Saturday, August 20, 2011

Dignity Village

We have had a lot of visitors lately. It's been great having friends come in from VA to skate and make art. One of which is our good friend Johnston Foster who is doing a very large scale installation at the Disjecta gallery space in north Portland. Johnston's work requires large amounts of found plastics and other discarded items. Portland is good at setting things that may or may not be useful out in designated piles in random neighborhoods so we were out and about looking for desired materials. We came across a "yard sale" in the north east as we casually got lost. It looked janky as hell and decided to stop. We pull up and quickly noticed a small fenced in community. As we entered the gates we were slightly greeted by the security of this compound. As direct as possible he question our visit to the community but quickly asked if we wanted a tour. Johnston and I looked at each other and I thought he would ketch how large and wide eyed i was, which in eye contact language is lets get the fuck out of here before we get killed by some hobos. We did not share that moment. Johnston agrees with a "sure, but also a " what is this place." It's always a good idea to ask where you are before you get murdered just in case one of you gets out and is able to contact the authorities. The security guard told us to stay where we were and he'd find someone to give us a tour.It took a minute for the guard to find someone, during this time i was trying to hint to Johnston that we should just cut out. Yet again there must of been a communication block because we stuck around for around 5 minutes waiting for someone to show up. Her(him?) was named Rocky and the tour began. Rocky showed us about 3 of their structures before we were greeted by a guy named Dave. Dave looked like he had been around the block multiple times. He had a marijuana bandanna on pinning his long gray hair down to his head. He wore aviator sunglasses with a light tent, enough to see how gentle his eyes were. He spoke to us in a way that sounded like he was half way paying attention to what he was saying but his mind was somewhere else. As the tour went on, It was explained that this was a village for people who didn't have homes and wanted to live in a community that is nurturing and safe. Nothing shady could go down at Dignity Village and not be dealt with. I started to realize that the vibe at this place wasn't pathetic or hopeless but inspiring and up lifting and kind of felt ashamed for wanting to leave so quickly. To my credit, within the first steps of our tour we witnessed a guy hitting a couch with a sledge hammer taking it apart for what i guess for the materials. This place used everything. All their houses were built in precarious ways with what ever they could score through donations and what they find. Anything they could get their hands on was useful just like every body that was in the village had to be useful and help the community. They have their own micro government, they make their own rules and regulations. This is something that they could control together and succeed because alone they were too weak. We finished our tour and went on our way. Their pride was the most memorable about the whole experience. That and the couch

Big Ol' Neglect

I'm so sorry people. I feel like I've treated you so wrong and now I must make it up to you all. No no no, it's not okay. For those of you who have followed me with my bullshit comments and what nots i let you down. Got some fuel these days though. Some topics and things and stuffs that I've either observed or just stumbled upon. It was never you, it was me. I just love you so much baby, why can't you see that? I never meant to hit you, twice. Just come back baby! We were meant to be....

Morphin' like the wolf

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Decapitated Clone Head

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Lexington Photos

Lexington install 1 Lexington install 2 Lexington install 3

artwork

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New video performance

Flight Like a Eagle

Thesis Show spring 2007

Thesis Show spring 2007
I built this city

Music I've been listening to

  • the Go Team!
  • Icy Demons
  • Need New Body
  • Battles
  • Pavement
  • Electric Light Orchestra
  • Tapes 'n Tapes, The Loon
  • Pinback
  • Sparta
  • David Bowie, Space Oddity and Ziggy Stardust
  • Mos Def,
  • Minutemen, Double Nickel on the Dime
  • poison snake,
  • J Geils Band, Blow Your Face Out
  • The Who, Live at Leeds
  • Heroic Doses

lazers

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