Look for a longer essay on the 19th Cent. past time that is baseball soon. For now, a brief anecdote:
Before leaving for the Giants game last night, I told my room mate’s boyfriend that I was going to bring back a home-run ball for him. “Hope you don’t catch it with your head,” Erik replied. With the Giants in the running for post-game play, I was surprised to see that the last home stretch of games wasn’t sold out. So I bought a cheap bleacher seat in left field for the opener with Arizona. I must’ve been feeling the game, b/c I actually pointed to a few places in the field where Giants batters dropped balls (one just behind 2nd base, another was a great drive to center field). In the 4th inning, Juan Uribe knocked the first pitch out for a home run… three rows in front of me! What an amazing site to see a tiny, white ball way up in the air heading straight for me. After the game, I went to MLB.com and found the video of Uribe’s HR. Here’s a screen grab of the moment the ball landed. The red arrow marks the ball and the red circle is yours truly (glad I wore a green tee) screaming and waving and watching the guys fight for the ball. more later….
Sept. 28: Uribe's 4th inning HR lands right in front of me! Giants go 2 games up for Div. lead.
I’ll have my autograph pen there this Saturday, along with a pile of artists, authors, and photographers in the Mission Muralismo book. Not cheap, but the money goes to a great cause: MURALS!
I spend a lot of time walking/biking around urban landscapes, looking at space and photographing art. If you’ve followed my travels, you’ve notice that this is something that goes beyond hobby. This search isn’t a job either, but I have been paid for my efforts. For me, walking through a living system where humans work, play, eat, sleep, etc. brings rewards beyond a systematic point of reference. It is hard to label it as work, hobby, etc., when the urge to wander and look for art is a deep way of living for me.
This Saturday, I went for a walk, thinking a bit more about space. I reflected on the potential that space has to present art. The way people relay their feelings in more creative ways. And the lost histories that surrounds us in the neighborhoods we live in.
The following photo essay are the images that made me stop, stare, ponder, and snap. We all live in a world full of many colorful possibilities. We also live in a culture that doesn’t tolerate certain opinions, while letting others flourish. These photos touch on all the ideas I carry with a passion, and might help add context to why I constantly “stencil hunt” in the urban wilds of the USA and beyond.
I have photographed Bruce Tomb’s Dappropriation Wall for almost 10 years now. But this is my first photo of the facade of the former SFPD Mission “cop shop.” This building has a violent history, somewhat forgotten by new residents distracted by the pirate flag and postered public wall.
A perfect example of a space’s potential to hold art. Green drops protect sacaffolding and a paint crew’s work. They left the billboard open, with neglected, rotting ads on it. Easy access for a nimble artist, or someone who wants to take it down!
A great example of humor with stencil graffiti, someone put the phone back in the phonebooth. Placement is one of the foundations of street art, and this well-placed stencil on paper gets high marks.
When I first moved to the Mission, a beautiful mural graced this wall. “Our Roots Are Still Alive” kept getting defaced due to its pro-Palestinian visuals. So it is lost to the public behind plywood.
Dolores Park has become the hang out in recent years. Now the locals living nearby want to curb the excessive good times. This brings up the natural question: who controls public space and what goes on in it?
These peace pillars dot the world, giving people a public space for expressing their desire for peace. Set with intention, they create space in the heart as well as by the sidewalk.
This colorful graffiti-covered truck would be a white “canvas” or logo-pasted ad otherwise. When thinking of the potential for a space to hold art, this mobile object is a logical choice.
Another WordPress upgrade, another new look for good ole’ HappyFt Travels. Jumped a whole .5 versions to 2.7 tonight, and was mostly interested in beginning a fun tag cloud for the site. What’s a tag cloud you ask? Well, it’s a jumble of words with the ones used the most being the largest. It’ll be interesting to see what stands out the most. The old Vistered Little theme still seemed to work in 2.7 but I couldn’t find any new versions of it on WP sites. And the font seemed to be a bit off once I finished the upgrade. I found this new theme and like it for the most part. Seems that my photos are too big for the column, so are hanging off the side. I can live with that. Reading white text can be a pain, but this seems OK for now. Some of the WP themes are just plain awful for one reason or another. I wish I had the time and skills to make my own theme, but I say that everytime I change or upgrade the site. Vistered lasted a while and I have waited for support and updates, but finally gave up today. Hmm, I wonder if this counts as yet another version of HappyFt? Naw…. not a major overhaul of things, so I guess this is still 3.0 or 4.0. OK, must stop web/blog geeking and get back to working out the Stencil Nation tour. Sleep will be next on the to-do list.
