Fence Paint
I felt a sudden need to document this moment in history via Fernando’s [former] fence.
Former because Fernando is no longer my neighbor. This moment in history, because we are in a transitional space, where new meets old and negotiations, adjustments, and compromises may have to be made. In other words, I don’t know if the new property managers, and tenants, are going to like this wabi sabi style, so it may or may not get painted over.
Improvisational Architecture
The long saga of the bottles has gotten exciting again!
And this is an ATEN success story.
I posted a request on the network for help building a bottle wall, including one “expert” in some form of construction to consult with me before the build day. A member forwarded the post to his nephew, concrete builder Paul Adam, who was interested in the project and in the idea of ATEN and contacted me. He ended up coming over and answering all my questions and more, as well as moving a bunch of heavy rocks into the shape of a foundation. In return, I am telling everyone I know to call him if they need fine concrete work done (hardscape, hearth, shower, etc.)!
Two other ATEN members volunteered to help with the build, and one brought along an extra helper, so we were set! Throughout the day, I was reminded of one important reason why I like to collaborate — because it is more likely that the right questions will be asked. For example, I would have totally forgotten to document the process if Diane hadn’t reminded me! I emphasized at the beginning that this was an experiment, so as a result, everyone’s full brain was engaged, thinking of how to make this structure a success.
Mike, Charlotte, and Diane.
We worked from 11 to 4 with a lunch break in the middle.
3 parts sand, one part Portland cement, one part lime + enough water to make it like smooth peanut butter!
Slopping the mortar on the wall (with gloves!) was surprisingly fun. The texture reminded Charlotte of cookie dough.
This picture is before I smoothed the surfaces and wiped clean all the bottles at 10:13pm.
The wall/bench is currently half-way done. We decided to stop for it to dry before adding more weight. I also decided to add some wire mesh into the next mortar layer and in the sides, to reinforce the strength. Finish day will be Feb. 4th.
**BACK STORY**
I’m not sure when my neighbors started saving bottles for me, but it back was in 2010.
A few large parties plus the regular flow of consumption yielded a handsome collection before too long, and Then…
We had enough where it became time to figure out how to clean those labels off.
The internet do-it-yourself-ers said, “for sure, use Oxiclean”!
So we soaked them in warm buckets, peeled and scrubbed with rubber gloves, rinsed in the kiddee pool. It’s so fun being outside! Weston observed, and emptied more bottles; Fernando took pictures:
The start of 2011 brought unemployment to Chad. For 3 1/2 months, he had extra time on his hands, so he clocked in to work at the recycling center. The repetitive chore was transforming our pile into a sorted, clean collection, and probably helping with his sanity, too.
When Chad went back to work, the bottle-cleaning factory pretty much shut down, but we already had quite a stockpile of usable bottles. They sat and waited…
** THANKS **
I would like to thank Bunny White for encouraging me to do something with the bottles “Now!” Also of course to all the helpers who worked on this project: Chad, Paul, Charlotte, Mike, Diane, and Katarina. Thanks to my neighbors, Josh, Johnny, Weston, Christina, and all their friends, for donating bottles! For inspiration, I would like to thank Scott Webel from the Museum of Ephemerata, Susan Maynard of Spunky Monkey Ranch (now Further Farm), The Orange Show and Beer can House in Houston, Vince Hanneman of the Cathedral of Junk, the Buddhist temple-builders in Thailand, Earthship-makers, and all the folks who posted information on the internet for me to find out how easy this is. This project is also completed in the honor of someone who designs and builds with light in mind: my brother-in-law, architect Brett Rhode.
I have long lists
…Of posts I want to post, and reasons why I haven’t posted.
One time-sucking convenient reason = Facebook.
Second really big reason = the time I spend keeping this organization going…
But I don’t really care much for excuses; just take this teaser photo and anticipate the deluge to come…
Got a new (to me) camera from my brother for christmas; see what it can do!
Favorite Chad documentary pics Of late…
photo by Chad Hopper
photo by Chad Hopper
photo by Chad Hopper
photo by Chad Hopper
LAST (Odd) Saturday…
Gee-willickers, TIME is constant. tick-tock. Keeps on moving, just like this wind, here. (I live in the “Blackland Heights” neighborhood of East Austin, atop a hill with an almost constant breeze from the South. Across the street, just downhill a little to the South, is an elementary school. Behind us are the backyards of neighbors, some with shady trees and dense weeds, some with hard-worked garden rows, protected by solid fence. There used to be orchards here, some say… ) Anyway,
Here is our Documentation of APRIL 9th, 2011 (minus a video of a new musical instrument, which is coming soon…):
After Luke (our Participant #1 in the Social art Experiment which is “Odd Saturdays”) tinkered awhile to invent a fantastic use for glass bottles, he spent a lil time in the Studio, tidying up and doodling with the special treasures.
the objects in the studio have personalities and prefer sitting next to their friends
This guy's Surprised To Be Alive.
a pirate... (w/reflection)
An Albert Einstein cyborg.
Chad came out for awhile and SORTED. He managed to pop open some deep pockets of time-accumulation, and then he took some scientific-ish shots of these details:
As it was already a hot day, salad with hard-boiled egg and cran-rasp. spritzers were had by all.
In the afternoon, SIGN-PAINTING was undertaken as a serious motion to advance the cause of RE-aRT. Unfortunately for Luke (or fortunately, if he’s into action-adventure scenarios), the master list of JOBS changed
after he had already begun painting. The term palimpsest was discussed. The list continued to change long after Luke had to journey forth into the rest of his day.
...work-in-progress...
I enjoyed the day very much. I became re-aware of how much work there is to do, which is invigorating. And I made this picture:
** )_( ** =_= ** `+` in other news, CURRENTS is updated w/the current PRESS RELEASES. cHeck it oUT.
(check back later for video updates)
Recent Pictures
monster legs for sale
movie-to-be
Office Makeover Proposal
August?
— —|==– [i n t e r m i s s i o n] –==+> —
Now these are all from the last Junkathon time:
we do interior decorating...
Itinerary for E.A.S.T.
Saturday, November 13th
Forecast: sunny and cool (60’s)
At our plaza – stop#129, 2608 Rogers Ave. – there will be a bountiful display of art to look at, including:
* Science Bear Arcade: Palfloat brand homemade gifts and souvenirs, plus framed art by Chad Hopper for your walls.
* Bargain prices on fine art collage plus cheap but delightful prints by myself.
* A million photos by Fernando Flores hung on a crazy fence.
* Kevin Pope art.
AND…
* The “Permanent Collection” — that is, the combined 2608B household art collection, featuring 30 different artists, displayed for your discovering pleasure inside our home. You will be met at the door by Chips the dog, who likes you but will bark until you offer him a palm to sniff.
Also, there is a DIY sculpture garden!!
Throughout the day, I will be alternating between “keepin it real” and performing a piece entitled “Self Employment”. This performance piece will include doing the work of organizing materials and people for the creation of a Social Experiment/Employment Agency/Recycling Center/Sovereign Nation which culminates on Day 4. If you are interested in being a participant, ask about Jobs.
As for treats, there will probably just be some cider. (Unless someone gets motivated to make popcorn balls or soup.)
Sunday, November 14th
Forecast: cold and rainy
Much of the Day 1 displays will have to turn inside out so as to not be ruined by rain. This makes for some interesting challenges. Maybe we’ll get around to the soup on this day. I think some music would be in order as well. I can still conduct job interviews, too!
Saturday, November 20th
Forecast: ??
Full-on documentation needed all weekend. (Bring your camera, rolling.)
MINI ALTERNATIVE JOB FAIR
! ! ! !
(You can get paid in Hours via Austin Time Exchange Network.)
Sunday, November 21st
Forecast: ??
RERTLANDIA SECESSION PROCLAMATION
recycling center alternative universe climactic ending
{In which we all find our role(s) within the game(s) and perform our tasks with admirable tenacity, leading to a visible and tangible transformation of materials, as well as the unpredictable manifestion of a bureaucratic dream.}
the Cadillac of worms, she says
Because there is so much going on right now that I am befuddled, I am giving you a non-sequitor title, c/o my dear friend Laura Cyan Anderson.
Art shows! Co-Lab this Saturday; Cheer Up Charlies (East 6th @ Waller) all June; Thunderbird (Koenig) in July: these are all collaborations with Chad Hopper.
At CUC you will find a small installation of a whole bunch of stuff all under the heart-shaped letters which spell out “DNA ERA”. We worked hard in there on a hot day without A.C., so go look at it. It’s kind of like going to the zoo, only it’s a bread factory. In it I express my love for nets, lamps and physics.
The Co-Lab show is an experiment in rules (and the flip-side of that, freedom). It is well explained on the Project blog (link above), so read that if you want to know more. Or, just show up to Co-Lab on Saturday eve if you can.
Finally, July’s coffeeshop show will probably just be a bunch of framed art/collages. I have a surplus of old stuff, but plenty of material to make new ones, too- ahem- art collectors! Take note. Art is important to have in your house. It helps loosen the brain in those odd moments between mundane bits of life, etcetera.
So, enough with words, here are some pictures:
“STUFF”
Chad has instituted a new system of rating little sentimental “STUFF” + things on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being RED HOT, CAN’T POSSIBLY PART WITH. This is to help us pare down our wild collections to more manageable menageries of bric a brac, by eliminating anything under a “6” on the new scale.
Meanwhile, I’m just going around taking pictures again. “Oo, look how pretty it all is together!”
Like so.
Kan you see the kangaroo theme?
April showers
Thanks to a computer angel from the Austin Time Exchange Network, we are back in action!
This is a picture about the love in my home, and also about Spring allergies and birds.
Oh boy– I just watched the Science of Sleep, so I am looking forward to dreamland.
*Dear Michel Gondry, I will be your slave. Please call me about your next project. Thanks!*
Welcome Sun
art in the yard. 2/7 =come play and work with me, materials and earth.
Beautiful Weather Observations
look how green and faded the film has gotten!
Good weather for doing projects outside– come on down, the price is right.
Speaking of Experimentation…
There are, of course, countless piles containing past experiments which have not yet been placed in OUTGOING flow-paths. (Such as the boxes of photos and collage material, but hey, that’s normal!)
Plucked from the random piles, here is a batch of photos that were shot on some slide film which went undeveloped for about 2 years, during which it was exposed to Texas heat extremes and who knows what else. Plus, it looks like I had the camera on the wrong ASA. But they turned out neat!
the quiet grumble of mid-November
This is a picture of the metamorphosing studio. As you can see, the tripod on the floor represents the intention to start working on the video art project that was mentioned several posts ago. The grumbling heard quietly throughout this month of not-very-many posts is the sound of being behind on so many things, as always. Mostly I am behind on reaching my goals of self-representation on the web (both here and at r-e-r-t.org), but it is moving along, inch-by-inch.
I had a partial furlough this past week (and this current week), during which I had hoped to get caught up on those and other things, like preparing for TONIGHT’S WORKSHOP, but things tend to never really go as planned. However, I am still glad for tonight’s forum, where I am going to get to work with others on a project that is still so mysterious to me. I’m excited to see what happens!
(And here comes my philosophical rambling of the week:)
At-home vacations can be good times to reconnect with the balance point between your practical needs and your high-falutin goals, and through that, to redefine your priorities. At the beginning of my “vacation” (which wasn’t really a total vacation, but was at least the idea of freedom), I was overly anxious to CLAIM my time and use it as selfishly as I could (i.e. by focusing on the stuff on my art to-do list). Having to battle that against other responsibilities, I got kind of exhausted by that emotion fairly quickly! Now that I’ve had enough of “my own” time that I’ve gone ahead and “wasted”, I feel that my outlook is more balanced (i.e., my greediness has subsided). So, what I’ve learned is:
#1. I exist not (only) to serve, but to INSPIRE. This is what I should remember when I am forgetting to save enough space for creative work, or when I am doing something for someone else just because it is my habit to do so. I have a creative inner child, here, Hello!
#2. On the other hand, the ability to structure time in a way that leads to accomplishment requires maturity. I have tended so far in my life to work really well within externally-drawn boundaries (school, themes, deadlines, etc.), and, in fact, I rather depend on them for my motivation and determination. (That’s one reason why I do so much collaborative work.) I need to develop my own inner authority figure whom I can trust, follow, and be accountable to; until I do, I better be grateful to those external structures (i.e. “day jobs”)!
#3. Never underestimate the importance of warm-ups! (Sweeping is one of my favorites.)
Weaving
Click on the title of this post to see the pictures more up-close. I’m using the 2nd-to-last image as a desktop picture this week.
Synaesthetic Breakfast 