Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Art Prize 2013 and Checking In

I have been really busy and distracted the past few weeks and haven’t spent very much time on blogger as I’m sure you know.  Or maybe you don’t know, or even worse, maybe I’ve not been missed at all.  I’d be like the tree falling in the wood and no one hears… Well, I could throw a pity party, but I don’t have time...  So instead, I am going to share a bunch of random photos that I took a couple weeks ago at Art Prize in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  This year’s show ran from September 18 to October 6.  Art Prize is one of the largest displays of public art (and much of the art is also over-sized, such as the flags flying in the Grand River).  This year’s winner was a massive mural of Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, which was beautiful but might also show some regional pride as the art is judged by votes and the natives voted!  One thread that seemed to run through much of the art was recycling as all kinds of old junk (old tires, scrap metal, driftwood, glass bottles, etc) were converted into artwork. Check out the "Top 10." Enjoy the photos and I’ll try to write or share more about what’s been going on later…
Cubism isn't dead after all
notice the boat, the barrels, the old license plates!


Earth Giant (6 Place) with a fishing line out into the river

Waves on the Grand (or a giant canoe obstacle course)

Recycled tires created into a panda (10th Place)

Giant Quakers (but do they float like the one in Pittsburgh)

One junkyard depleted...

The Ford Museum has always been a venue
due to the government shutdown, everything had to be moved outside


This year's winner

My attempt at enhancing art by adding my photo to it!

12 comments:

  1. I like the 1st one. It's a play on the da Vinci last supper. But also on stained glass I suspect. I like your one with the chrome.
    Oh, Berkeley included a nasty little philosophical sting at the end of that tree in the wood. If it falling wasn't heard falling, does it exist at all.
    A bit like Murphy's Law, if it can go wrong it will AT THE POINT WHERE IT WILL DO MOST DAMAGE OR WHEN IT'S LEAST ABLE TO BE FIXED.

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    1. I wrote this in haste and blew Berkeley's quote... Oh well.

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  2. Love the boat and the apes. That kind of art is just cool.

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  3. dude....what cool pieces of art...each time i saw another i like as much if not better....the earth giant is pretty cool though....

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  4. What a delightful treat! I wasn't too far away from there and if we would have had more time I surely would have been there too! My favorite the boat of course, and not just because it's a boat. But it has such an adorable dog like face, to me anyway! The ducks, quack, quack are cute too, and I see you in the last photo. It reminds me (a slight bit) of that cool egg in Chicago! Fun time you must have had.

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  5. You HAVE been missed!! I had wondered where you were :)

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  6. Wow! That is some amazing art! There are so many creative people out there and I wish I was one of them.

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  7. I really like that first piece. And of course you've been missed!

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  8. I missed you, Sage - I wondered where you were. And I see you were at an awesome art show! I love things like that.

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  9. I'm new to your blog....does that excuse me from missing you? The art was terrific and I can't even imagine what it's like to have something entered into an art show that size....one can dream though!

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  10. Glad to see you're back! I was wondering where you were. Those are some terrific pieces of artwork.

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  11. I have been far too busy also. How I love that earth giant. And the panda.. and most of the others. The winner is a head-scratcher for me though. Most of the others seem far more creative.. unless I'm missing something. I like your selfie. :)

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