In Plain Sight

Friday, January 20, 2012

Hitch Hikers

Stuffed animals seen hitch hiking on a garbage truck...

Moores Mill Rd

On the left, hanging over the orange triangle, is the Cat in the Hat. To his right is a large fox in a riding outfit/jacket. Bottom center is a green frog. Top right is a doggy.

Many thanks and a tip of the hat for this photo from Emily Bleke. As she says: "Very hysterical!"

Monday, January 16, 2012

The phenomenon of yard art is very interesting to me. What drives people to decorate their yards? Why do they choose specific objects or arrange them in a certain way? What is it they are trying to convey to you, their neighbor or the random innocent person passing by?

I was out for a drive the other day, and I noticed that someone had placed a large, round saw blade in front of their house. The owner of the house was mowing his lawn and I asked if I could take a picture. As it turns out, the owner of the house was a very interesting gentleman who loved history and politics and who was a person of considerable stature in Atlanta. He had been active in the community of Civil War artifact collectors and had known the famous Civil War historians and collectors of our region: Beverly DuBose (who bequeathed the nation's largest Civil War collection to all of us via the Atlanta Historical Society) and Wilbur Kurtz (who was an advisor to Hollywood film makers for 3 movies, and who was a wonderful painter, as well).

The giant saw blade was not the only object that enhanced this gentleman's yard. It was just the most obvious from the street since the yard was quite tidy. As I approached the saw blade to take my picture, I noticed other unusual objects. The walkway from the driveway to the front steps was lined with an interesting collection of twisted heart of pine stumps and limbs which he had found while on hunting trips in the Southern woods. I perceived that their shape and texture - just the way they looked - gave him great pleasure. The stumps were sometimes combined with household objects in interesting juxtapositions. Interspersed among these wooden sculptures were: Boat propellers, pet grave markers, a cannonball, a wagon wheel, a kettle and the large circular saw blade. Something of history, something of place, and something of old friends.

Large Saw Blade

Tree Fork

Tree with Fox Head

Stump Sculpture

Boat Propellers

Cannonball

Pot

Wheel and Wood Sculptures

Yard with Art
Emerald Chase

Before I left, the owner of the house most graciously took me to see a wonderful thing, an actual cannon redoubt he had uncovered in his back yard while planting an orchard. This was a Federal cannon placement for 2 cannons which would have aimed East toward the Confederates at Kennesaw Mountain. Apparently the historic record did not include his cannon redoubt, but Beverly DuBose had come to see it and had declared it authentic. Mr. DuBose also unearthed 3 cannonballs from the spot, justifying his declaration.