The Thing About Recycling Is That It Is Also Artful

Several years ago while out on a shoot, I came across an interesting thing that reminded me of how fun recycling can be as a photographer, but could/can generate a nice chunk of change. Unfortunately, here in Dallas, while they do have a recycling notion and make some attempt at making it pay for the city, it isn't a big deal. What I'm trying to find out is just why that is and why doesn't the school system not make it pay or even develop a summer program.

 

 The problem is---this is the south, my birthplace, but also, there is no effort to have a recycling area where people from all over the Metroplex bring their glass, aluminum, steel, paper, newspapers, etc.,etc. that kicks out change, even dollars, depending on what you feed the machines. I have seen the Owens-Illinois recycling program at work. One machine had a colorful facing of an animal and it only accepted a specific item. The next one was much the same, but used names like Deno the Dino for one item right on down the line. And speaking of lines, on Saturdays and Sundays,and Holidays, the place was packed with cars with their trunks open and bags of sorted materials were heading to the main arena to fed the animals. It was not only unique, it was fantastic!! Even the adults were excited to go to the zoo. That was the O-I zoo as some had aptly named it.

 

 Just a decade or so I ran into a guy who with his twin brother ran a recycling operation that used pay outs like the O-I center did in the 70's. He even made a trip to Hong Kong to talk to a government official about developing a project that used recycled items. Unfortunately, the interest stopped. I also knew a guy who for his family were big into recycling in Hong Kong and Singapore. In fact, his father was know as the "plastic king of Hong Kong". It just boggles my mind that Americans just don't want to take the time or anything else concerning recycled materials. Even though it is being done. It's not a uniformed industry. It is after all, TRASH!! 

 

Walmart has recycled big time from all its stores and pocketed millions from it. I think about that every time I see a Seven-11 big gulp floating down White Rock Creek, or blown up next to a fence somewhere. Now, I know that 7-Eleven

can only sell the product and does not expect its patrons to stand around drinking it from that cup and then putting it into a trash can so it can be recycle. But, from another standpoint, recycling could become a tax base. Since all the fast foods print their names on like cups, you could encourage an organization that volunteers to pick up those cups and bag them by the name that is on the cup. That could apply to bottles and beer cans as well. Then, by counting the most for say 7-Eleven and then McDonald's or Chick-fil-A, even Whataburger and Sonic, the ones with the most got paid $0.05 each, the next highest got $0.04 and so on.The city could then charge a tax on trash found on the street using the ordinance already on the books.  The ideas are endless.

 

Now the little squirrel that I photographed in a park fabricating a Chick-fil-A cup into a piece with no bottom or top and then slickly cut it down one side before he carried it up to his nest, would not like that. He had even made an effort to go into a trash can to pull it out and then carry it across the street to his tree. But if recycling can be done by a squirrel, why not humans! Don't get me started on issue of what it means to Art! 

 

 

The State of the Macaroni

Creative ideals come from the strangest places. Ever since macaroni in the shape of the state of  Texas was found, the uniqueness of it started the creative thought process. What can be done with this stuff? It has been in a zip-lock bag in my camera bag for over a week now. When at last the opportunity came around were it would be a good day to shoot, it didn't totally turn out that way. It seems what when the macaroni was set up on the felt sheet, and the camera was placed to focus in on the shot, a gust of wind would hit the felt and upset the design. It became frustrating. Even more frustrating is the fact that one of my basic tenets is never do work twice. Do it right the first time and never work twice on the same project. Well, it wasn't in the cards that day. Finally, on day two, the wind died down and a second problem developed. It seems that the macaroni is not the best material to place on felt and there were no tweezers in my bag to set the pieces in the planned layout. Finally, it was more work than the outcome would bring. Cut your losses and move on. Yet, being more stong willed than that, working with the stuff finally made a rather crude take but it was enough to get the point across and to use the ideal in yet another project that would benefit more. So, with two samples after the edits, the fun that was had was worth more than any monetary reward had it all come out the way planned. But, that just proves than money isn't everything by any means and the reward was even more rewarding from a creative process.

356-1F270521 The State of the Macaroni

A sketch artist was having the same creative process. 

Deep Ellum: From Painting the Tunnel Walls to This!

The 20th Annual Deep Ellum Arts Festival kicked off on Friday for it's three-day run. With so much going on in Dallas this weekend, it wasn't that hard to decide which event would be more fun. Before arriving at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, I went by the "Party in the Park at Reunion Park". Sure, there was some big name entertainment names (Springsteen will close the event on Sunday).

The Anatole was loaded with tour buses for the final four teams. People were forming long lines to park and go inside just to slap the hands of the four teams players as they came out to board the buses to take them to Jerry's World aka AT & T Stadium in Arlington.  There was just to much basketball for me. I remember my college days and the NCAA hype. I guess that been there, done that, while exciting at the time,  moves a rung up or a  rung down the ladder depending which way you stack the events over time.

I have always liked Deep Ellum. It has undergone change, both good and bad, over the years. The days of the old school bus painting of  "California or Bust" as the film festival grew, are just memories now. So are the annual painting of the tunnels on Good Latimer. The tunnels are filled in  now, covered in Dart tracks for the Green Line and two Deep Ellum stations on it's way toward Fair Park and Mt. Pleasant. Some of the businesses that were there when Bonnie and Clyde hung out in Deep Ellum are still there today.  Rudolph's Meats and Sons of Herman come to mind for an example. Bars have come and gone and made comebacks even. So have some restaurants. But, artist, musicians, and film companies have been the glue that have held the canvas of Deep Ellum together.

So, I guess before I knew it, I already did know it that I would end up at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival. And that I did, going directly to my favorite little parking spot where it cost me fifty cents to park for 5-hours. The one thing about parking in Deep Ellum is that you most likely will end up with a parking ticket if you don't park in "controlled" parking  lots. And with the major capital improvements going on with street and water projects not due to be done until fall of 2014, meter parking is all but out on Elm or  Commerce Street or Canton. Main being out by default as the festival was on Main Street from Hall Street west to Good Latimer. One of the things that I like about the Deep Ellum Festival is that largely, it is an adult event except for being totally pet friendly. Sunday was on my agenda to attend but the 90% coverage of rain forecast will cut that out this year. As I was leaving on Saturday, vendors were already putting out their Rain Sale signs. Still, it was enjoyable to be absorbed in eclectic people, talent from the four live stages, street performers, chalk art and the like. Not to mention running into old friends that one sees but once a year at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival. Here are some images from Saturday.

My favorite Hat Vendor! I love the color. Some lady needs one of these for the up-coming Kentucky Derby! Really.

My thanks to these wonderful people (both here and below) who were all about what Deep Ellum really is--good people!

This is my favorite. When I ask if I could have a picture of her or the corn dogs, her laugh was like hearing my mom's laugh when she was truly happy.  

The Contralto

This is the male match to The Contralto but shown only as a comparison to why The Contralto was re-created.
The art work is priceless! Art Deco at Fair Park is a jewel in the crown the city has kept as a treasure.

The Contralto at Fair Park. It has been missing for years and was recreated and reinstalled. Thank goodness!

The Contralto. The Hall of State is the building behind with the three columns.

The credits

Side View of the Reflection Fountains and the Portico of Confederate States,Portico of Mexico,Spain and France Buildings.

It Has Become A Cliche.....

From the lower walk looking upward

Free Wheelin by LaPaso

The lawn amphitheater.

The City of Dallas has three sculptures in the park. These signs from the Office of Cultural Affairs identifies the work and the artist. 

From the bridge at the Lake Highland Dart Station looking south. The walk connects both sections. The visible bridge is Walnut Hill Lane

A Dart Rail Train can be seen in the background. Next stop: White Rock Lake Station. 

But it's true in this case. "if you build it, they will come."












About three years ago,maybe four, the bulldozers arrived and started tearing down a large apartment complex that had been built sometime in the late 60's or early 70's. Then the heavy equipment arrived and started digging down and down and down along a creek that  ran through the property. Slowly,the site was transformed into an amazing walkway along the creek with high stone walls, beautifully crafted steel ornamental fence work, lights,water fountains, drinking fountains, benches,overlooks,a split-level lake with individual fountains and a rock-boulder dam separating the two.

There are two stairways that take you upward to a  more grade level-street level that is also landscaped with fountains, and  a lawn amphitheater.

Least anyone forget, this is a residential and retail development. What has made this so different is that the park setting was created first, then allowed to sit and settle before the first builders showed up.  But, as was said in a movie filmed in an Iowa corn field: "If you build it, they will come." These are a few shots of the new Lake Highland Center.