Well, no, I ain't posting all 900 extant posters - most of them have to do with not spreading syphillis and advertisements for plays. That's all well and good, but it's really the travel posters from the national parks that have my interest (although I will admit that some of those other posters have a lot of charm too). So here are some of those other WPA posters from the New Deal, still as relevant as they were 70 years ago:
Well, as I wrote in my tree octopus post, I love those old WPA posters and wanted to learn a little more about them. Apparently there are about 2,000 of them left and 900 are in the Library of Congress. They're in the public domain, so you can get reproductions most anyplace. The posters depict various programs and projects sponsored by the government: health and safety programs, cultural programs including art exhibitions and theatrical and musical performances, travel and tourism, educational programs, and community activities and were created from 1936-1943. My faves are the national parks posters, but there's much to commend the others too. The one over here to the left was created by Harry Herzog, but most of the artists have been lost to time. There have also been some excellent comtemporary posters inspired by the originals from c. 1938 (like the tree octopus) but the ones posted here are old school.
The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus is a shy, misunderstood and seldom-seen critter from Washington State that lives out at least part of it's lifespan in the coniferous temperate rain forest. I've been sproutin' them in a paper towel on top of the fridge, and now I've got an aquarium full of pups lookin' for a good home. They're endangered, y'all, so take good care of 'em and don't shoot your mouth off to the "authorities." Rangers are s'posed to destroy any that they find, since they can't just turn 'em back loose in the wild.
Well, that's what a jokester named Lyle Zapato came up with in 1998, and ever since it's been used as a test to see how gulible folks can be when it comes to stuff they see on the internet. Now I took an interest 'cause I've been lookin' at the old Works Progress Administration [WPA] posters from around 1938. I love that festive federalist graphic style and I'll probably just end up posting up a bunch of them for everyone to see. Good graphics are good graphics. Quite frankly, given my love of octopi and other cephalopods (Jane and I even have matching octopus tattoos from our engagement, but don't go spreading that around) I'd be the first one to propose a no-logging zone to protect Tree Octopus habitat. Alas, not the case: but check out the cool graphics - the octopus is a clear lift, well, no, let's call it a "homage" of the "real" poster made by J. Hirt c. 1938. And if you still want a Tree Octopus pup, gimme a call and we'll arange for a payment/drop-off schedule that'll work with your budget.
Now the sad truth is that Jane hauled this painting outta the trash - well the canvas and frame that became the painting. It was crying out for a do-over, and that's what it got.
The photo actually looks better than the painting did. Sorry, Alice, if indeed that is your real name, I hope your second painting was better than your first. I was lookin' at it, lookin at my "What Would Banksy Do?" bracelet, and the idea just kinda hit me - desert art can always be improved with an Exactly! I liked the color scheme alright, with the nice sunrise feel, but the rest just had to go. Now, our friend Barbara Harris is running for the president of the Morongo Basin Historical Society tomorrow, and we figured she could use a little encouragement. So Barb, this one's for you! Doin' some more painting - I might be on a roll!
element of surprise to break up the landscape a little bit. What's more surprisin': a flying saucer or a yucca?
Well, y'all know from previous posts that our friend Tom is building a place in Tecopa Hot Springs and as it transpires, he's been collecting some desert art to spruce the place up. One of his Ebay special finds was a little too "special" and I suggested that maybe it could be spruced up a little too. His wife agreed with me, so it was pretty much a done deal. I took a page outta Banksy's book and modified this sucker 'til it was something you'd want to hang on your wall and shipped it off
yesterday. Now it's a scene more commonly seen in the California desert back in the '50s, kind of a retro look. But ya know, anytime you look up in the sky and see a flying saucer, it's gonna be a special day one way or another...
Shout out to Wendy Thomas and her chicken Simon for coming up with a great way to earn some money towards a new playground. It's one of those "crazy enough to work" ideas - she and Simon were entertaining some kids last summer when Simon created a painting with her feet and some acrylic paint (don't worry, it was all done very safely and humanely and Simon wasn't traumatized). Wendy called the painting "Feathered Fireworks" and is offering it for sale on Ebay. The proceeds are going to Kid's Kove Rebuild, through the local Rotary Club, who built the original playground 20 years ago. Bidding starts at $9.99, and though it's unlikely that "Feathered Fireworks" will fund the whole project, it does support a good cause - namely rebuilding a dilapidated playground for the kids of Merrimack, New Hampshire. Wendy's got a neat little blog called "Simple Thrift - Creative Living on Less," and I think that's a notion we should all get behind, even if that doesn't involve using a chicken as a paintbrush. Good luck Wendy! Here's the link to "Simple Thrift" (I haven't been able to find a link to the purported auction, so folks please pass on that info if you're search turns it up and you ain't bidding)
Alright... got an update! Here's Simon, who looks to be a Polish mix (much like my own self) and the painting is now listed on Ebay and pickin' up some steam. The current high bid (out of 51) is $400 and there's still a week to go. So folks, if you've got it, dig deep.
Final verdict: "Feathered Fireworks" attracted 65 bids and went for $550 - not enough for the rebuild on the playground, but a step in the right direction for sure. Keep up the creativity, Wendy and Simon!
Folks, it ain't often that you come up on a literal 18-foot fork in the road, but if you're at the place where Saint John's and Pasadena Avenues split, then you're in luck.
Turns out the fork was made by a fellow named Ken Marshall for his friend Bob Stane's 75th. He installed it guerilla-style without askin' permission, and I must say I admire his gumption. The fork went up on Oct. 31, 2009, but since we don't get over there all that often, we were alerted by Roberta Martinez, who also clued us in to Villa Sombrero restaurant. It's a good place to have a margarita before or after the police museum over on York Blvd. I'm just sayin.'
It looks like Caltrans and the Pasadena Arts Commission have gotten behind Ken's fork, which is a major victory for spontaneous public art. Now if you're going to go visit this epic utensil, I must caution you to use some sense. Huntington Hospital is close, but they can't fix "dead." Look both ways before you start amblin.'
Villa Sombrero restaurant
(323) 256-9784 · 6101 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Like I said, I loved the Lummis Home - just the right blend of do-it-yourself funk, an eccentric with vision and bags of concrete, and Southwestern heritage. Got "Raven Jake" all over it. So here are a few more photos from my big day out. "El Alisal," Lummis' name for his castle, refers to Lummis' beloved sycamore tree, which still presides over the patio.
El Alisal, the home and garden of Charles F. Lummis, 200 East Avenue 43, Los Angeles, CA 90031
I think this painting is an "undiscovered" Orpha Mae Klinker original:
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