Taking It to the Streets II

Montreal was so much fun that I took a few shots in Kansas City in May of 2009 and many more in Japan in November 2009.  Kansas City also had a beautiful larger flat metal sculpture on one street.  Wish I knew who created the piece.  This sewer cover has what reminds me of a tree.

Japan has a unique set of street/walkway art that I enjoyed viewing on a quiet Sunday morning.

These flower pieces are on a walking bridge over a main thoroughfare.

 Of course there are the utility covers with their own unique patterns and sizes.

Once again I should have been making rubbings too.  Maybe some other day and trip.

Then we have this metal maze and its lined concrete surroundings.

Wonder what the K stands for.

What a wonderful visual abstraction.  Now for a fiber translation.

The asphalt creates the beautiful blue tone surrounding of the diamonds and star.

We're back to nature creating the texture around the cover.  Of course we don't like it when we have to drive over these uneven surfaces.

This was great with the bit of gold color on the top and bottom of the cover.

The white square around these double diamonds on the cover create an interesting effect.  I can definitely see this working in fiber.

The breaks and cracks keep me looking for more.

 As you see this cover is surrounded by textured tiles.

Here we get three for one.

These two covers are from Spokane.

This last cover is one of several I have from San Francisco but we'll do those another day.  Besides I have to remember where I put them along with images from my hometown.  Hope you enjoyed the street scape imagery and don't forget to look down when you talk your walk.  There's beauty in unexpected places.

Taking It to the Streets

When I am traveling I always enjoy looking at utility covers.  Something about them fascinates me and some day I'll decide what art I can make from these photos. 

A couple of years ago I took a cruise to Canada and started taking photos of what I consider to be industrial street art in Montreal. These are some of my favorites including the bits of leaves, pocked street surfaces and other residue.

  This is one of my favorites of Bell Canada.  I like the fissures coming from around the circle.

If I had been thinking I should have taken some rubbings too.  The textures are great.

I like the variations and creativity of the designers for this very functional metalwork.

These two are close but just a bit different.

Once again a variation and the wear around the cover shows the power of water and pressure.

Now this is totally different and allows for more drainage.

This diamond pattern is also interesting and I find I like the surrounding color changes as well.

The smaller cover and surrounding concrete, dab of blue paint and wet dirt conjures up the urban landscape.

The bits of banana peel, cigarette butts enclosed by the square of metal reminds us to take better care of the planet.  Some do/some don't.

Art & Health

Health, diet, weight and obesity remain in the forefront of the national conversation. Many of us including our children aren't exercising or eating healthy foods.  Added to that are stress and anxiety that can contribute to overeating.  With that in mind, following are a series of quilts that were created in 2008-2009 as part of a health education program conducted by Bay Area  Black United Fund, www.babuf.org.  With the support of a Creative Work Fund grant,  www.creativeworkfund.org,  Dolores Presley, Julia Vitero and I participated in the Critical Mass Health Conductor program.  Thereafter 15 quilts were designed and fabricated to address ways to combat African American health disparities including our own. 

Welcome aboard the BABUF (Bay Area Black United Fund) Express

 

 

 

 Dolores Presley made the first five pieces shown.  All pieces are in the 50 to 55" range.

Get Tested

 

 

 

Get Tested Detail showing a bit of 3D embellishment

Good Medicine

Life Is Water in 3 segments

 

 

Step Down to Healthy Eating

Julia made the next five pieces.

Be Healthy for Your Family

Detail showing statements from program participants

Eating Right is a Day in the Park that has a oilcloth tablecloth and real flatware along with the appliqued food plates.  See the opening image for details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepping Stones to Good Health

Stepping Stones Detail showing felt footprints

Calm Spirit

I made the last five pieces.

Bulletins for Life

Bulletins Detail

Five A Day

Five A Day Detail

Thirsty?  Drink Water

Detail for Thirsty? Drink Water

What Would Harriet Do?

Detail for What Would Harriet Do?

In the Critical Mass Health Conductor program all participants who graduate are considered Health Conductors.  Harriet Tubman is Health Conductor #1.  I'm Health Conductor #422.

As you can see art can be a vital part of any health awareness campaign.  Many of you know about the AIDS quilts and the dynamic part they have played in AIDS education.  We Health Conductors hope these quilts can play an important part in getting our communities to take a more progressive role in changing their diets, practicing stress and relaxation techniques, exercising more and consistently and definitely drinking a lot more water.  Only we can do it.

Dolores, Julia and I send our thanks to BABUF staff, Critical Mass Health Conductor facilitators and all the participants who shared the training with us.  We extend a special thanks to Creative Work Fund for supporting us in this project. 

Sneak Preview

Well friends I haven't been getting much writing done but I have definitely been making work.  Other good things have been happening too.

I have two pieces accepted in the Once Upon a Time exhibit at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum in Athens, TN.  The exhibit runs September 4 - October 29, 2010.  I'm also getting ready to participate in First Encounter of the Iberoamerican Textile Network that will run September 3-17, 2010 in San Jose, Costa Rica.  My work will also be shown in Limon.

See this link for more information.  http://redtextilia.org/welcome.php

Here's a preview of two new pieces that should be on my website by the end of the week.  I'm working on redesigning the site as it needs to be refreshed.

This is tentatively called Nubian Garden.  I have four new black/white and mixed color pieces ready.

To Market-To Market makes me want to go shopping for fabrics and other goodies in the homeland. Maybe I'll get a chance next year.  The South Africa Quilt Festival is next July I think.  After watching the World Cup Iam  absolutely ready to go and see the sites, meet the people, eat the food and of course try their great wines.

Check my website early next week and see what's new beyond these.