sense of place | Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog

Posts Tagged ‘sense of place’

Three Flowers and Three Fish

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, animals, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, nature, nature photography, public art, recycled art, unusual collection, tagged Art, artist at exit 0, creativity, ecological art, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fish, flowers, fossil beds, found objects, found toys, lucky finds, nature, photography, sense of place on September 23, 2013| 11 Comments »

This post is the last of this year’s summer posts and documents a walk I made at the Falls of the Ohio State Park one week before autumn officially began. As you can see by the pictures…it was a very beautiful day filled with all kinds of discoveries. There was a profusion of yellow-flowering plants of various species including goldenrod and sunflowers. Here is a detail, I think from the Woodland Sunflower? I wish I was as confident about plants as I am in identifying animals. When I break out my flower books, I realize it would aid identification greatly to have an example on hand. Collecting plants is not allowed within the park limits…so I try to take photos that might be of use in discerning the various closely related species. Besides, I don’t think pressing these plants flat would even work? I ask myself, what leaf shape does it have? Are the leaves serrated, smooth, or hairy and how many rays do the flower heads have and other such questions of concern to the botanist.

I suppose I’m more of an imaginative botanist at heart who also appreciates the beauty and variety the many flowers add to the temporal landscape. I do, however, stumble upon plants that I wonder if anyone else is noticing? I’ve posted about these anomalies before and as the seasons change, the parade of these “unnatural plants” and “faux flowers” continues. Consider these fresh blooms.

I call this one the “Surprising Poinsettia” because it comes shockingly red and completely unexpected. Its sepals are rather fabric-like and its stem is grafted upon this sunflower by some unknown means. The next plant is more subtle.

This is “Orangey-tickseed” and at first blush, one might be tempted to pass over it. I had to do a double-take on this one, however, my instincts told me something was not quite right here. Indeed the orange-colored flowers are not at all like the yellow plant it is cohabiting with. Again, the texture is very much like plastic. One final plant before moving on to other interesting discoveries.

I found this beautiful flower growing near the river in the sand and I have designated it the “Pink Sand Lily” because I’m not sure what else to call it? It is for the most part, a low growing plant and the “flower” appears at the terminal end of a wiry green stalk about four inches tall or so. The flower petals are composed of a string-like fiber while the stamens are hard and have pseudo-pollen on them. These unusual plants were not my only discoveries on this fine day. I nearly always find some doll or doll part that the river has washed into here and today was no exception. I spotted a form in the wood chips and bark bits and went in for a closer look. Dusting off the form revealed this doll body.

This was quite unlike any other doll “body” I’ve found before at the river. The material was obviously made from a foam-like material, but it had the flexibility of rubber. Nearby, I also discovered an unusual serpent.

Approximately a foot long, this red plush snake had large black eyes and had just a bit of its tongue sticking out. This is the first of one of these objects that I have come across . The river was flowing nearby and I walked over to the edge of the riverbank. The water level has finally leveled off to more of its seasonal pool and the fossil banks on the Kentucky side were exposed for the first time this year. Looking along the water’s edge, I came across this Freshwater Drum that an angler caught and released. Unfortunately, for the fish…it did not survive being captured. Here is its final portrait.

The Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) is a widespread fish and common in the Ohio River. It has several molar-like teeth in its mouth that it uses to crush and eat snails and small clams. The drum is not considered a desirable food species around here. Here’s another fish I found on this walk that is also inedible.

The second “fish” I came across was this plastic bottle. I’m guessing that the bottle may have contained shampoo for children? Regardless, I was struck by the level of abstraction occurring here. The tail is minimally represented and the gills are indicated by two lines near the eyes, but there is enough here to suggest a fish. My next find is mid way between the drum and the plastic bottle being closer to the latter than the former. Here are two views of it.

This is a Silvergill which is closely related to the Iron Gill (which I have posted about previously). Differences between the two species include size (this fish is smaller) and some of the fins are not the same shape or in the same position. The Silvergill is much more rarely encountered than its larger cousin. It is found in water of average to poor quality and often associated with coal and coal dust. It is omnivorous and eats aquatic insect larvae and algae which it grazes off of rocks. I’m assuming that it washed up here a victim (like the Freshwater Drum) of an angler looking to catch something more worthwhile. I took a few photos and then moved on. The fossil beds were beckoning and I could see the resident flock of Black Vultures congregating on the rocks. No doubt they had discovered a fish or two on their own. Until next time from the Falls of the Ohio.

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Muddy Catfish

Posted in Absurd, animals, art and environment, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, nature, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, artistatexito, catfish, Falls of the Ohio, fishing, flathead catfish, found materials, nature, Ohio River, photography, recycled materials, sense of place, site specific art, Styrofoam on July 21, 2013| 4 Comments »

With the sun spotlighting this little patch of sand…my newest Styro-figure proudly stood upright. He’s the first persona created in the reconfigured studio. I found a rare piece of “black Styrofoam” on today’s walk. It’s part of what passes for car bumpers these days. This material has a rubberized compound mixed throughout the foam which makes it harder to cut or pierce.

After making new friends it’s time to venture out into the world. The leafy green complete with bird song is complimented by the creaky willows that sway with the occasional breeze. There is another sound, however, that your feet are hearing and you walk in the direction of its source.

The mighty Ohio River has been running muddy for more that a week now. Although it’s hot and humid today, thus far, this summer has been wetter and cooler than average. As a result of all the rain, the river has been higher than usual. What I like about the Falls of the Ohio is that in such a relatively intimate space the park can take on all kinds of different looks depending on the weather and season. Small waves break upon the heightened shoreline and there is a family nearby fishing and playing by the river.

Seeing that they were having some luck catching fish, I gestured if it was all right to take their pictures. The family didn’t speak English and I’m guessing that they are recent immigrants from Southeast Asia? Regardless, both adults and children were having a ball in the river. I wondered if they came from someplace like this since they seemed so comfortable and natural by the water? After receiving the okay signal I recorded these images of people interacting with the river.

This little guy was cute and really determined that I should take his picture in what I’m assuming is a martial arts pose? I obliged him several times and this was my personal favorite snapshot of the group. Looking through my riverblog…I’m struck by how often children appear and interact with my artistic process. First, my own two sons would accompany me and now it’s the kids in the park on any given day.

I watched this fish being landed and it’s a decent sized Flathead catfish, (Pylodictus olivaris). This fish probably weighed in the ten to twelve pound range, but this catfish can get as large as a hundred pounds. It is a fish of big rivers. A very simple rig was used to catch this fish. Four slipshot lead weights were clamped onto the line about eight inches away from the hook. A single nightcrawler worm was used for bait which was cast about 25 yards from the riverbank. The fishermen would wade in about knee-high to waist deep to increase casting length. I was amazed that with the current and all the potential underwater obstructions that their lines didn’t get snagged more often than they did.

This was the stringer of catfish they were working on. In addition to the Flatheads…another big river fish the Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) was also being caught.

The Blue catfish is a slatey-gray color and has a forked tail. The two fish on the lower right in the above image are blues. The flatheads are more of a mottled olive color and have very different fins. Both are omnivorous and will eat most anything that they can catch.

All the fish on the stringer will be used to feed this family. It is still not recommended that people eat the larger fish (especially bottom dwelling species) from the Ohio River. The river is much cleaner than it used to be, however, toxins do build up in the fat tissues of the fish that live the longest and grow to be big. Every once in a while, making a meal of some of the smaller fish should be okay. Because I was needed elsewhere today…I let my day at the river draw to an end. Good thing too…because if you stand too long in the same spot at the water’s edge…you chance sinking down too far! See you soon.

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As the River Rises…so Does My Blood Pressure

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, art in context, artistatexit0, driftwood structure, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, found objects, garbage, nature story, Ohio River flooding, photography, plastic, sculpture, sense of place, Styrofoam, Styrofoam cups on July 10, 2013| 20 Comments »

We have had (along with the eastern half of the country) a lot of rain recently. When it has precipitated, it hasn’t been gentle rains, but rather torrential, monsoon-like downpours. Consequently, everything is saturated and the Ohio River has quickly risen to engulf the riverbanks that are normally wide and clear this time of year. I took a chance between rain showers to see if I could access my site for a few hours. Maneuvering through the underbrush I was able to investigate the river’s edge that was slowly but surely creeping inland. As a gauge to how high the river has risen, in the above photos…you should be able to walk out to those willow trees that are now in the middle of the river. I watched columns of ants marching for higher ground. The river’s edge attracts animals, particularly birds, that are hunting insects being driven by the advancing water. I’m here doing a similar thing…except I’m looking for interesting junk that has floated in with the driftwood. I always find something and here are a few recent images of this river treasure.

This is a plastic bell pepper to add to my ever growing collection of faux food. This collection has grown considerably since I last photographed it in its entirety. I’ve added several fast food items and I now can boast owning several plastic hamburgers and hotdogs to accompany the fruits and vegetables.

I don’t recognize this character’s head, but I responded to the tongue sticking out! It was this discovery that caused me to go on a tangent. I decided that in the relatively restricted area I was investigating that I was going to collect all the different green plastic items the river was delivering to me. This is what I came up with.

I was amazed at the collection I was able to put together in less than an hour’s time. Each item is unique…even the green plastic bottles which are different sizes, designs, and have different colored bottle caps. Among my other finds include green discarded fishing line, a green “Lincoln log”, a lost lip balm cylinder, a hair curler, a circular green plastic “smokeless” tobacco “tin”, a flip flop, etc…

I then took my 21 green artificial objects and arranged them in a line on an interesting wooden object I found that looked very alter-like. This is a very different expression of what it is to be “green” and the plants behind these objects concur. It was now time to visit my site and see if anything had happened there and perhaps to make something new.

I had that “oh no” feeling upon arriving. There were several changes since my last visit. Whomever is building this structure appears to be trying to construct a roof over my spot. Most of the materials that I have gathered over the months were just thrown out and around the site. There is no way for me to work here now in its present configuration. I wonder if the rain prevented the “work” from being completed? And then it dawned on me…where is the figure I left here? I found him a short distance away.

This is how I found him disarticulated and face down. It appears that he was just lifted up and thrown aside. I knew if I was to learn what had happened that I would need to reconstruct him. It took me a bit of time to find his various parts, but I ultimately was successful and set him up on the “roof” in a sitting position.

I said…”Dude, what happened here and to you?” My friend was quite excitable in retelling the tale. He said a couple of people came by a day or so after I was last here and just started ransacking the place. The last thing he remembers was flying through the air and then blackness. He at least confirmed my suspicions that more than one person was involved. Here is the evidence I used to draw that conclusion.

The last time I was here I noted a giant polystyrene cup lying in the sand just outside my space. Upon returning, I picked up these additional cups and the blue bottle that were casually thrown on the ground and photographed them on a nearby log. I’m deducing that these people live in the area since they sell these mega drinks at a nearby gas station. Now as much as I’m torqued about being evicted from my spot…finding these added cups here makes me mad! There is already enough junk in the river without bringing more and leaving it here! It seems the height of disrespect and irresponsibility and my remade figure concurred.

My friend was growing excited with the thought of his recent tormentors returning to the scene of the crime. He asked me what I was going to do about this and I have to admit it’s a dilemma for me. Generally, I appreciate it when people interact with my art, however, there is little evidence that there are respectful spirits at play here. I decided that if the river kept rising (and at this point it was about twenty meters away) that matters would become moot. The water would rearrange the context here and I would simply begin again. If, however, the river doesn’t reclaim this spot…I promised my figure that I would reassert my will. I might do a little engineering of my own and see how I might modify the structure to suit my needs. If you were me…what would you do? I told my mustachioed figure to sit tight and that I would return the following weekend if the river would allow it. To be continued…?

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Fish of the Day

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Louisville, Kentucky, nature photography, Ohio River, recycled art, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged Art, art from found objects, artistatexit0, Falls of the Ohio, fish, fishing, nature, nature story, photography, recycled art, sense of place, site specific art, Skipjack Herring, Styrofoam, the environment on June 9, 2013| 11 Comments »

It’s the beginning of June at the Falls of the Ohio. I arrived at the river to find a dozen or so fishermen that were up on this cool, grey morning before me. There are both people and boats in and on the water. Many fishermen are knee to thigh high in the river balancing themselves on the shallow, but rocky bottom.

The river attracts all kinds of fishermen. I see people who have lots of fancy, expensive tackle and for the most part they are using light gear for smaller, sporty, quarry. And then there are the guys that seem more local and blue-collar. No fancy gear here that the anglers might prefer. Rather this is a big pole, five gallon bucket, come as you are affair. Word has probably been passed down the line that the “shad” are running and it’s a good time to catch a mess of fish.

This is the fish of the day…the Skipjack Herring, (Alosa chrysochloris). This fish was first described by the naturalist Rafinesque in the early part of the 19th century. It’s an abundant and beautiful fish found in all of Kentucky’s major rivers and up into the Mississippi River too. The Skipjack is anadromous which means it migrates up rivers from the sea to breed. During the right time of year large schools of Skipjacks are congregating under the dams and waiting for the chance to move forward. The Skipjack gets its name from jumping out of the water like a skimming stone in pursuit of the smaller fishes it eats. At the Falls, the fishermen are catching Skipjacks to use as bait. The fish is cut into quarters and set upon large treble hooks in the hopes of catching big catfish. One fisherman told me he witnessed a 30 pound catfish being caught with this method the previous night. I recently read that these waters were also once home to the Ohio Shad (Alosa ohiensis) which were first described from specimens caught in the Ohio River at Louisville in the late 19th century. This fish is so rare now that it is on occasion listed as being extinct. The Ohio Shad was probably not common to begin with.

Along the water’s edge the smell of dead fish demarcates the air where water and land meet. The riverbank is littered with the unlucky who through lost scales and exposed bone are returning to the world from which they came. There was one unfamiliar fish that I came across and I did a series of photos of it. Here are several views I made of this new fish.

There isn’t anything in the literature about this fish and so I’m going to designate it the Yellow-fin Carp for obvious reasons. In life, it probably was in the 3 to 5 pound range and I’m surprised it didn’t get cut up for bait as well? It has the tell-tale large eyes that suggest it is a deeper water fish. It was probably caught by mistake, released, died, and washed up here with the other unfortunates. Here’s a couple of images made along the riverbank.

Since this is something you don’t run across out here very often, I thought I would post a few more images that provide a more formal portrait.

And now for a head-on view of this interesting fish.

People were not the only animals out here after the Skipjacks. Several bird species including Ospreys, Double-crested Cormorants, Black-crowned Night Herons, and Great Blue Herons were taking their share. Here is a heron couple that are set up by the tainter gates in the eastern section of the park. Between catching fish they mirrored each other in a few courtship moves.

The fossil limestones at the Falls of the Ohio are famous for the diversity of Devonian Age life forms that are preserved within the rocks. Ironically, the Devonian Age is also known as the age of fishes because they first appear in the fossil record over 350 million years a go. At the Falls, however, fish are poorly represented in this rock record. I imagined that if they had preserved as well as other creatures…their remains might look something like this.

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Off Road Triker

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, public art, recycled art, sculpture, watershed, tagged Art, artist at exit 0, earth, Falls of the Ohio, found art materials, nature, Ohio River, photography, plastic, sculpture, sense of place, site specific art, Styrofoam, the environment, tricycle on May 27, 2013| 11 Comments »

I was at the Falls of the Ohio last week when I spotted this plastic toy tricycle just sitting by itself near the river’s edge. Although I didn’t see anyone around, I just assumed its owner must be nearby. I took this picture and walked away. After a time spent looking for driftwood and anything else, I was heading back to my studio under the trees when I was approached by this character I’ve come to know as the ” Off Road Triker”. He was quickly peddling that tricycle I had seen earlier.

With his trademark orange goggles, the Triker likes to explore the world from the seat of his three-wheeler. I recognized him as the subject of a few human interest stories in the newspaper, but this was a first spotting him on the shores of the Ohio River. I have heard that he used to own a car, but now he just peddles everywhere he wants to go. As a side benefit, he’s in the best shape of his life. His legs alone must be as hard as wood. The Triker’s ride came to a smooth stop in the sand in front of where I was standing.

Removing his goggles from his eyes the Triker greeted me pleasantly on a picture perfect day. We introduced ourselves and talked about our observations and connections to this landscape. The Triker remarked that he had seen a lot of rubbish along the water’s edge and I nodded in agreement. He wondered why nobody did anything about this, but I had to tell him that the Falls does see several clean-up attempts a year, but with each new flood or high water the new “largess” in the river just washes up again. It’s like rolling that proverbial rock up the hill only to have it roll back again and again.

The Triker said that there was a place where several old automotive tires were laying half buried in the sand and that I should check it out. He put his goggles back on and I walked beside him as he peddled to the spot. I didn’t tell him this, but I was already familiar with these tires and have photographed this feature many times. I found the Triker to be amusing and so I just played along to get a sense of who he is and what he might do next. The reason all these tires are in this particular location is that once upon a time a river clean-up had occurred and these loose tires were gathered here for future disposal. Ironically, the future never came which left these tires mired in the present. Now these tires are so full of mud, sand, and water that it would take a herculean effort to dig some of them out of the riverbank.

The Triker thought these tires would make an appropriate obstacle course to maneuver through and he asked me to photograph him while he made his run. Everything started off well enough, but that was not to last.

It’s at this point that the Triker hits a snag or rather a tire. The slalom at the course’s start went fine, but midway through the Triker swung wide and he had to over correct to get around the next obstacle. Here are some different close up views of the action.

As you can see…hitting the tire caused the tricycle to go up on two wheels. The speed and forward momentum nearly caused the Triker to completely lose his balance!

Fortunately as an experienced rider…the Triker held it together and was able to regain his composure and balance to complete this impromptu course. He pulled off to the side near some willow trees and exhaled deeply.

“That was a close one my friend. I thought for a micro second I was going to eat sand and rubber in a hard way!” I praised him for his skill on the tricycle and told him I would post the images on the internet which seemed to please the Triker. Recovering his breath, the Triker said he enjoyed his visit to the Falls of the Ohio, but it was now time to return to the city. With his goggles back on, my last view of the Triker was of his back as he peddled his wobbly ride with a newly bent axle towards the skyline of the nearby city.

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A Full Day’s Exploration

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, nature photography, Ohio River, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged absurd story, Art, artist at exit 0, earth, Falls of the Ohio, found objects, nature, nature story, photography, sense of place, Styrofoam, the environment, trash art, willow tree on May 9, 2013| 2 Comments »

Stepping away from the place where it was constructed revealed a whole new world for the Polystyrene Person to explore. The sun was shining and birds were singing and the Falls of the Ohio were once again turning green with emerging tree leaves. Driftwood was everywhere along the river and there were plenty of micro-environments to experience.

Being made of trash caused the Polystyrene Person to be less judgmental of the discarded man-made items it came across. An old inner tube became a tiny arena perfect for dancing.

A tough plastic cable captured by the willow branches during the last bit of flooding became another object of interest. The Polystyrene Person admired the graceful arcs and how the cable defined this bit of space. The white figure played with the cable by walking around and stepping through the loops. There was still more stuff snagged in other trees.

Discovering a fraying barge cable tangled in the willow branches and dragging on the ground gave the new figure an odd mental image. What if this was how the sky was tethered to the earth? What would happen if this cable broke? Would the blue sky with its flimsy clouds just drift off into space? Remembering that this was simply a rope caught in a tree brought the smile back to the figure’s face.

Standing among the roots of a fantastic willow tree, the Polystyrene Person marveled at how the tree maintained its grip on the earth. Beneath the larger roots was a dense mat of very fine rootlets that held the soil together.

The figure moved to the river’s edge and couldn’t wait to experience water. It was such an entirely different sensation than standing on solid ground. Cold water splashed up onto the Polystyrene Person’s face and being wet wasn’t the most pleasant feeling. The literal tug of the river caused the figure to scramble up on the roots of a nearby willow to keep from being drawn further into the liquid. Instinctively, the figure realized that it would be lost if the river was allowed to have too tight a grip. Pulling the Polystyrene Person back upon the shore, I explained it was time for me to go home. I offered two choices to my creation. It could stay at the river and face an uncertain but potentially exciting future where it more than likely would be destroyed by either nature or the hand of man. Or, it could go home with me and see a different part of the world. Perhaps because the river was a little scary, the Polystyrene Person opted to go home with me.

Because my hands were full…the figure opened my car door for me. It’s really a very polite and innocent being. During the short ride from the river to my house…I asked the Polystyrene Person what it would like to do? The figure replied that it would like to continue to be out in nature and so I found the perfect place in my yard for it. Happily, my latest creation takes pride in watching over my spring plants as they reveal themselves during the new season.

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A New Figure for a New Day

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged Art, art process, artist at exit 0, earth, environment, Falls of the Ohio, found objects, nature, photography, recycled art, river, sculpture, sense of place, Styrofoam on May 5, 2013| 5 Comments »

After watching the goldfinches in the willows and collecting the latest the river had to offer…I headed to my outdoor studio. I have the day off from my day job and it is also Kentucky Derby weekend. The weatherman is telling me that today will be the day to be outdoors because a cold, wet front is coming through the Ohio Valley. It has been a few weeks since I last visited as life has taken me in other directions. When I was last at this spot, I stashed the surviving and repaired “Flood Brother” next to a tree. In the interim, other people have come across my spot and looked through the junk I’ve assembled here. As for my Styro-figure…I found what was left of him nearby. Here’s a look at the remains.

I found his body first resting upon the older driftwood. He was missing his head and arms. Scouting around, I was able to find bits and pieces including his head staring at the world through his remaining cyclops eye.

Rather than reconstruct him for a third time, I decided to recycle him. I gathered the pieces and parts and hauled it back to my studio. For now, I will let these chunks of polystyrene rest.

The first step in creating some sense of order is to straighten out the mess my previous visitors have left me. I sort through my sticks that I will use for potential arms and legs. I gather up the smaller pieces of Styrofoam and put them in the river-chewed milk crate. I rummage through my collecting bag and select the elements that will make up the face of a new character. I take a few moments to watch robins chasing a young Cooper’s Hawk through the willow trees. Near me, I hear the first notes from a Northern or Baltimore Oriole. It’s reassuring to know that they have returned. Also, there is a noticeable increase in insect life and I’ve observed bumble bees, hornets, and small butterflies going about their business. The sound of running water is always in the background. Picking up a head-shaped piece of Styrofoam I begin to form a new figure.

So far, it’s a smiling figure with a segment of pliable found plastic for a mouth. The ears and nose are also plastic toy pieces. The eyes are river-tumbled pebbles of coal. I use my pocket knife to do this work. The next step is to add a body.

I chose a hunk of Styrofoam from my larder that seemed torso-like. Feeling that it required additional detail, I added two walnuts to reinforce the chest idea. I further added a third piece of Styrofoam that simulates a pelvis and gives the figure added length. Some internal sense for proportion told me I needed to do this even though the entire idea and the resulting figure strikes me as being absurd and who else would notice or even care about this? Beaver-gnawed willow rods connect the head and hips to the torso. Over the years, my working methods have evolved and I definitely have material and form preferences where none existed at the start of this project in 2003. Through trial and error I selected wooden driftwood arms and legs to give my static figure some life, energy, and a suggestion of movement. Here is the first photograph of this spring figure made in the place it was created. Later, the two of us would go out to explore the landscape around the Falls of the Ohio State Park.

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In Search of the March Hare

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, animals, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged alien head, Art, artistatexit0, discarded tires, Falls of the Ohio, found objects, Joseph Beuys, March hare, nature, nature story, photography, plastic, recycled art, sense of place, spring on February 24, 2013| 9 Comments »

What a beautiful day and I stayed out for many hours by the river. It’s been a bit of roller coaster with the weather the past few weeks. We have fluctuated between below freezing temperatures you can feel in your bones and highs in the 50 to 60 degree range. Folks around here have been blaming our worse than usual cold and flu season with the variability of the weather. I don’t know if this is true, but for me…going outside to breathe fresh air is restorative to my physical and spiritual health. Since I last set foot here the river has again risen and receded. The large raft of driftwood under the railroad bridge has been dispersed by the high water and actually made it a little less of an obstacle course to maneuver around. The air over the river is also once again alive with Ring-billed Gulls searching for food. I’m also hearing both the Northern Cardinal and Song Sparrow practicing their songs in anticipation of Spring. Their songs make me want to sing one of my own.

More evidence of a high river comes in the form of man-made junk that has floated into the park. I have found tires in all their forms to be good indicators of the entropy in this system. What once took great amounts of energy and heat to form and use is literally sinking into the sand. The wheel is one of mankind’s great inventions and here it is just another piece of garbage we have discarded. I’m out here today not because I’m looking for things to get me down, but rather the opposite! I’m looking for signs and symbols of the renewal to come.

Today, I’m looking for a member of the genus Lepus which includes hares and rabbits. For some reason…intuition I think, has brought me here on this particular quest. I have heard that members of the rabbit family start behaving oddly during Spring in anticipation of the breeding season. The expression “mad as a March hare” is an old English expression used to describe this moment. Of course, rabbits and hares have older associations as well. The ancient Greeks equated rabbits with the goddess Aphrodite and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility. Logic tells me that if I can locate a hare that Spring will be here in no time at all. I guess I’m putting more trust in the hare than I am the groundhog! The month of February is nearly over and I’m hoping to find signs that hares are in the area. So far, I’m not having much luck…just the tracks of people who came before me. I’m not giving up yet though and the day is young.

I’m operating with my “hare brain” switched in the “on” position as I walk around my familiar haunts. I look in areas that seem likely to me to hide rabbits and hares like this willow tree with an old barge cable wrapped around it. I’m not sure why this tree is “talking” to me, but I’m going with my intuition. There are no hares here, and maybe this spot is too close to the river anyway?

I walk by a wooden spool for holding large cables. This is also new and wasn’t here the last time I passed by. I see there is an opening large enough for a small mammal to hide in and so I go to investigate. Carefully I approach the spool, but there is nothing here either. I’m beginning to feel that there aren’t many other places I can look, when I remember there is a section of the park I almost never visit and so letting intuition be my guide…I go there.

The area I trek to is just east of the railroad bridge and dam that catches most of the driftwood that has been pushed from upriver. This barrier is no obstacle at all when the river is at flood stage. It is all this driftwood and pent-up junk that flows into the park when the Ohio River gets high. It’s a tricky, shifty area and frequently muddy too. All these conditions were present on this day. It’s not an area the public is encouraged to visit and most people have enough sense to stay away.

As you can see…this area also gets lots of trash too. This is what I eventually can look forward to receiving, perhaps in the next flood? This plastic separates so completely with the rest of the environment that I’m surprised it doesn’t compel people to pick it up like it does at the grocery and department stores?

Naturally, I find weird things here. It’s not everyday that you come across an alien’s head, but here it is next to other junk. I find three dolls in various poses tangled in mud and driftwood and other toy bits that floated down with the currents. I find a little bit of this and that, but no March hares or rabbits.

The soles of my shoes are caked with mud and so I find a suitable stick to scrape away the sticky earth. I sit on a broad log to do this and take a rest at the same time. While I work away at my shoes, a train crosses the bridge and I watch it as it crosses. My mind wanders freely and I remember the unusual art of Joseph Beuys which became a favorite of mine during graduate school. His work is frequently perplexing and takes getting used to. I like his art, but found I was more attracted by his ideas and writings. The value he placed on art as a potential agent to further our own evolution away from the strictly materialistic way we treat ourselves and the planet we depend on inspired me. His ideas about an expanded notion of art seemed to give art more of a sense of purpose which I also found to be smart and optimistic.

Bueys often referenced animals in his art and believed that they were more aware and in tune with the world than we are. The hare in particular was an important symbol to Bueys because it mediates between the earthly and spiritual realms. Hares are burrowing animals and line their nests with their wool. The insulating properties of felt became another material that Bueys incorporated in his art. While I was sitting still and reflecting on the work of a favorite artist…the hare appeared!

It must have just emerged from its burrow under the logs and debris and was still covered with mud. It looked in my direction with ears pricked up and our gaze locked upon one another. Holding still for just a split second, I was able to capture this image before it disappeared back into the earth. I exhaled in the knowledge that Spring was one day closer to arriving. I savored the moment, gathered my things, took one last look across the river and headed for the skyline of Louisville over the Second Street Bridge.

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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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Sauger Saturday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Artist at Exit 0 Riverblog

Art and images from the Falls of the Ohio.

Posts Tagged ‘sense of place’

Three Flowers and Three Fish

Muddy Catfish

As the River Rises…so Does My Blood Pressure

Fish of the Day

Off Road Triker

A Full Day’s Exploration

A New Figure for a New Day

In Search of the March Hare

The Sun is Up and the River is Down

Sauger Saturday

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