My talent (and my curse) is that I notice little things, details, the "small picture." And that I can see artistry where others see nothing.
Here's a good example. Dumpster art!
While in Florida a few years ago, I spotted a dumpster that had this most wonderful background color and texture. And someone or some thing had scraped/gouged it. The bluish color and the vibrant yellow were pretty terrific. But what made it "art" for me was the "half sun" there in the upper right.
Naturally, to the amusement of my friends, I had to stop and take a shot. Chris, my spouse, totally understood. (Which is why I love him.)
But before the Florida dumpster, there was this heavily textured one I saw in Newport, Oregon. To me, it looked like a collage, with a grungy background, a rectangle of bright red, and then the narrow brownish strip running vertically, holding everything together. A no-brainer. Click.
Interestingly, somewhere else along that long straight street in Newport, on a different day, I again noticed a dumpster. Taking a second look, the "art" looked remarkably similar. So I photographed that one, too. Comparing my photos later I saw that yes, it was the same damned dumpster, maybe a mile or two apart.
I am nothing if not consistent in my concept of what makes "art."
Images copyright ©2019 Carol Leigh.
