Do we participate in folk art? Yes we do! Even me. And I don't consider myself an artist at ALL. Yet even I write a blog, take pictures incessantly, mess around with my camera. I even carve stamps for letterboxing. Many people, especially women (specifically my mother and sister) do a lot of 'handwork', knitting, cross-stitching. I don't do that, I think it's the lack of fine motor coordination.
When I found the Folklife letterbox the placer told me that it would become part of the Folklife archives because it was 'folk art'. Wow.
I found this picture (circa 1973?) in the box in the trunk. Nobody, NOBODY, would know its context but me (or the people that were there). I recognize this as folk art now, we also knew it at the time.
Years ago, the tidelands between San Francisco Bay and freeway in Berkeley, desolate with beach grasses and trash, provided an open air gallery and artistic opportunity. Local folk, that would be FOLK ARTISTS would go out into the tideflats and build sculptures with the debris and flotsam. You can see one in the background of the photo. Using only what was there. Fascinated as a child, I would always look to see what clever creations would show up in the tideflats when we went by on a trip from Sacramento. In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to make one. So, one day during my UCSC days, Lynn W, Steve W and myself set out to make a sculpture. If I remember correctly, we brought some rope, some basic tools and some nails. I don't remember our creative process but here's the result. In case, you can't quite figure it out, it's a sailboat! I'm sitting on the tires which are anchoring the mast. Looks like a rudder, maybe! Luckily Lynne took this picture which I found in the trunk. We were so proud of ourselves. I don't know how long it lasted.
I don't know if people can still make them, I've meant to look when I've been down that way. Anybody know?
Even my youngest daughter recognized this as a sailboat. Yes!
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