April 7, 2012 by artistatexit0
It’s Spring and I’m walking the eastern section of the Falls of the Ohio State Park looking for birds. I have done this religiously for years and have seen most of the species that have been recorded in this park. I love birds because they are such beautiful expressions of life. I envy their extreme mobility with so many species able to call greater parts of the globe home than I will ever experience. This is the time of year when many different types of birds that have been wintering in South and Central America undergo remarkable journeys. Some will pass through this area on their way to locations as far north as the Arctic Circle. This is my chance to see them… if I’m lucky. The Falls of the Ohio also has another significant bird connection through the life and work of John James Audubon. He essentially started his life’s work that would eventually become The Birds of America, one of the great achievements in publishing and the most expensive book in the world, by first drawing many of the birds he encountered at the Falls of the Ohio. Audubon’s example and his journal descriptions of the world he inhabited are frequent touchstones for me and this project. Two hundred years later…very little remains of the original landscape he was familiar with. That process and transformation of the landscape is continuing and unfortunately not always in a positive direction. Birds are such great indicators of the quality of the environment because they are sensitive to changes…the canary in the coal mine was a real thing. To enjoy birds and birding is an activity that takes you out of yourself for a little while and causes you to engage life on its own terms. On this day (which also happened to be April Fool’s Day) I did experience many of the usual year round resident bird species, but did not see any of the neotropical migrants that make the Spring migration so special. So, when this happens, I’m not above creating my own bird species. This post is devoted to a new bird I discovered out here and I’ve named it the Variegated Oriole.
The Variegated Oriole receives its name for being multicolored. I first encountered this bird as various bits of detritus that I came across walking the shoreline of the Ohio River. For the head, I used a small piece of river-polished Styrofoam. Its brightly colored beak is part of a plastic and polystyrene fishing float that I cut with my pocket knife. The eyes are small bits of coal. I used a green foam gasket or washer to act as a transitional element between the head and the body. It’s a trademark of mine that I seem to do with almost every piece I make out here. For the body, I found a blue piece of river-polished high density foam? that I cut a few slits into the sides to hold the wings which are made from pine bark. I took one piece of bark that the river peeled off of a tree and I split that in half to form matching wings. The tail is a piece of yellow plastic I found that reminded me of a bird tail! I cut another groove into the blue body to insert and hold the tail in place. The feet, are just rootlets that I sharpened and pegged into the body. That’s it in terms of materials which I tried to alter as little as possible as not to trump what nature and the river had already shaped. It’s important to me that this be a true collaboration. If “we” are successful, then something of the spirit of a bird will take hold and inhabit this small sculpture.
After finishing the bird…I seek out environments that will help put this avian creation into some kind of context. Everything matters and I hope my pictures convey something of the time of day, the season, the quality of light, the condition of the environment, etc…all those elements help create a sense of place. I move through the willow trees posing the bird on various stumps and branches. I usually take a lot of pictures.
Sometimes, I will imagine what kind of habits my new birds might possess. In the case of the Variegated Oriole…it is not too different from the Northern or Baltimore Orioles that live and nest in the park. They are among the migrants I look for. I heard one the other day calling, but didn’t see it. The real orioles that live here are adapting to local conditions by using artificial materials (fishing line and barge cable fibers) in the construction of their hanging basket nests. I’ve posted on this before in this blog a few years a go. I think Audubon would have been interested in this. Anyway, I left my bird sitting on a branch for anyone to discover. It might still be there and I will find out today when I once again venture out to the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Perhaps new birds will present themselves to me? I will let you know what I find…next time.
One week later…I returned to the spot where I left my faux-feathered friend and he was no longer perched upon the branch where I left him. I was able to locate most of him scattered on the sand except for one wing. My guess was that he was felled by a well-aimed and thrown rock. The head was shattered and will need to be replaced provided I recyle these pieces back into a bird again.
Posted in Absurd, animal art works, Art, art and environment, birds and birding, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Green, nature photography, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture | Tagged Art, artist at exit 0, birds, creativity, detritus, Falls of the Ohio, John James Audubon, nature, ornithology, photography, recycled materials, repurposed materials, site specific art, Styrofoam | 9 Comments »
April 1, 2012 by artistatexit0
The ritual must have worked because when I returned to the Falls of the Ohio a week later the greening of the world was underway. Small leaves were sprouting from the willow branches and many of the area’s trees were flowering. There was a palpable sense of pollen being everywhere and my airways felt irritated as if coated by dry inhaled dust. This is a dreaded time of year for people who suffer seasonal allergies. I was glad not to count myself as a member of that unfortunate club. As I walked along there were other marvels to behold. I came across a rare Sand Lotus blooming along the shoreline and wondered how long its seed had remained dormant until the absolute right conditions presented itself? Seeing this flower was worth the trip alone!
I returned to my outdoor studio and saw that the bottle tree had indeed dropped its leaves.
This, however, was not the only change that had occurred since my last visit. My outdoor studio had been discovered and some person or persons had constructed a crude figure from the Styrofoam I had collected here. A broken fishing rod stuck out from their creation’s body.
As is my habit, I began the day beach combing along the river’s edge and dumped some of my finds onto the sand. I would try to make something from the objects I had come across. Here is an earlier image of what would later become the figure I named “Phillip C. Nelson” after the words written upon a piece of blue insulating foam I found.
Before showing you how this figure turned out…I want to meander a bit like the Ohio River does. During the month of March, I’ve found three objects that at least have some references to where they may have originated. Because the river is so powerful…glued on labels usually fall off by the time they reach the Falls of the Ohio. Knowing where something came from can give you a sense of the journey it took to reach “here”. Well, let’s just see where this takes us and I’ll begin with the object I discovered that traveled the furthest down river.
First, I was amused to find this piece of plastic with a stylized finger image on it! It says its a thumb saver and I guess it functions something like a crowbar for stubborn thumb tacks so you don’t need to risk breaking a fingernail? I have heard of Beaver Falls before because it’s the Pennsylvania hometown of one of my boyhood heroes…Joe Willie Namath who is an American football Hall of Fame quarterback for the New York Jets. He brashly and correctly predicted that the Jets would win it all in 1969. Beaver Falls is in the so-called “Rust Belt” because this was once steel making country before economic hard times caught up with it. Beaver Falls has a population of approximately 8,900 people and is 31 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania placing it near the origins of the Ohio River. Beaver Falls is actually located on the Beaver River which flows for six miles in a southerly direction before its confluence with the Ohio River. As for the savings and loan association…I’m not sure exist anymore because I couldn’t find more contemporary references to it. The fact it is giving away a customer premium that involves thumb tacks seems somewhat old-fashioned to me! Potentially, this object has traveled a great distance (approximately 560 miles) through time and space to reach me. And now for found object number two.
Buried in the wood chips, I recognized this as the delivery box for a newspaper. In this case, the paper is the Steubenville Herald Star which is still in business today. Steubenville is also in the Upper Ohio Valley and downriver from Beaver Falls. This town of approximately 19,000 souls is situated on the Ohio River which forms a border with the state of West Virginia. Steubenville’s claims to fame include being called the City of Murals for the 25 murals it boasts in its downtown area. It is also called Ohio’s Cookie Capital…I’m sure there is more of a story there. And it is the hometown of crooner Dean Martin who was also Jerry Lewis’ comedy partner. I estimated that this newspaper box traveled a bit more than 500 miles to reach here. Interestingly, Steubenville like Louisville is situated within a Jefferson County. Okay, on to the next item which hails from Camp Nelson RV Park and forms the body of my figure.
The blue insulating foam that forms the body of my figure came from Camp Nelson RV Park located in Lancaster, Kentucky. I have heard of Camp Nelson before because of its Civil War history. Back in the mid 1860’s it was a recruiting and training camp for African-American soldiers. Later it served as a refugee camp for freed slaves with some tragic consequences. Earlier in Kentucky’s history it was known as Boone’s Landing because it was a favorable river fording spot for Daniel Boone. It has been a recreational vehicle park since 1966. This piece of foam with its black marker info has traveled the most interesting and surprising route to reach the Falls of the Ohio. Camp Nelson RV Park is located on the Kentucky River. It has floated down the most torturous and convoluted stretch of water that makes estimating distance traveled nearly impossible. Eventually, it did float past our state capital in Frankfort and joined with the Ohio River somewhere between Prestonville and Carrollton, Kentucky. That’s a bit more than fifty miles upriver from us. Kentucky is rich in waterways and outside the state of Alaska…has more miles of flowing water than any other state. The little foam dinosaur is a child’s ink pad stamp and in my mind is a good symbol for the whole recreational vehicle industry especially since gasoline is over four dollars a gallon. Well, other than show you a few images of Phillip C. Nelson exploring his new home…it’s been instructive for me to learn where some of the junk I find may have originated. Every place and object has a story to tell.
Phillip C. Nelson seemed to enjoy exploring the driftwood field. And in case you were wondering what I did with some of those old cigarette lighters…this last view will show you. Thanks for tagging along on this extended journey with me! Until next time from the Falls of the Ohio.
Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, ecosytem, environmental art, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, watershed | Tagged Art, artist at exit 0, Beaver Falls, Camp Nelson, cigarette lighters, Falls of the Ohio, flotsam and jetsam, found objects, garbage, nature, Ohio River watershed, photography, recycled materials, Steubenville | 9 Comments »
March 24, 2012 by artistatexit0
On a variable day where the sun played hide and seek among the clouds, I visited the Falls of the Ohio to see what there was to see and experience. Thus far, Spring is shaping up to be much warmer than normal and many different plants in the city where I live have flowered early. I was curious to see if this pattern was holding true with the trees out by the river? Upon arrival, I could see that the trees hadn’t “leafed-out” and so I directed my attentions to a slightly high and wild river. I began looking for river treasures when I met this strange fellow.
He called himself the “Guardian” and he was doing the same thing as me. Namely walking along the edge of the river and picking up objects that were washing ashore. The water level has been high and many of the youngest willow trees were poking out of the sand like large hairs on the back of some big animal you can’t totally see because it’s that huge. I tagged along with the Guardian and we conversed freely. It’s funny how no two beings react in the same way to the “treasures” the river offers up. For example, people are always trying to give me driftwood that they think I will like. Rarely, am I attracted to their finds. Driftwood aesthetics is a matter of personal taste as is the attraction for all the other stuff that washes up here. I didn’t think anything at all as the Guardian started collecting plastic bottles. While those bottles held little interest for me…the polystyrene chunks I was stuffing into my collecting bag held no interest to the Guardian whatsoever.
The Guardian was keying on green plastic bottles in particular. I had to know why these bottles and what was he going to do with them? And then there was the added mystery of his name. If he’s the Guardian…what is he guarding? My new friend said he would be glad to tell me, but it would in fact, be easier to show me. Together we walked up the shore to the tree line where my new friend had a project he was working on.
I was amazed to see that he had planted a river-polished cedar trunk into the sand and had attached his green plastic bottles to the nubs that were once branches of this tree. Judging by his project’s progress…he had been hard at work before I ran into him. Here’s another view that shows where he positioned his bottle tree.
He told me he had been doing this activity once a year for many years and that he is called the Guardian because he is the protector of this particular ritual. It’s purpose is to awaken the coming of Spring after a period of dormancy. There are other beings like himself that are scattered across the planet and serve the same or similar functions through their various rituals. As he added new bottles to his tree, the Guardian chided me in a friendly way saying did I think the seasons just transitioned on their own? The Earth in fact needs the help of all who love her to keep her from falling into neglect. The Earth needs to know that folks do care because that extra bit of genuine concern is important and provides the extra energy needed to sustain everything that lives. Otherwise, this huge task is simply not worth it and the world slips into apathy and falls back asleep.
As the Guardian spoke to me, large dark clouds started gathering overhead. The first large drops of rain began falling in the sand around us. It was time to go and I parted company with my new friend. I thought about what he told me. I guess I hadn’t considered that the very planet might also be alive and would respond positively knowing that others simply cared. As I walked home I said a little prayer of my own inside my head and awaited the further greening of the world.
Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed | Tagged Art, artist at exit 0, bottle tree, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, nature, photography, plastic bottles, recycled art, ritual, site specific art, spring, Styrofoam, trashy story | 12 Comments »
March 19, 2012 by artistatexit0
Welcome to another adventure set in the western section of the Falls of the Ohio State Park. As promised, here is what amounts to part two of my last entry. On this particular day I was involved with two sculptures made using found materials. The first was the Banana Palm Mockingbird that I was photographing when I was taken by surprise by this odd character that I call the “Goofy Guy”. He walked out of no where (scared the bird away) and announced himself to me. I was working intently with my camera and not paying much attention to what else was around me. Let that be a lesson to me in letting my guard down. Anyway, here is a picture of him. Luckily, my absurd visitor was a very friendly chap!
You can see why he’s the Goofy Guy with his asymmetrical face and huge smile. He seemed really curious about what I was doing and so he tagged along with me for an hour or so. One of the first things he did was show me this tree that a beaver or beavers had gnawed. It never occurred to me that beavers might be capable of climbing trees? I could have this all wrong, but I’m not certain what else is around here that could do this type of damage? Might be some other mysterious critter that I have yet to come across.
I was working my way down the river bank and snapped this image of my new friend standing on a set of concrete steps. Hmm…another mystery presented itself. Although I have always acknowledged in my brain that these steps are out here…I have not considered for very long why they are here to begin with? Obviously, this thing did not just float in with the high water! In different areas out here, you do come across building foundations that preceded the formation of the state park. Is this evidence of that or did someone go to great trouble to dump this here like so much back fill? It certainly would take some energy to do this. On the other hand, if these steps actually were attached to a building…who would build a structure this close to the Ohio River and for what purpose? Is this the remains of a boat house? Where is the rest of the house? The mystery just deepens!
Since it was an unseasonably warm day…the Goofy Guy decided to cool his feet off. Waves from the river were lapping the shore line. If my friend isn’t careful he could easily fall into the river. Then again in his case, he would just float off to some other distant place. I believe the flower-like object on his head may be part of some large bubble wand…I just thought of that. Over the years, I have collected many smaller wands and I should show you that collection at some point in this riverblog. Always good to have something saved for a rainy day. I’ll add that to my other esoteric river collections. If you notice, Goofy Guy is missing the talisman he had on his chest. It must have fallen off while we were having fun. I think it was a plastic cookie cutter perhaps to make gingerbread men? The day was wearing on and so I was working my way back to the Interpretive Center. I was soon to say good-by to my new acquaintance, but before that happened I created a last series of images of him.
We stopped by a large tree that fell over a year or so a go and Goofy Guy climbed up on the tree’s root mass. To me, he looked like a preacher on his pulpit. I wondered later what topic he would elaborate upon and hoped it would have something to do with respecting nature and environmental responsibility. This image shows the tree better.
Tired, thirsty, and hungry I bid my friend farewell. I wonder if he is still hanging out or did he attach himself to some other people? The next time I’m in this section of the park…I’ll make a point of looking him up. Thanks for hanging out with me and engaging the many mysteries surrounding this special place in the world.
Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam | Tagged absurdity, Art, artist at exit 0, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, nature, photography, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam | 10 Comments »
March 18, 2012 by artistatexit0
Dear readers…I have so much to post and have fallen a couple of weeks behind. The work a day world has been extra busy (and rewarding) of late. Still, I have made time to go to the river and “do my thing” to maintain my peace of mind. It’s time now to post my images and tell a story. The following post occurred two weeks a go when the river was high and I decided to spend the day in the western section of the Falls of the Ohio State Park. At this point, I was fairly certain that the materials I found and cached at my outdoor studio in the eastern section were either gone or the river was about to take them. I ventured forward-looking for “fresh” materials and opportunities.
My walk took me past the marvelous tree that the local kids (among others) like to use as a hang out. I can imagine many potential childhood memories centered around this tree for the folks who grew up with it. On this day everything was quiet and in fact I didn’t see anybody out here at all. That bodes really well if you want to see wildlife. It has been so unseasonably warm…that I wonder how that will affect how spring unfolds this year? Later we would set several records for high temps in the lower 80’s for early March!!! Technically, it’s still winter here…very odd indeed. I had heard that a pair of bald eagles were attempting to set up a nest in the far western section of the park and I was hoping to see at least signs of the birds. I wasn’t lucky on this day with the eagles, but I did come across a few other interesting wildlife objects courtesy of the Ohio River. For example, here’s the first goldfish I’ve found out here.
This fish stood out against the river pebbles like a red beacon. I could have found it with one eye closed! We have other invasive carp species out in the river now, but this was a new one. An actual goldfish probably wouldn’t stand much of a chance against the river’s natural predators. The non-native carp that have entered the river system eat constantly and grow really fast and large. It will be a great challenge to rid the river of them. I picked up the neon goldfish and dropped it into my collecting bag. Here’s what I came across next in the way of wildlife.
Swimming at the river’s edge I stumbled upon this golden sea turtle. It was playing among the bubbles and rootlets. Again, here was an image that was unnaturally beautiful…like the current weather. The pattern we have been experiencing is that the river will rise and then fall in quick succession as the Army Corps of Engineers regulates the water level for commerce and flood control. Walking even further west I came across this “elephant’s graveyard” of plastic and my heart sank. You can pick this stuff up all day long and it seems the next day gives you a fresh supply. Sometimes it feels like you are rolling that proverbial rock uphill only to have it roll back down. What’s happening up river from us?
As you can see…it’s not a pretty picture. Mostly plastic containers like old milk jugs and laundry detergent packaging. As this plastic weathers and breaks down from UV light, the pieces keep getting smaller and smaller without ever completely disappearing. The next stop could be the Gulf of Mexico. I found one other notable object and set it up among the still bare branches awaiting the new leaves of the year. This is also the first time I have come across one of these things.
It’s either an artificial palm or banana tree? As the day continued to warm I wondered to myself about how plants might be reacting to climate change? Are the warmer weather plants moving northwards and what else will this change? While I was musing on this I received an answer in a most unlikely form. My “banana palm” was visited by an unusual bird.
Here’s another first! Leave it to the only Banana Palm Mockingbird to find the only banana tree around here. I watched transfixed as the bird explored the tree and the surrounding area. A bird of this species is more likely to be seen in Central America than mid America. I don’t know much more about it. I saw it investigate the river’s edge for food and here are a couple more images to prove it was here.
Here’s the mockingbird with Louisville’s skyline visible on the opposite shore.
The mockingbird didn’t hang out for very long and soon it was time for me to head back. I’m going to be off for the next couple of days and will attempt to post more of my adventures…if the call of the river doesn’t get me first! Have a great weekend everybody!
Posted in Absurd, animal art works, Art, art and environment, birding, collections, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, public art | Tagged Art, artist at exit 0, environmental story, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, nature, Ohio River, photography, plastic goldfish, plastic tree, recycled art, site specific art, Styrofoam | 8 Comments »
March 12, 2012 by artistatexit0
Okay so I’m bowing to a little peer pressure and presenting additional images from a project I did the last month. The day I made my Styrofoam ant project I also kept crossing areas on the riverbank where iridescent flows from something oily was percolating up through the sand and mixing with slow flowing water. In my original story…imbibing this stuff is what mutates the ant into a giant!
I still don’t know what this prismatic film is that is seeping to the surface? It could be old long-buried petroleum or some oily residue from decaying vegetation?
These rainbow flows are a fact of life at the Falls and gives me another setting my sculptures can help interpret. The colors and patterns on the water and sand can be very striking. Here in quick succession are several more abstract images created the same day as the ant project, but minus the Styro-insect.
In the above image, you can see a few recognizable objects including nuts, sand, and coal. I’ll close with a final image of why the ants are so large here…they are drinking the sheen and it’s the Godzilla effect all over again!
Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, ecosytem, environmental art, fresh water, nature photography, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed | Tagged Art, artist at exit 0, Falls of the Ohio, giant ant, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, photography, public art, recycled art, site specific art, Styrofoam art | 6 Comments »
March 3, 2012 by artistatexit0
Twenty four hours later, people in the Kentuckiana area are still trying to absorb what happened yesterday. A monstrous tornado completely wiped out several small communities including the town of Henryville which is about twenty miles from my home in Louisville. It’s a scene of complete destruction and there was loss of life all along the course of this twister. Believe it or not, we were anticipating that this could happen. Meteorologists were telling us that the conditions were right for violent storms. I was sent home hours early from work as were many other people in town to take shelter in our basements and safe places. I wonder how much worse it would have been without the advance warning? Thus far, we are more than double the usual tornadoes normally seen in the early spring. Throw away your Farmer’s Almanac…I’m not sure it describes the physical environment we now live in. It seems we are living in extreme and unstable times. Pick your poison, too hot, too dry, too wet, too many powerful storms, too many natural disasters. I hope this won’t be a dangerous spring…but it is already off to a bad start. My heart goes out to all the people affected by this tragedy.
I’ve watched the local news on television and read the morning newspaper. I feel like escaping and so I go to the Falls of the Ohio. I see just one other person all day, otherwise, it’s sunny, windy, and the river is rising. The tall figure I made last weekend is gone! Not a trace…nothing. I guess it got up and walked away. To haul something that big out of here takes some effort and commitment. I head down to the water’s edge which is creeping up the bank. As the waves crash against the shoreline, I’m scouting for the flotsam and jetsam the river gives me as gifts. Here are a few of today’s finds.
I believe this might be a teething ring for a doll? It’s tiny and the black object next to it is an ordinary plastic bottle cap which is a good gauge of scale.
And now for another object whose identity I’m not sure of! My guess is this is some plastic toy vegetable? Anyway, I dropped it into my B. Deemer Gallery collecting bag and moved on. My fake produce collection keeps getting bigger!
In my hand, I’m holding a plastic smiley fish! Probably a child’s bath tub toy. And now, for my favorite find of the day!
When I find something like this I wonder how long it’s been in the river? It could be years based on the patina it has acquired. I was admiring the frogman when I saw something else moving along the driftwood. I froze so I would not scare it away. From memory I quickly recognized it as a Water Weasel which is a seldom seen animal in these parts. Carefully, I eased my camera up to my eye and recorded these images in quick succession.
The Water Weasel is an unusual mammal. It’s always on the move and it’s always hungry. Rarely do you see more than one of these critters at a time. It can probably only stand its own specie’s company during the mating season. The Water Weasel is also extremely secretive and so it’s exceptional to spot this guy. As it comes closer to my position…I realize why it hasn’t seen me. The weasel is chasing something and is focused on its quarry.
The Water Weasel has relentlessly pursued its prey across wood and sand and made its kill. This time the victim is a small White-footed Mouse that had the misfortune of crossing paths with this predator.
The mouse disappears with a few bites and with a quick lick of the lips the weasel vanishes into the nearby driftwood mound. The whole predator/prey relationship crosses my mind. It’s not about picking winners and losers…nature is indifferent and has no stake in the outcome. I notice it is getting colder and the wind has picked up again. I can hear the logs crashing into one another in the river and making that sound which I associate with the grinding of teeth. A drop of water falls from my runny nose. It’s time to go home and cross the bridge back into Louisville. I wonder how high the river will rise?
Postscript: The Water Weasel is similar to another small mammalian predator known in folklore as the River Ghost. Here is a preserved specimen from the collections of the Museum of Unnatural History.
Posted in Absurd, animal art works, Art, art and environment, collections, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, recycled art, Styrofoam | Tagged Art, artist at exit 0, driftwood, Falls of the Ohio, flotsam and jetsam, found materials, nature, photography, predator and prey, recycled art, Styrofoam, White-footed mouse | 12 Comments »
February 27, 2012 by artistatexit0
On an absolutely beautiful day I recorded these images of my latest found materials sculpture made at the Falls of the Ohio. The morning started briskly, but warmed up enough that I felt comfortable taking my jacket off! Around here, we were wondering if winter would ever arrive and now that it’s late February…we are beginning to have our doubts. Without question, this has been the warmest winter I can recall around here. At first, I had the park to myself and I began my day scrounging the river bank for materials. After a couple of hours, I had enough river polished polystyrene assembled at one area that my latest outdoor studio was born. As long as the river doesn’t swamp this spot anytime soon…I should have enough materials to keep me busy for a while. Here is my first image of my latest Falls of the Ohio atelier.
It’s mostly Styrofoam chunks in various sizes, but you can see other stuff as well. I found an interesting sign written in black marker that looks to be quoting the price of various scrap metals. The sign is so crudely made that I wondered if some backyard entrepreneur was collecting aluminum and copper for later resale to a salvage yard? That makes it a true sign of the times as metal of all varieties becomes increasingly valuable. I also have a section of fire hose I salvaged. It’s canvas-covered rubber and it’s just the right kind of thing that one of my stone carving friends could use. When a particularly heavy piece of stone is moved, pieces of fire hose are used to protect both the stone and the ropes from abrasion as the stone is lifted by crane. I found an especially long length of fire hose after the big driftwood fire of the early summer. That fire must have caught the fire fighters by surprise because I can’t imagine why such a large length of perfectly good hose would be cut and abandoned? I also found a Styrofoam life ring and various odds and ends I may use when I make my own brand of sculpture. The following are images that show the progression of this day’s figure as it came into being. First, I started with a large section of lightweight material that I heard one old-timer call fiberglass? I’m not sure that it’s made of that, but it definitely is not polystyrene. I hammered some legs into it with a board and set it upright. I’ll let a few of the photos speak for themselves as the figure comes together.
The head is made of various found plastic fragments. The head crest is composed of a half of a frisbee and the hard bristles of a large push broom. The ears are the bottoms of aluminum cans which suggest ear spools. Here is a detail of the head.
He’s a handsome guy in a Mayan sort of way isn’t he? After assembly, I reposed the figure at different places near my studio and ran into some new friends. This is Annie and James who were at the Falls enjoying a little photography of their own. They had seen my work out here before and now they have a name and face to go with the artist.
After a nice visit with the couple, I reposed my piece to face the river and took these parting images while soaking up all the fresh air and light.
I’ll be curious to see how this figure survives until my next visit. Should he disappear…I’m not too worried. I have more materials at my outdoor studio and more arriving daily including a couple of huge Styrofoam chunks too heavy to move! Here’s one photo of what must have been a section of a boat dock. See you next time around from the Falls of the Ohio.
Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, public art, recycled art, sculpture | Tagged Art, art in progress, artist at exit 0, Falls of the Ohio, found materials sculpture, nature, photography, polystyrene, public art, recycled art, Styrofoam | 6 Comments »
February 19, 2012 by artistatexit0
On a warm Saturday morning in mid February, I was exploring the eastern section of the Falls of the Ohio State Park. At first glance, I had the place to myself and I began my systematic sweep of the shoreline looking for whatever the river had temporarily marooned here. Usually, I will walk down to the water’s edge first and then I comb the bank walking back and forth until I hit the treeline. This typically takes an hour or so and my collecting bag quickly fills up with all kinds of river treasures both natural and artificial. This morning was to prove to be a memorable one when I came across a creature new to me and I believe science as well?
Years of bird watching had trained me to key on the slightest movement that might betray a creature’s location. Such was the case when I came across this extraordinary insect that was exploring the same territory as me! I saw a little motion from the corner of my eye while scanning the riverbank that proved to be this very large ant’s wiggling legs. This is not my first encounter with a large insect at the Falls of the Ohio. Previously, I had discovered five other giants of different species all belonging to a genus I had dubbed “Polystyrenus”… because their exoskeletons look like they are made from weathered Styrofoam. The following is my report complete with photographs and observations made in the field.
I would estimate that this insect’s body, (which looks to be an “ant”), to be about a foot in length. Of course, the articulated legs make it seem bigger. Its eyes appeared to be simple and its mouth parts seemed feeble. I surmised that whatever it fed upon didn’t require the shearing power of larger mandibles. I could be more certain of this, but I refused to “collect” or kill this creature in the name of science just to complete a more thorough morphological examination . The thought crossed my mind that this could be the young of the Giant Blue Ant I had seen here a couple of years a go? I also noticed that many of its legs were different from one another and each appendage might be a different tool like blades in a Swiss Army knife?
While the ant explored its world I discreetly followed along. My camera is equipped with a telephoto lens nearly as big as the bug. Still, I found this particular specimen to be amazingly tolerant of my presence. I watched it while it moved to the river’s edge, but I could not gauge its purpose here.
Interestingly, I did observe it checking out a couple of frayed barge cables that were snagged and unraveling among the willow branches. It seemed very intent with the fiber strands and used its six legs to gather up the strings into a ball.
Here’s the ant on a different branch. I wonder if it is responsible for the cuts on this cable? You can see an intact length of this heavy rope on the sand below. Could this be some form of play? This is a question to be answered later. I never saw the ant do anything else with these two cables . Does anyone out there have a hypothesis? Moving on, I did get some very interesting images of the ant either feeding or drinking that show how unusual this ant is from its smaller kin.
On several occasions I was able to observe our remarkable ant taking “sustenance” from iridescent water which flowed in rivulets from the sand below. What is this stuff? Is it petroleum pollution or the oils and minerals leaching from other biodegradable materials breaking down below the sand? As it fed, the ant was at its least cautious. Perhaps it was drunk? I walked up to it and was able to take this aerial view. The rainbow-effect on the sand contrasted nicely against the whiteness of the insect. You can easily see the basic insect body plan with its head, thorax, and abdomen. Of course, all true insects have six legs.
Here’s another image that comes as a revelation and shows clearly how it feeds.
Like a butterfly, the ant unveiled a long proboscis or feeding tube and lowered into the sheen. Its abdomen pulsed while it sucked. I kept thinking about what this stuff is that bubbles to the surface and could it be responsible for the appearance here of these large insects? Is this some local version of the “Godzilla-effect” where pollution mutates the endemic creatures into giants? Well, at least I think Clarksville, Indiana will be safe from this ant for the time being. Now if millions of these ants were to show up at the same time…then this story could change.
After imbibing this strange brew, I observed the Giant White Ant exploring the park. A previous visitor had found an orange life-preserver and placed it over the branch of a tree. Here the ant gets on its “hind” legs to investigate the ring. This ant displays a lot of curiosity about its world. For a short-time, I lost track of the ant which is able to walk across the driftwood more quickly than I, but I was able to relocate it when I came across this shattered plastic barrel. It kind of looked at home here and so I left it be and moved on.
That’s it…I have more pictures, but they don’t reveal anymore about the Giant White Ant’s behavior. Of course, I hope to see it again provided it manages to evade its enemies and stay alive. What will the “Godzilla-effect” produce here next? I wonder if E.O. Wilson has encountered anything like this before in all his researches? I’ll close now with a final image of my ant.
Posted in Absurd, animal art works, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, nature photography, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam | Tagged Art, artist at exit 0, bug story, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, giant ant, giant insect, imagination, nature, photography, recycled art, Styrofoam | 5 Comments »
February 11, 2012 by artistatexit0
I think today’s post will be shorter than usual, but will need to type it out to be sure. On this visit to the Ohio River I found it rising which surprised me because we haven’t had much in the way of either rain or snow this year. When I arrived on the scene, many of the familiar places I visit to make my art were already underwater. I had to keep moving west in the park to access the shrinking riverbank.
I came across this picnic table near the Interpretive Center. The river is now enjoying what is normally a cozy place to share a few sandwiches. I wonder if this table eventually floated off? I kept walking along the retreating shoreline being mindful not to step into the ever creeping waters.
I have my collecting bag with me, but there’s not much to find today. It will probably be different after the river retreats. The trash left behind will mark how far the waves pushed the debris onto the land. I came across this nice-sized chunk of eroded polystyrene and decided to use it in today’s project. A short distance from this find was an even larger hunk of Styrofoam and I was in business for the day.
This second piece of foam was nearly as large as me. It took a bit of struggling to get it positioned where I wanted it near the rising river. In this section of the park much of the driftwood I was finding seemed dried out and brittle. I never did come across the right sticks, but had to make do with what today presented. I did like the happy-go-lucky expression on this figure’s face.
Here’s a full shot of the figure at the place where I left it. It’s gone now and the few ducks who were around were probably the only witnesses?
A slightly different view this time. This figure’s eyes are large fishing bobbers I already had in my bag, however, the nose is some rolled piece of foam that I found out here. I’m glad the sun came out and made the day a bit more cheerful. That white object in the distance is another hunk of Styrofoam riding the waves…perhaps my next sculpture?
The river was rising and the light was beginning to fade and once the wind started to pick up…I decided to call it an early day. One last look back at my saluting figure and this final image of it. I’ll return once the river recedes and let you know what I found.
Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, environmental art, fresh water, nature, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed | Tagged Art, artist at exit 0, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, Louisville, nature, photography, picnic table, recycled art, Styrofoam sculpture | Leave a Comment »
« Newer Posts - Older Posts »
Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog 