found materials | Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog

Posts Tagged ‘found materials’

Tree Trevails

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, artistatexit 0, driftwood, earth, environment, Falls of the Ohio, flooding, found materials, nature, Ohio River, photography, recyled art, repurposed art, sculpture, site specific art, Styrofoam, trees on April 20, 2013| 2 Comments »

It’s Thunder Over Louisville weekend which means the largest fireworks extravaganza in North America will happen tonight. This is the kickoff event for the Kentucky Derby Festival which culminates in the horse race itself on the first Saturday in May. The festival is a two-week event and while fun for residents and visitors…can also be an obstacle course if you are trying to get around town. I like using the bridge on 2nd Street to get to the Falls of the Ohio State Park, but it is shut down and being used for the fireworks display. At its height, Thunder Over Louisville (which also includes an air show) has drawn 800,000 people to the banks of the Ohio River on a single day. I’m hoping to access the river and the park tomorrow. For the moment, I have images to post from my last visit. Looking through the pictures, it occurred to me that I had captured moments in the lives of individual trees that I would like to share. The area continues to green up and many trees are producing their pollen. For allergy sufferers, this is an especially difficult time. If I was affected by seasonal allergies…I doubt I could do this project. There is something about being in the bottom of the Ohio Valley that seems to bring out the worst for those allergic to various molds and pollen.

I started this adventure on the Woodland Loop Trial near the Interpretive Center. The path eventually leads to a small creek that at the moment has a tremendous amount of driftwood lining the contours of its banks. All this wood was deposited here by the Ohio River swollen from winter rain and snow melt all along the length and breath of the river valley. More high water could eventually carry all this wood back out into the river for parts unknown. Still, this represents a lot of trees. I have this idea in my head that as a result of climate change, we have all this extra water and energy in our weather systems? Where does the water from retreating glaciers and Arctic melting go? I’m guessing that some of it is evaporated out of the oceans and into a warming atmosphere where it influences the global weather patterns? This excess water eventually precipitates out causing more severe weather events including flooding. This increases riverbank erosion and tree loss. Is there a limit on how much water the atmosphere can absorb? Of course development along the rivers takes its share of trees too. The cumulative effect of many actions continues to shape the environment.

These exposed tree roots are something that I’m noticing more of at the Falls of the Ohio. I’m assuming that frequent high water causes this? This isn’t necessarily fatal and these trees can survive as long as the riverbank stays in place. In addition to more water…an increase in storm related wind velocity has also been noticeable over the years. We have had a lot of trees simply blow over and be lost in this manner. Continuing to walk westward in the park, I can see that my favorite cottonwood tree continues to be developed as a party hang-out.

I posted on this wonderful cottonwood tree not too long a go and remarked on how it was once again becoming a focal point for parties. The fire pits are larger and there are more beer bottles and cans around this tree than before. I’ll bet this place is especially magical illuminated by camp fires. Plus, more found wood has been used to hide a large silvery sheet of corrugated plastic to impart a more naturalistic appearance. From inside and under the tree, you can see in the distance part of the downtown skyline of Louisville which will be filled with fireworks tonight. Over the years, this tree has been discovered by different generations of folks and continues to hang in there. I hope this will always be the case. The next big flood will eventually wash all the additions away as it has done before.

Here’s an image that demonstrates how high the river can rise. This snagged pallet has been hanging out on this tree branch for a couple of years now. Trees can demonstrate some resilience in the face of adversity. I know of a couple of trees at the Falls that have made use of improvised “planters”.

Cast off tires are a ubiquitous element of river-born trash. Somehow this willow tree has found a sheltering toehold in this wheel. I’m curious to learn whether this tree can continue to grow and survive in what is ultimately a restrictive space? On this walk, I also came across this unusual juxtaposition and thought it might fit in this post too.

This may be as near as I come to having a tree suggest that it could do laundry too! The surface root of an old willow tree has caught this old jacket. The last high water floated this plastic laundry basket into this area and it settled next to the root. This is not your average still life. The gravel in the photo was deposited here by the last of the retreating ice age glaciers.

To conclude this post…as I was walking along the loop side of the trail, I spotted a piece of Styrofoam in a ditch. Retrieving it I discovered one of my previous sculptures from several months a go. I originally included him in a story that featured sauger fishermen. Except for a missing nose, the sculpture was complete. I was surprised that it survived intact going on several months now. Looking through my collecting bag…I replaced the lost nose with another piece of found plastic and set him up to greet visitors along the trail. Here’s a final picture showing him next to a tree that the wind blew down last year. Thanks for hanging out with me for the past thousand words. Have a great weekend!

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Big Fish

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, Art, art and environment, collections, creativity, environmental art, nature photography, Ohio River, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, art and the environment, artificial food, artistatexit0, big fish, driftwood, Falls of the Ohio, flotsam and jetsam, found materials, nature, photography, plastic, Styrofoam on March 24, 2013| 10 Comments »

It’s an unbelievably gorgeous morning at the Falls of the Ohio and I have the park to myself. The Ohio River has been running high although we haven’t had a lot of rain pass through our area. Most of this water is probably coming from snow melt and precipitation in the northern section of the Ohio River Valley. The river is receding and one of the first sights I see are logs that have been stranded on the dam as the water level drops. These logs will remain balanced here until the river shifts them around again. As I begin my walk, I see driftwood and trash everywhere I look.

Accessing the bank is tricky and muddy. I maneuver by walking on the backs of logs and balancing myself with my walking stick. In areas where the river has dropped back… plastic trash, Styrofoam, and driftwood remain where this detritus floated in. I like studying the patterns I see in the deposited wood and imagine the swirl of the river in these areas. Of course, I find other treasures and oddities too. Here are just a few objects that made it into the collecting bag.

My fake food collection keeps getting bigger and bigger. Here’s a plastic pickle I found. On this day, I also picked up a plastic chicken drumstick, a plastic plum and in the bag already from my last visit are a plastic onion and a plastic cheeseburger! I find all this plastic food to be an interesting indicator of the times we live in.

This is kind of cool. It’s a pirate skull with movable eye-patch. The river has really colored this object. Here’s something more humorous.

These silly frog sunglasses may be the only amphibian inspiration I receive all year. In all the years I’ve worked this project, I have come across one actual common toad and two small leopard frogs. Perhaps the river is just too big and wild here for the frogs?

I decide to walk west along the riverbank and reach areas that are more driftwood than trash. I always marvel at how the river lays the wood in fairly parallel rows. That bright reddish-orange object in the foreground is the remains of a life preserver…it is one of two that I find on this day.

Another tree with an intact root mass has been beached by the river. Notice how all the branches have been knocked off. This is fairly typical. The river keeps subdividing these trees into smaller and smaller parts. Up ahead I notice something that a muddy wave has just returned to the land. I walk over and check it out and see something I’ve never seen here before.

It’s a big fish, but I don’t recognize the species. It’s not too bloated and so I examine it more closely. I think it may be one of those Asiatic carp species that have become so invasive to our bigger rivers? Recently, in western Kentucky in the Land Between the Lakes area, there was the first ever commercial fishing tournament to try to harvest as many of these large carp as possible. Strong nets are needed to catch them since they grow big and rarely if ever take a baited hook. The idea behind the tournament was to educate people that these fish are good to eat and to try to help create a commercial demand for them.

Here I am holding the fish at arm’s length. Notice that it has a relatively small mouth. This fish feeds on microscopic plankton and other tiny food items which is why they are hard to hook by traditional means. This is a thick-bodied fish with a large head and powerful tail. I have known that these fish are in the Ohio River, but I haven’t had the chance to inspect one this closely before. I’ve attached a couple more views of this fish.

By now, you are probably used to my game! I made this fish from a hunk of Styrofoam I picked up on this day. The Styrofoam reminded me of a fish and so that’s the direction I took this sculpture. The other found elements include: fishing bobber eyes, red plastic gills, fins made from wood, shoe soles, and plastic junk. This is how it looked before I started.

I try to respect the basic shape the river gives me and feel that whatever results… is a collaboration between me and the river. I don’t cut too much into the polystyrene because I also try not to release many of those tiny white beads back into the environment. I try to work minimally and to clean up after myself. It’s not a perfect system, but is what has evolved after so many years of coming out here. I did find even more Styrofoam on my latest adventure and now just need the time to create something from it all. My parting shot is the latest image of my outdoor studio. See you next time from the banks of the Ohio River.

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A Need to Form: Handmade Balls from the Falls of the Ohio

Posted in Absurd, Art, collections, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Originality, recycled art, unusual collection, tagged aluminum foil, Art, artistatexit0, balls, creativity, duct tape, electrical tape, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, handmade balls, lost objects, repurposed art, tape, unusual collection on March 15, 2013| 4 Comments »

At first it looked like any other ball among the wood chips and I almost passed it by. After all, balls are the most common toy that I find at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. But something told me to look more closely at this one and that’s when I noticed the network of filaments that were eroding away on the surface of this silvery sphere. Picking it up, I then realized I was holding something different and to my mind and eye a bit more fascinating too. Yes, it is a ball, but one made from duct tape!

Over the years I have found several other handmade balls made from different materials and they always elicit wonder in me as artifacts. There is something in the human need to create form from formlessness that is at the root of creativity and can be seen in this eccentric collection. I think this can happen reflexively too without deep thought being involved. The largest of these balls would fit comfortably in the palm of your hand and is slightly smaller than an American baseball. Since most of them are made from various tapes…I’m guessing they are the waste products of work. What began as something relatively flat gets transformed by the mind and hand into a fully satisfying three-dimensional object that you can grasp, throw, or roll. For me, there is something appealing art-like in these objects which began life as one thing and by shifting its original purpose and function becomes something entirely different.

Here are two duct tape balls I have found by the river. The one on the left is pictured on the wood chips and its partner has vestiges of dried paint or primer on its surface. The spheres are created by layering one flat piece of tape over another until a ball is formed. It is not necessary to create a ball to dispose of this waste tape, but this is what their makers did…and then it wound up in the river which is yet again another story to ponder.

These two balls are made from stretchy electrical tape and are tight and dense. I remember that the very first handmade ball I found was also made from this smooth black tape. When my eldest son was a small boy and needed a project to do involving recycled materials… I helped him construct this circus pull toy from materials found at the river.

At the heart of this toy is a handmade ball made from electrical tape. My son thought this would make a great prop for a circus lion to stand on while it jumped through a flaming hoop! Of course, the only fire we actually used came from our imaginations. The yellow plastic lion was also found at the river and has a nice oily patina on it that comes from being in the river for a while. Here’s a smaller ball made from green tape.

I’m sure people are making balls from paper-based tapes too, but these don’t survive being exposed to the elements for very long.

This ball made with cellophane tape is barely holding together. It’s surface is fragile and the adhesive is losing its bond. As it starts to peel apart, sand caught between the layers is released.

The four balls pictured here are made from compressed aluminum foil. Perhaps they were used for cooking and once their original purpose was over, the owners rolled the foil around the palms of their hands like one would do to form a ball from either clay or snow. The funny thing about aluminum foil and the river is that the water somehow squeezes it even more and the ball becomes denser and more solid. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed looking at this rare and somewhat tongue in cheek odd ball collection where the sum is definitely greater than the parts! Spring will be arriving soon and the Ohio River is calling…until next time.

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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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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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The Sacred Bird of the Ohio River

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, Art, art and environment, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged Art, artistatexit0, birds, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, Ibis, nature, nature story, osprey, photography, recycled art, repurposed art, sense of place, site specific art, Styrofoam on November 4, 2012| 11 Comments »

It’s hard for me to believe that October has come and gone. There isn’t much sand left in 2012’s hourglass. I’m virtually alone (if you are only counting people) at the Falls of the Ohio today and it’s understandable. The weather is cool, gray, and an occasional spit of rain falls against my face. I like it out here when it feels a bit lonelier because my chances of seeing wildlife increases. Such was the case today when I explored the area next to the tainter gates and under the old railroad bridge. This area is sheltered a bit from the wind and many times I have found birds in the high grass and low trees near the sloping riverbank. Today I observed Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Mourning Doves, and Hairy Woodpeckers in immediate proximity to each other. In the sky, the first of the Ring-billed Gulls has arrived and a pair of Osprey with their broad wings searches for unwary fish too close to the surface of the water. Many of the tree leaves have dropped and it looks like we will have a bumper crop of cockle burrs as I pull dozens of them off my shoe laces and socks. Their prickly hooks irritate my skin as they work through the fabric of my clothing. On days like this I’m just trying to attune myself to the subtleties of this landscape and I’m amazed at how often my patience gets rewarded here. As I was walking to photograph uprooted trees against the flood wall…

…I spotted something shockingly white moving near the water’s edge. Carefully moving as close as I could…I recorded this image of another rare bird seldom seen at the Falls of the Ohio.

A few more pictures in relatively close succession and I was able to identify this beauty as the Lattice-necked or Brown-winged Ibis. I prefer using the Lattice-necked moniker because the long neck with its unusual patterning is distinctive to this bird alone. I happened across an individual that was hunting for food and stalking the margins of the water. I did observe it feeding on black snails that were common on the rocks. I recall from my old art history days that the ibis was a sacred bird to the ancient Egyptians and often was mummified to accompany dignitaries on their journeys to the afterlife. In my mind I made the association that this ibis species in front of me was sacred to the life of this river. Enough gabbing, here are a few more pictures.

This ibis species is more commonly seen around the Gulf coast and points south of here. Every once in a while, a storm or hurricane will blow a few individuals into the heartland where they are a welcome treat to the hardcore birders. The Lattice-necked Ibis has always been less common than the other larger shorebirds. It is less aggressive than the herons and egrets which out-compete the ibis for prime nesting and feeding sites. This bird did spy me and flew away, but only a short distance away. I was able to catch back up with it and captured these final images of this graceful and dignified bird.

Here is the same ibis that found a nice fishing spot next to a small whirlpool. Every now and then a little fish would get caught by the rotating water only to find itself food for the lightning quick ibis.

I felt refreshed and energized by my encounter with the ibis. I left the river with a song in my heart which I whistled all the way back home. Above me, two osprey I had seen earlier were circling in the clear, cool blue sky…another blessing of this day.

BONUS FEATURE…in process shots of how the ibis was made. The head and body are pieces of Styrofoam I found out at the Falls of the Ohio. The bill of the bird is a plastic handle from something…perhaps a feather duster? The bird’s eyes are two small pieces of coal. The neck I’m guessing is the plastic arm of a hanging flower planter? At the base of the neck, I attached a small bit of white plastic hose I came across. The brown wings are the soles of two mismatched shoes I found. The tiny tail and legs are found wood. These are all the materials that make up this sculpture which owes something to the tradition of decoy making. Thanks for tagging along with me on another adventure by the Ohio River.

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Jeff’s Odd Dream

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged Absurd, Art, artistatexit0, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, nature, photography, recycled materials, story telling, Styrofoam on October 7, 2012| 9 Comments »

Jeff and I have been great friends for over thirty years now. It’s a strange feeling when you realize that much time has flown by. We met at Murray State University in far western Kentucky and attended art school together and have kept in touch ever since. Now we both live with our families in Louisville. I’m proud to say that we still self identify as being artists. This has not been an easy thing to do. I’ve read that most people who attend art school eventually stop thinking of themselves as artists once the work-a-day world takes its toll after graduation. Jeff and I have been lucky and can say that most of our professional lives have not strayed too far from art making or being in the art world. We have never shaken our need to make ideas and materials connect. These days, Jeff enjoys making some very involved and often witty ceramic sculptures and through this blog you know something about me. This is not the first time Jeff has accompanied me on one of my “epic adventures” to the Falls of the Ohio and I always enjoy his company and conversation. Today is a beautiful late September day and we are hiking in the western section of the park and enjoying the sunshine.

This is a less traveled path, but often worthwhile. Today there are many late summer/early fall wildflowers to see. We stopped by one of my favorite trees in the park. It’s an old cottonwood tree whose roots have continued to grow with the tree even while the riverbank has eroded and exposed these roots to the elements. This has not kept this tree from thriving. Over time, a space beneath the tree large enough for a person to stand has been created. This image of Jeff under the tree will give you a better idea of what I mean. I have used this space on many occasions to wait out rain showers or take a break from my walks.

Over the past two years this tree has attracted a lot of attention and unfortunately for any other visitors…you can see evidence of their “footprints” all around this cottonwood. There is more litter around and several fire pits contain partially burned trash. The tree trunk itself has become a target for graffiti as people with pen knives and spray cans have left their marks.

The sun was shining full-bore and warmed the day up nicely. While I spotted some birds I wanted to check out…Jeff decided to hang out by the tree and take a nap.

When I returned from bird watching, Jeff was waiting for me and recalled an odd fragment from a dream he just had. Even in his resting state he felt as though something was checking him out. First he heard the sound of movement in the dried leaves and then caught sight of an odd small figure in brown with long ears skulking about the shadows.

Jeff remembers trying to wake himself up, but the dream continued. The small brown figure then called out and was soon joined by a second figure that was larger and all in white.

This newest figure was even more bizarre than the first and more frightening for sure. It sported a large misshapen head, wild eyes, and a mouth trimmed in blue. Within his dream, Jeff heard a narrator saying that these figures were called “tree spirits” and all trees have them. These characters may have been up to no good. It’s hard to say, but fortunately they are easily frightened away. Jeff thinks they may have belonged to the cottonwood tree and were paying a visit in case we were thinking of doing some damage to this beloved tree. There were two spirits because there were two of us. Anyway, Jeff doesn’t know how or if it all played out because he woke up.

It had already been a full day and we decided to head for home. Although Jeff was partially refreshed from his nap, I was beginning to feel tired. The car was about an hour’s walk away and we still needed to cross over the small creek that divides the western section of the park from the Woodland Loop Trail. We gingerly walked over the logs left over from the last flood balancing ourselves with our walking sticks. We were in no hurry here.

It was great having another adventure with an old friend! I’m sure that we will do this again. Jeff found an extra walking stick to take home and that became his souvenir of the day. For me, I walked out of the park with my images and this story I’m about to post. Thanks for stopping by…until next time from the Falls of the Ohio!

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Encounter with Headhunters

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, nature, nature photography, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged Art, artistatexit0, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, found objects, headhunters, nature, Ohio River, photography, plastic, public art, recycled art, storytelling, Styrofoam on September 29, 2012| 4 Comments »

Summer has transitioned to fall. Everyone has noticed that the days don’t seem to be as long as they were a mere month ago. This is all the more reason to get out into nature. Perhaps you have felt that subconscious pull tugging you out the door? The sun is not as insanely hot and the light is intense and clean. There is just the barest yellowing along the margins of the river’s cottonwood leaves. More colors will follow. Right now there is an urgent purposefulness to the world as life prepares to overwinter. The flowering grasses are alive with flying insects gathering pollen and nectar. Spider predators are behind every leaf. After absorbing some of this energy…I headed up to my spot under the willow trees and wondered about making something interesting from my river cache. I was so happy and absorbed to be back at my outdoor studio that for a moment I lost track of the fact that something was now moving on the left side of my peripheral vision. Thinking it might be an animal, I carefully brought my camera up to take some quick pictures and this was what I captured.

In quick succession, I had two images in my camera before I realized what I was photographing! Appearing out of a myth was a member of the Pang tribe! The Pang live in the most remote places in the world’s woods and consider themselves the first people. It’s not advisable to try to find them because they don’t want to be found and it may in fact be dangerous to do so. They only appear when they want to be seen. The land they call home is full of poisonous serpents, insects, and diseases plus the rainy season is relentless. There are no overland roads and very few trails. Getting around means braving an unpredictable river. Oh, and then there is the reputation the Pang have for being headhunters. The little guy in front of me was reminding me of that by showing me the trophy he carries on a belt everywhere he goes. I think my camera’s flash startled him! By holding the captured head aloft, this tribesman was telling me he was experienced in this field! His nose ring meant that he feared no pain.

The stainless steel fork he brandishes likely means he has had contact with our culture before. The Pang, otherwise do not work metals. What is known is that they are a hunting and gathering culture and nature supplies everything they need. The posturing and elaborate facial gestures on display before me continued until he seemed satisfied that I was harmless and perhaps even a bit slow on the uptake? The Pang have developed a language where one can gauge how a person feels by looking and reading their facial expressions. Most of the time, an open mouth with prominent tongue exposed is a sign for disgust or disapproval although there are exceptions for most rules. Using the time-honored hand signal for follow me my new friend beckoned and I walked behind him anticipating adventure and mystery.

Along our walk the tribesman would point out where my culture had dumped garbage into the Pang’s territory. From the look on his face, I could again register disapproval. I tried to learn his name and give him mine, but we had trouble communicating by words. Aside from the occasional bit of plastic and paper, the forest walk was also full of beautiful birds and butterflies and late season wildflowers. Eventually, we entered a small clearing and there set up for our relaxation and respite was an intimate canopy tended by another member of the first people.

A sheet of recycled plastic foam packaging and a couple of wooden posts made up this shelter. I saw that the Pang were trying to reuse some of the trash they found. Sitting down, food and water is shared and I’m amazed at my new friends ability to live off the land. A kicked over decaying log full of large, succulent beetle larvae provides the main course. I, however, developed a taste for bracket fungi and my new hostess showed me what to look for. I can’t help noticing that she is wearing a small skull object around her neck. Later I learned that the Pang don’t remove heads from just anybody or without cause. Head collection is the highest form of respect accorded to friend and foe alike. I, however, was never in any danger simply because I hadn’t earned any respectability yet in the estimation of the Pang. Or so another friend told me later.

After a short rest, my hosts were in a mood for a walk and I tagged along. I could tell that there were things they wanted me to see. Of course, they showed me just about every piece of litter we came across on the trail. It seemed important to them that I not miss this.

Fortunately, I was shown a lot more that was good than not. I could see why the Pang were so attached to their land. It provides them everything including much of what makes up their identity. We visited an immense hollow log that the river dropped off during some old flood and I took this portrait of the odd couple.

We walked back out into the bright sunlight and hiked near the river. After having been in a mostly leafy environment, it felt nice to have fresh air against my face. You could tell by the expressions on the Pang people’s faces how much they enjoyed being free and in a natural state.

Before long we came to a place where driftwood had collected on the beach. It was nearer to the forest and another trail. After a protracted goodbye, my friends went their separate ways. I could tell that our adventure together was coming to an end.

I got the sense that something else needed to happen to make the day complete. I turned with the man with a fork back down to the riverbank. As we walked he slowly started chanting and stopped every once in a while by some landmark for added emphasis. He did this when we came to a bright, marshy area. My friend’s arms rose into the air along with his song.

After the marsh, my companion climbed a long log that had washed up on the shore during a flood many years before. He climbed as far up the root mass as he could and lifted his voice and fork to the heavens. I wish I knew what he was saying…but whatever comprised his song I could tell it was reverential.

Since this culture doesn’t show itself without some purpose in mind. I hoped that I hadn’t missed it. Looking back upon the day, I enjoyed the camaraderie of my new friends, we relaxed together and shared a meal. Later we went for a walk where I was showed both what the Pang liked and disliked in the landscape. Now the day was ending in a prayerful song. Seemingly to underscore another point, my headhunting friend drew a line in the mud. In essence, he communicated that my side of the line was mine and if I couldn’t respect his side of the line…we would be unwelcome. He quickly grimaced with his tongue sticking out on that last point. Staying on my side of the line, I wished him well in my tongue and with a short wave watched him melt into the forest where he belonged.

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Through the Drizzle

Posted in Absurd, animals, Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, nature, nature photography, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged Art, artistatexito, bird watching, Black Rail, ecosystem, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, found objects, nature, photography, public art, recycled art, repurposed art, Styrofoam, the environment, Viceroy butterfly on September 8, 2012| 5 Comments »

This was my Labor Day adventure which spanned two days of hanging out by the Ohio River. The remnants of Hurricane Isaac came through and gave us some much-needed rain. I was excited to return to my old studio spot and didn’t mind exploring and working through the drizzle. My clothes got soaked and muddy, but as long as I was able to keep my camera dry…I felt okay and had fun. It has been two months since I last laid eyes on my Styro-cache. Most of these polystyrene chucks were collected in the spring. I had heard that there were a few scheduled river clean-ups, but they obviously didn’t find my spot. It wouldn’t have hurt my feelings in the least if all this white trash had disappeared. The more public areas did look better, but I have a feeling that as long as people are around…there will be litter at the Falls of the Ohio.

Because I was dodging little rain showers, I quickly created a figure and moved him out into the river landscape. A nice family who said they were familiar with some of my other Falls projects happened upon me. Their daughters India and Esmay were interested in “Mr. Rednose”, so named because his nose is a burnt out light bulb from a string of Christmas lights. I asked permission from the parents to take the girls’ picture before posting something. Esmay seemed the most interested and kept sticking her finger into “Mr. Rednose’s” mouth. It’s cool when people I meet out here get what I do and appreciate my small call for creativity. I have a real concern for what kind of world our children will inherit. My own sons are now 11 and 16 years old and I remember when they were much smaller and followed me to the river to make a few memories of our own.

“To exist or not to exist…that is a choice.” Perhaps meeting little kids inspired me to play dress up with this figure. But I also kept finding props I could do this with. This blue blanket was just draped over a log and I wondered why someone would leave this here? Over the years, I have come across small camps that homeless people would just leave their stuff behind as though they planned to return. It was eerie when they didn’t. By the river, I came across yet another potential prop.

A fisherman had left behind as trash this polystyrene minnow bucket and “Mr. Rednose”picked it up. Since it was beginning to rain more regularly it seemed appropriate to try to use this bucket for a hat and here is what that looked like.

It was about this time that I decided to call it a day. The rain was coming down more heavily and consistently. I hid the figure in high, wet grass where it was waiting for me the following morning.

My second day out here was more about discovering nature. No sooner had I rescued my figure than I had one of my most thrilling bird sightings. This time it was an actual bird and not something I created myself! Walking through the wet grasses I unintentionally flushed a bird into flight that I recognized immediately. It was a Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis). It’s a small blackish bird with a short bill. It has white speckles on its flanks and a very diagnostic rusty-colored nape. Rails are the smallest member of a group of wading birds that include herons and egrets. The literature says that they are very secretive and seldom encountered. You are more likely to hear one at night along the eastern salt marshes, but there are a few that live in the Midwest. There are over 260 bird species listed in the official Falls of the Ohio checklist, but the Black Rail is not one of them. This is a second time I have spotted a bird not officially recorded in the park. I tried to let the park and our local bird club know about my sighting and I hope somebody else was able to see it? The flushed rail flew to a nearby willow tree and with camera in hand I tried to get a picture. Unfortunately, I was not successful. I will, however, look for it again in the same place the next time I come out here. The Black Rail was not the only interesting creature out in the park today. Newly minted butterflies were flitting about and I counted several species including the Viceroy which mimics the Monarch butterfly.

This Viceroy was taking advantage of the minerals present in a fairly large bird dropping! Out of the fossil beds, Great Blue Herons were outnumbered by the slightly smaller and all-white Great Egrets. Soon the egrets will be moving off to warmer climes, but the Great Blue Herons are year round residents.

Moving away from the river and back towards the willows, I stopped to admire several flowers including members of the Evening Primrose family. “Mr. Rednose” enjoyed the slight fragrance emanating from this tall flower.

I finished this adventure where it began. I moved my figure to the place he first took form and where he now stands guard over my Styro-larder. He might still be there welcoming visitors…or not. I look forward to returning the following weekend to experience all the surprises both great and small that this environment presents to me.

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Digital Driftwood: Part III, Roots and All

Posted in Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, nature photography, Ohio River, watershed, tagged Art, art and nature, artist at exit 0, driftwood, Ellen Dissanayake, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found materials, photography, roots, sculpture, trees on August 19, 2012| 9 Comments »

One last driftwood post before hopefully moving on to the current conditions at the Falls of the Ohio. As my knee heals, I have been sifting through my own digital photographs. Sitting at home, I have been spared the relentless heat that has defined our summer. Artist at Exit 0, however, does miss bearing witness to life along the river and can’t wait to get back! I thought I would end this driftwood series by looking at wood that is more organically expressive. As mentioned in a previous post, the river processes a tree by removing its branches into increasingly smaller segments. With all the broken down wood present at the Falls of the Ohio State Park, it can be a challenge to find a piece that implies movement. Here are a few larger examples that I find to be especially sculptural.

I come across many unique pieces of wood in the park that feel as satisfying to me as many abstract sculptures made by man. Walking around a particularly nice piece of driftwood, I am rewarded with different viewpoints that remind me that the object I am regarding share a common space. Here’s a different image of the same dramatic driftwood log and the experience in perception changes as you move around the wood. I notice not only the arc of branches and roots, but the spaces between forms as well.

Here’s another nice piece that I came across this year and it also has many nice sculptural qualities. I love the “S” curve snake-like motion implied in this driftwood.

When I see a piece of wood this twisted and convoluted I’m reminded that nature is the true sculptor here. Doing the shaping are water, wind, and the life force of the tree itself whose innate “intention” is to live.

It’s hard for me to imagine that works of art were considered ” superior” to the “corruptness” of nature. Fortunately, the philosophy of aesthetics is ever-changing, but still could use additional tweaking from what strictly enhances the experiences of our lives to embracing a better appreciation of life in all its forms. Even when we use ourselves as the egotistical measure of all things we should be starting to understand by now that the quality of our very lives and that of our descendants depends upon the overall quality of the natural environment.

When I’m at the river I try to be as present in the moment as much as I can, however, my mind does day-dream a lot about the relationships between art, man, and nature. I believe as my friend Ellen Dissanayake has eloquently expressed through her well-researched books that art has survival value otherwise our species would not have spent thousands of years involved in this activity. My reaction is to try to use my creativity in this special place using the materials I find on hand to try to further this conversation along. The sculptures I make to tell my little stories are combinations of natural and artificial materials. The river-eroded Styrofoam I use for my figurative work is usually so static in form that to enliven it requires finding rootlets and branches that the river hasn’t fully removed all sense of gesture and movement. These pieces become the arms and legs of my characters that help imply animation. The picture above shows roots I collected while walking over the driftwood that the river did not completely break apart.

It’s interesting how often trees enter the picture. One nice touch in the opening ceremony of the recently completed London Olympics was the large tree image that brought nature into the festivities. Key to the life of a tree are the roots that help bring water and nutrients to its tissues. By growing and burrowing through the soil the root system helps buttress the tree and holds the soil together. This is especially important on a riverbank. Since driftwood is essentially deadwood…I didn’t want to wrap up this post on such a dismal note. At the Falls of the Ohio live many tenacious trees and here are images of a few of them that have weathered many a storm, flood, and the activities of man.

Before the idea of climate change and global warming there was already enough change occurring through the busyness of our species. I remember looking at satellite imagery of the Amazon region a few years a go and being able to see the tell-tale grid system of logging roads and farms supplanting the jungle. Deforestation is continuing at an even greater rate now. Our trees need our love and we need the free services they provide. Now for one last look at another resilient tree at the Falls of the Ohio.

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Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog

Art and images from the Falls of the Ohio.

Posts Tagged ‘found materials’

Tree Trevails

Big Fish

A Need to Form: Handmade Balls from the Falls of the Ohio

The Sun is Up and the River is Down

Snow Folk

The Sacred Bird of the Ohio River

Jeff’s Odd Dream

Encounter with Headhunters

Through the Drizzle

Digital Driftwood: Part III, Roots and All

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