at reading and interpreting what it could mean?I’m guessing that some of the trees around the Falls of the Ohio like to be prepared or are skittish or both and have begun the very gradual process of being somewhere else.

uprooting trees at the Falls of the Ohio, Nov. 2012

I came across this small mobile grove not far away from the first tree I showed you. This is an incredible response by these trees to the rise and fall of the river. The river dissolves the silt, sand, and mud away from the riverbank and exposes the tree’s rootlet toes which are always growing. Water currents and the rocking back and forth of the wind further helps loosen roots from soil. These trees are vibrating and creeping along with most of their roots on the surface with just enough tendrils into the earth to hold on to dear life. Good thing too or else one day you could find yourself swept away. I have seen it happen before as in this recent example by the creek. This tree fell into the water and will never right itself or hold the riverbank up as it formerly did and one day it will be swept away by the river to somewhere unintended.

So much water is a mixed blessing. Just enough and the trees can move a little more than usual. Too much water and they run the risk of losing control. This mixed lot of trees seems to be moving westward. Park officials have reported that there seems to be more of a sense of urgency on the trees’ part and they have picked up the pace over the last few years. I wonder how they know when and where to stop and should I be worried? Do the walking trees signify a bad omen for the future and is some environmental disaster looming ahead of us?

uprooted tree trio at the Falls of the Ohio, Nov. 2012

Of course life travels at its own speed. Our tree friends here cannot out run this year’s spent leaves gathering around their feet, but they have patience. They don’t have the same concept of time as we do. An inch or centimeter or two here and there and progress will be made even if it takes many seasons. Moving in ultra slow motion, they will either get to their intended destinations or not. Come to think about it…trees don’t have the same concept of speed either!

Tall figure under the Great Tree, Nov. 2012

Trees have their own internal logic and physics that they respond to. My tall friend here is a case in point. He’s an old cottonwood tree and long a go he too was a walking tree. You can tell from looking at these fantastic roots that buttress the tree from the river and elements. For some reason known only to the tree…he decided to stay here and put down his roots.

Over time the cottonwood thrived. Its roots held the riverbank in place and kept it from sliding into the river. With this particular tree, a small, sheltering space grew directly under the tree’s tall trunk. Visitors would bring discarded boards and other river finds ( like this large sheet of corrugated and molded plastic) to make forts and tree houses. This one site has seen plenty of play and fantasy over the many years and has always been recognized as a special tree.

This just occurred to me. What if the moving trees are just a matter of perception and they really are trying to stay in one place? What if it’s the rest of the world that is moving so quickly and constantly like one big blur and the trees are holding life in place? The walking trees have remained where they have germinated and everything else around them has quickly shifted. Because we are so near to it we don’t recognize the movement. Could time also be as fluid as water seeking out the nooks and crannies and testing allegiances too? All this head-scratching stuff is making me dizzy on such a fine day by the river.

Unbeknownst to the brown-headed philosopher under the cottonwood, but changes to our area are forthcoming. This year was the warmest year ever recorded. The environmental chess board has been set and the game is on. Pieces are moving and strategies are evolving and somewhere on the Ohio River another pawn is moving into place a little nearer to the cottonwood tree.

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Project Reclamation…Views from an Exhibition

Posted in Art, art and environment, collecting art, collections, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, nature, recycled art, watershed, tagged Appalachia, Appalshop, Art, art and the environment, art exhibition, Carnegie Center for Art and History, coal, coal mining, ecology, Mountaintop Removal, nature, needle and thread, Project Reclamation on November 23, 2012| 12 Comments »

I have had a few folks ask about the Project Reclamation exhibit I’m participating in and I thought this post would be a good place to feature this. The exhibit opened a couple of weeks a go on November 2, 2012 and will run through January 12, 2013. About a year and a half have passed since curator and artist Mary Margaret Sparks asked me to participate in this invitational exhibit. There are thirteen artists represented in this group show with a nice cross-section of projects in various media addressing the complex topic of coal its use and extraction. The Carnegie Center for Art and History located across the Ohio River from Louisville in nearby New Albany, Indiana has done a fine job of installing and interpreting the works and has planned many activities that the public can engage in to learn more about the controversial topic of coal mining through the practice of Mountaintop Removal or MTR. This is a highly destructive way to extract coal from southern Appalachia’s mountains which also endangers some of the greatest biodiversity in our part of the world in pursuit of cheap and reliable energy. To further spur the artists along, the not for profit organization Kentuckians For the Commonwealth invited the participants to Whitesburg in Letcher County, Kentucky to tour Appalshop and watch a few coal-themed documentaries. A guided tour into coal country provided additional impressions of the mountains and the folks who call this place home.

All of the participating artists had some prior interest either working with coal as a social issue or material substance before accepting the invitation to show. There is a unity in the belief that the more we degrade the environment, the more we change ourselves and not for the best. For me, my entry came through the related issue of clean fresh water which is also our number one vanishing resource. I frequently find river-altered coal at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Combining this coal gravel with discarded and river found booze bottles gave me an opportunity to work with ideas about consumption and addiction. The result was my “Mountaintop Mini-bar” sculpture, but I also have six photographs from my “Coal Flake Series” on view as well. My impression of our guided trip to coal country reinforced what I’ve previously seen and experienced. It seems to me that the people who were sacrificing their land and culture were not receiving much in the way of compensation for our quest for coal. Regrettably, this is an old tale seen time after time across the globe. People might think that this is something that only happens in distant poor countries, but we have our own share of material poverty in our own backyard.

Most of the participating artists took considered approaches that referenced and respected the uniquely rich culture of coal country. Several artists worked with traditional fiber and or needle and thread to produce their statements. Julie Yoder created a large wall installation, “Appalachian Patchwork”, assembled with woodcuts on handmade paper. Patchwork quilting is an important Appalachian art form and Yoder’s piece represents the landscape and local culture as being a composite of unique designs that have come together over time to form a whole. Mountaintop removal has a way of fragmenting this landscape and disrupting the continuity that life here depends upon for survival.

Other artists utilizing fabric, needle, and thread include Jo Ann Grimes with her sympathetic portrayals of miners. Joel Darland and his marvelous hand-embroidered quilt squares. Rachel Brewer’s two embroideries of song birds on dirty furnace filters. Mary Margaret Sparks’ imposing “Lest We Forget” hand-embroidered and sewn re-purposed fabric waterfall that is a memorial to lost mountain streams and creeks that were damaged by coal mining. Also in this group is a fascinating video entitled “Harriman” which is the work of Denise Burge and incorporates video, fabric, and thread. Burge’s video is a statement made in the aftermath of a disaster. A broken coal slurry dam in Tennessee had poisoned the surrounding watershed and imperiled the health of a community living in the area. Burge’s video documents some of the clean-up involved and how protective the coal industry is in guarding its own image.

Photographs by Joshua Howard contrast the natural beauty of coal country with the grim realities of the industry. A more overt political statement comes from Wayne Ferguson who sees Kentucky’s senior senator as being in cahoots with the industry that helps bankroll his re-election campaigns. Ferguson’s drawings chart the corrupting influences of money and power at the expense of the land and the best interests of the people.

The sense that mountaintop removal is a great calamity for nature at large comes through the works of two artists. Ceramic sculptor Alex Adams’ piece entitled “Wounded” suggests that MTR mining disrupts the very living tissue of the mountain range. He does this by representing two mountains that have had their peaks literally removed revealing raw, open wounds.

Painter Michael Koerner’s approach is equally reductive and he comes to a similar conclusion about the fate of the mountains. His diptych entitled “After the Canaries Left the Coal Mines, the Mountains Began to Leave Appalachia” is an argument reduced to its essential points. For example, in Koerner’s landscape, the painting is physically divided into two parts suggesting man’s indifference towards nature. The bare slopes past the forested mountains are a warning of what could occur with unchecked mountain top removal.

One last artist before closing. Aron Conaway’s work lies at the heart of our culture of consumption. His work entitled “Billions and Billions Served” features a Ronald McDonald clown driving a toy front loader on top of a large pile of coal. In his work, Conaway makes it obvious that we are all implicated in the big issues of our day. The demand for coal exists because we demand the energy to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer time heat. If we don’t like the side effects of coal mining, perhaps we should speed up our search for alternative energy sources, find ways to curtail our addiction to electricity or both? The demand for cheap coal and energy is what drives the supply.

The Carnegie Center for Art and History has a nice program of upcoming events that expands the breath of this exhibition. I have already participated in one gallery talk that drew an interested crowd. Film screenings, art making opportunities, and a panel discussion on mountaintop removal and renewable energy sources will also be held during Project Reclamation’s run. There is the hope that this show will travel which will be an added bonus. Thanks to Mary Margaret Sparks, Karen Gillenwater, and the staff at the Carnegie Center for their hard work. I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into an exhibition from our area. My next post will be from the Falls of the Ohio!

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The Iron Gill

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, nature photography, public art, recycled art, sculpture, unusual collection, watershed, tagged Art, artistatexit 0, coal, Falls of the Ohio, found objects, found toys, nature, Ohio River, photography, public art, Rafinesque, recycled art, site specific art, wheels on November 10, 2012| 10 Comments »

Hello all and welcome to another adventure set at the Falls of the Ohio. Since my last visit, the Ohio River has risen in response to all the rain that fell in the northern portion of the Ohio Valley and has flowed down river in a southwestern direction. The fossil beds normally exposed during the summer and early autumn months are now submerged by swiftly flowing water. Walking this ever shifting shoreline I’m open for whatever presents itself as novel and different. Turning the corner around a stand of willow trees I was caught by this unusual sight.

A tree captured barge cable or rope was in a different position from the last time I had noticed it (see this year’s Halloween post). It is possible that the river rose high enough to dislodge it from its previous resting spot. I was struck by the way it seemingly is suspended in mid-air with its regular yellow and black intervals contrasting with the unruly roots and branches around it. Around here, water can both rise and fall quickly. In the fine silt and mud you can often find interesting patterns that were created by the movement of wind and water. Here is such an example.

The back and forth rhythm of the river caressing the land are recorded as peaks and valleys in this very fine mud. I can be “hypnotized” at times by concentrating on this movement which I find soothing. I’m always interested in the various subtle patterns that water can create on the mud of the riverbank. It’s akin to trying to “track” water and recognize its footprint as it moves onto the land. I also noticed about a two foot tall, low “wall” of material (mostly wood and dried grasses) along the shoreline that marks this latest high water moment. And of course, there is always the ever-present mostly plastic junk that also gets swept away and mixes with the natural debris. I found lots of plastic detergent bottles, bits and pieces from toys including another doll’s head. Here are images of other finds including an interesting toy ball.

I’m assuming this is a dog toy based on the image of the dog on the ball? The small knobs are different from the usual balls I find out here. Now, for a bright blue comb in a design that’s also new to me. The tiny grains around the comb are seeds from various river grasses.

More ” blueness” in the form of plastic wheels on a wrecked pull toy.

In the mud, I came across this other type of footprint that I thought was a bit unusual from the norm. Of course, it’s a sports shoe with cleats on the bottom sticking up from the mud.

And one last found wheel whose radial pattern inspired another image in my ever-growing “Coal Flake” series.

I’ve come to really like making these designs from river-altered coal that I find at the Falls. I’m under the impression that this coal has fallen or been swept off the immense barges that transport this fuel up and down the river. I suppose it’s possible that somewhere along the river’s journey the water has cut down through the rock to expose a coal seam somewhere, but I haven’t ever heard of this happening. The barges seem the likeliest answer. This particular example has more Asiatic Clam shells used in the design. These clams are the most common of their kind that I find at the Falls. Once upon a very recent time a go, the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys were the world’s epicenter for fresh water clams. By altering the rivers and the water quality in them, many of these amazing creatures have either gone extinct or have become so very rare. The Asiatic Clam is a non-native animal imported here in the 19th century as a good luck charm and has thrived as has the Zebra Mussel that you may have heard about? The day was moving on and except for a few Mallard ducks and Canada geese I hadn’t seen much in the way of wildlife. I decided to end my day by doing a little fishing. I found a short, recently beaver-chewed willow branch and attached some waste fishing line I found. I attached a hook and found bobber and into the water it went.

Oh, for bait I caught a small grasshopper and attached it to the hook. A small found lead weight kept the bait below the water. Every once in a while I would raise my short pole up and down in a “jigging” motion. To my immense surprise I caught this very unusual fish!

This fish is called the Iron Gill based on the metallic covers it sports around its gills. Other distinctive features include bright blue eyes and a small white dorsal fin. It’s body shape is unique and lends itself to easy filleting…although I wouldn’t normally recommend eating the fish from this part of the river. Catching this fish here was a surprise because normally this is a deep water fish found in large flowing rivers.

This species was first described to science by Constantine Rafinesque back in 1811. Rafinesque was a controversial figure and brilliant naturalist. He had a gift for collecting and recognizing new species, however, in his zest to publish and receive credit for his discoveries he was very sloppy in his methods. As a result, many of the animals and plants he introduced to science are poorly described and classified which led to much confusion and consternation among the other “scientifics” of the time. In the end, Rafinesque usually won out because science gives priority to the person who first (no matter how poorly) brings the new creature to the world’s attention.

After this last image, I released the Iron Gill back into the water and rebaited my hook. Alas, this was the only fish I caught on this day, but it reassured me that my skills in this area were still intact. For my next post, I want to show you images of a coal-themed exhibition I’m participating in the nearby town of New Albany, Indiana. It’s a good show and worth a post. For now, I would like to close with another image of a found toy I came across on this day. Have a great weekend out there in the wider world!

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Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog

Art and images from the Falls of the Ohio.

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The Sun is Up and the River is Down

In Snow Cock Country

Sauger Saturday

Unusual Flora at the Falls of the Ohio

Touching Base

Snow Folk

Coal for Christmas

Among the Walking Trees…Another Styro-tale

Project Reclamation…Views from an Exhibition

The Iron Gill

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