A few weeks ago I was down in Bloomington, Indiana, headed for band practice (I’ve actually repeated that process several times since then, but for the purposes of this blog, we’re going to stick with one particular date). I was just a few short blocks from my destination when I passed by an empty lot on my right and a flash of color caught my eye. Glancing over, I saw what appeared to be an in-process public arts work. It was getting dark by then, but I vowed that whenever I happened by there again with good lighting, I’d be shooting it.

Two or three weeks later, timing conspired. I was headed to practice once again, and as I zipped by the lot, I glanced over again and realized that, not only did I have a few extra minutes, but the lighting was about as ideal as I could hope for given the rainy season, relative position and all that good stuff, so I hit the brakes, grabbed the trusty Nikon, and hopped out of the car.

I just like the fact that there’s art being put up out in the public eye where anyone can enjoy it. This is well off the main drag, so you have to kind of seek it out to find it. I enjoy all the color in this mural. It’s definitely a bit of a dreamy sort of piece. The Alice in Wonderland reference is cool. Obviously, the area around it needs some work, but last time I passed it looked like they were doing some more cleanup work with it. If you ever happen to be in Bloomington, you will find it on the west side of the street about three lots south of the intersection of 2nd and Washington streets.

I think it’s pretty cool that this is some art that doesn’t have to be hung in a gallery in order to be appreciated. Maybe that’s where a lot of the value is in it for me. I always used to have this idea that “art” was always Art, capitalized, mind you, and that this Art was created by famous people who were either foreign or born to greatness, and that their stuff was either massive and cut from stone, or massive and in a gilt frame, or maybe not so massive but still of stone or in said gilt frame. This is what my head does to disqualify me from attempting things I’m afraid of doing. It says, “No, that’s not for you. You’re not from Italy. No, that’s not for you. Your parents weren’t artists themselves. No, that doesn’t count, because it’s done with spray cans on a wall instead of oils on canvas.”

This is all about embracing art as enjoyment by the senses, something that can cause you to stop and think, and that is not bound by an traditional, rigid theories on “the way things should be.” I am still kind of weird about calling rolling ball sculpture “art,” but I try to let myself do that, and I try not to blow it off when other people call it that.

Anyway, enjoy the art where you find it. See if you can go out in your own neighborhood or town and find some art that’s not in a gallery. It’s all over the place if you just open your eyes a bit.

In other bits of news:
Tina is still working on my RBS base. I wait patiently.
I wrote about 900 words on my novel last weekend. Slowly but surely…
I showed Darrel some of my colored pencil drawings for the first time, and he said, “Those look great! Cool!” which was really awesome, because I was worred that he’d given me the pencils and then he’d think it was a waste on my meage efforts. He did not. I feel good.

Until next blog, stay creative, kids!