Art On The Esplanade

[Feights]

I have recently noticed 4-5 pieces of art installed on the heights esplanade just behind the entrance. I have not stopped to look, but just driving by I think it looks terrible. Who is responsible for this? I have always thought the esplanade looks great with the trees and benches but this was a swing and a miss. I'll hang up and listen.

[Texasota]

Art is always subjective. I'm not sure exactly who's funding/organizing this (Mitch Cohen maybe?) but I'd bet it's going to be rotating. Personally, I like the pieces that are there right now. 

[s3mh]

http://openthedoor-houston.com/

 

It is the work of the Texan French Alliance for the Arts and a Paris based arts collective with help from a pile of local organizations.  There are a number of these installations around town.  There are a couple by the tennis center at Memorial Park.  Not sure how long they are going to stay up.  I doubt it is a permanent installation.  I like it.  Houston is very short on public art outside of a few notable pieces downtown.  I really like the temporary installations that Herman Park has been hosting (I Wei Wei and others).  I think it would be nice for the Heights to do similar things along the esplanade. 

[Feights]

Thanks, that is interesting. Glad to hear they are not permanent. 

[callisthenes]

This reminds me, I wanted to post about that poor abused tree behind Dacapo’s on Studewood.

 

After Ike, the old fella was pretty mangled; there were perhaps a few living sprigs, but he wouldn’t be long for this world.

 

Then some intrepid troubadour artist painted red “pants” on the remaining two limbs, and affixed garbage bags atop each one to serve as “boots” for a whimsical, upside-down buried giant.  I don’t know if children were involved, but it certainly evoked the workmanship of 8 or 9 year olds.  Then over the ensuing months, the paint peeled and garbage bags rotted away, and each time I went by I contemplated buying a cordless reciprocating saw to end the misery on some dark night.

 

Then suddenly trees turned blue down on Memorial and Waugh.  “Natural blue pigment” they said, which would fade and disappear within months.  An interesting and arresting blue color I noted as I drove by.  Turns out that by making those crepe myrtles stand out, the artist is trying to draw attention to areas around the world where trees are disappearing.

 

A few weeks later, the old tree behind Dacapo’s was suddenly blue.  Was the tree bemoaning its own loss, or “blue” with jealousy over how good those spry young crepe myrtles look?

 

Close examination revealed that only the half facing the roadway was irregularly spray painted, with some paint sprayed on the grass around the trunk.  Since most artists have access to drop cloths, painted grass must be a statement of some kind.  I guess if trees are disappearing, the grass has now joined in.  Although, I think fewer trees would mean more grass?  Maybe the blue color is meant to evoke some sort of blue image to the world but dead behind the blue façade.

 

Anyway, I plea for mercy.

[kylejack]

What is this art doing in Houston's Mayberry? We can't have that!

[SilverJK]

This reminds me, I wanted to post about that poor abused tree behind Dacapo’s on Studewood.

 

After Ike, the old fella was pretty mangled; there were perhaps a few living sprigs, but he wouldn’t be long for this world.

 

Then some intrepid troubadour artist painted red “pants” on the remaining two limbs, and affixed garbage bags atop each one to serve as “boots” for a whimsical, upside-down buried giant.  I don’t know if children were involved, but it certainly evoked the workmanship of 8 or 9 year olds.  Then over the ensuing months, the paint peeled and garbage bags rotted away, and each time I went by I contemplated buying a cordless reciprocating saw to end the misery on some dark night.

 

Then suddenly trees turned blue down on Memorial and Waugh.  “Natural blue pigment” they said, which would fade and disappear within months.  An interesting and arresting blue color I noted as I drove by.  Turns out that by making those crepe myrtles stand out, the artist is trying to draw attention to areas around the world where trees are disappearing.

 

A few weeks later, the old tree behind Dacapo’s was suddenly blue.  Was the tree bemoaning its own loss, or “blue” with jealousy over how good those spry young crepe myrtles look?

 

Close examination revealed that only the half facing the roadway was irregularly spray painted, with some paint sprayed on the grass around the trunk.  Since most artists have access to drop cloths, painted grass must be a statement of some kind.  I guess if trees are disappearing, the grass has now joined in.  Although, I think fewer trees would mean more grass?  Maybe the blue color is meant to evoke some sort of blue image to the world but dead behind the blue façade.

 

Anyway, I plea for mercy.

 

That tree was long dead.  The whimsical art that was installed on it was silly... Heaven forbid it block your view of the dumpster.

 

It is a respected local artist that did the work to the tree to be funny, and painted it blue once the paint started peeling/fading.  Feel free to cut the tree down.

[OutfieldDan]

I have recently noticed 4-5 pieces of art installed on the heights esplanade just behind the entrance. I have not stopped to look, but just driving by I think it looks terrible. Who is responsible for this? I have always thought the esplanade looks great with the trees and benches but this was a swing and a miss. I'll hang up and listen.

 

Some of the art is interesting, some is terrible.  I think the jaw gaping [dog?] with human teeth is amateurish and ugly.

[heights]

This "Yarn Bomb" art showed up on the trail near 16th. It's really cool! (edited to add pics)

[Triton]

Now that is cool! I'll have to get a picture with that before the elements or some stupid person messes with it.

[Marksmu]

This "Yarn Bomb" art showed up on the trail near 16th. It's really cool! (edited to add pics)

 

Someone needs to report this obvious vandalism to the Constable!  If we can't get the constable to remove it immediately we must enlist RUDE & the HAHC, as I am certain that they do not have a COA to have made such a modification in our glorious historic district.

[west20th]

Someone needs to report this obvious vandalism to the Constable!  If we can't get the constable to remove it immediately we must enlist RUDE & the HAHC, as I am certain that they do not have a COA to have made such a modification in our glorious historic district.

 

It's OK. They used old yarn.

[kylejack]

But what does art critic Feights think?

[s3mh]

Someone needs to report this obvious vandalism to the Constable!  If we can't get the constable to remove it immediately we must enlist RUDE & the HAHC, as I am certain that they do not have a COA to have made such a modification in our glorious historic district.

 

Actually, the installation is permitted by the City.  A group called "knitta please" started doing large scale yarn bombing in Houston without permission, much like Coolidge's street art.  The city was aggressive in taking down their work, which upset residents.  The current yarn bombing on Heights is a compromise to allow the work to go up with a permit from the City.  The little yard sign next to it makes it clear that the installation is allowed and helps to keep crotchety residents from taking it down.

[Angostura]

The little yard sign next to it makes it clear that the installation is allowed and helps to keep crotchety residents from taking it down.

 

 

...the crotchety vs. the crochet.

[SilverJK]

I doubt the "crotchety" residents are the ones that would take it down... more likely hooligans with a pocket knife.

[JJxvi]

You were wrong. Apparently this was taken out by a crotchety angry, vaguely crazy middle aged lady and they are now looking for her.

[musicman]

Marksmu??? Where are you? I need the crimestoppers reward!

[s3mh]

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9141372

 

Pretty sad.  Can't imagine why anyone would take the time to do that.  Almost as bad as the guy who keeps spray painting "LSD" all over the Heights.

 

[Marksmu]

Marksmu??? Where are you? I need the crimestoppers reward!

 

Wasn't me!  Once I found out that it had COA from the HAHC I was satisfied that it must be antique yarn and thus it deserved to stay!  I think we should be on the lookout for Rapunzel, as I recall from the recent movies she was quite a weaver.

[SilverJK]

Where there goes my faith in youth vandals!    I seriously can't beleive someone would do this out of dislike for the art  (I can see vandalism for the sake of vandalism even though I don't approve of it). 

 

Is the LSD guy old?  I see Agua and Earl a good bit,  silly graffitti taggers, at least learn to do nice block print.

 

 

[fwki]

Where there goes my faith in youth vandals!    I seriously can't beleive someone would do this out of dislike for the art  (I can see vandalism for the sake of vandalism even though I don't approve of it). 

 

Is the LSD guy old?  I see Agua and Earl a good bit,  silly graffitti taggers, at least learn to do nice block print.

 

If someone did this out of dislike for the art, definitely a boomer.  If someone did this for profit, like on a bet, I would say Gen Xer.  The Millennials  will probably rebuild it, just like they'll have to do with everything else we left them.

[august948]

"Yarn Bomb"...hehehe...I'm picturing Betty White and some of her friends pranking the Heights.

[august948]

If someone did this out of dislike for the art, definitely a boomer.  If someone did this for profit, like on a bet, I would say Gen Xer.  The Millennials  will probably rebuild it, just like they'll have to do with everything else we left them.

 

Isn't that what the Boomers complained they would have to do with what the WWII generation left them?

 

http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Didn%27t_Start_the_Fire

[fwki]

Link didn't work for me, but I guess that's the Billy Joel song.  Boomers started complaining in the womb and never stopped.  Abortions were rare and dangerous, otherwise there would have been no boom, and the biggest arguments of today would have been resolved by consensus in their infancy.  On the flip side, we would have a lot less great music.

[august948]

Sorry about the link.  Yeah, it is to the wikipedia article on "We Didn't Start the Fire".  In the article it mentions that Billy Joel got the idea when someone half his age (presumably a GenX-er) complained that the world was an unfixable mess.  You are right, there'd be a lot less great music without the Boomers.  My point is that every generation complains that the one before it messed things up and then proceeds to do the same and get the same complaints from their children.  Just wait til you hear from the Post-Millennials that the Millenials really messed up the rebuild.  You know it's coming....

[fwki]

I read an article about that phenomena and its reverse, you know, the " damn kids these days" thing.  So these researchers set out to find the stupidest, lamest generation by looking at standardized tests, number of doctors, lawyers etc, giving to United Way, voting etc.  Well according to these guys, the window from like 1959-1962 was by FAR the worst....I gotta find that link,,,, only reason my dumass remembered it, I was born right smack in the middle of the window.

[august948]

I read an article about that phenomena and its reverse, you know, the " damn kids these days" thing.  So these researchers set out to find the stupidest, lamest generation by looking at standardized tests, number of doctors, lawyers etc, giving to United Way, voting etc.  Well according to these guys, the window from like 1959-1962 was by FAR the worst....I gotta find that link,,,, only reason my dumass remembered it, I was born right smack in the middle of the window.

 

I missed that window by a few years, but I'm not a doctor or a lawyer and I don't give to the United Way, so I guess I'm not far off on their report.  The "damn kids" reference reminds me how in my long-haired youth I thought everyone with short hair was square and now if I see a kid with long bangs like Justin Beiber used to have I have to suppress the urge to pull out some scissors.  Those damn kids these days...

[samagon]

Sorry about the link.  Yeah, it is to the wikipedia article on "We Didn't Start the Fire".  In the article it mentions that Billy Joel got the idea when someone half his age (presumably a GenX-er) complained that the world was an unfixable mess.  You are right, there'd be a lot less great music without the Boomers.  My point is that every generation complains that the one before it messed things up and then proceeds to do the same and get the same complaints from their children.  Just wait til you hear from the Post-Millennials that the Millenials really messed up the rebuild.  You know it's coming....

I hope not. As a gen x myself, I don't want to miss out on being responsible for an entire generation's bad fortune, and if it goes straight from boomers being at fault to gen y being at fault I will feel cheated.

[august948]

I hope not. As a gen x myself, I don't want to miss out on being responsible for an entire generation's bad fortune, and if it goes straight from boomers being at fault to gen y being at fault I will feel cheated.

Oh, don't worry about that. We get to blame the Boomers and in turn Gen Y and the Millenials get to blame us. It's the way it's always been.

“Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”

---Socrates