The Lardner Report

Unleash your creative superpowers!

Today’s Pic: The Art Of Urban Decay

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(Pic#1) Nashville sign: Finding beauty in decrepitude.

I may be obsessed, but these things just seem to find me. Driving through downtown Nashville yesterday, in a funky little section called the Melrose District, I passed a sign that truly seemed to scream at me. (Pic #1 and Pic #4) It had clearly seen better days, or maybe years, but its wear-and-tear left a gorgeous abstraction of rich browns, blacks, and  grey smudges.

I belted out a loud “STOP!” to my friend Susan, and bless her loyal soul — she hit the brakes. She didn’t understand why, but she knew I was on a mission. I bolted out of the car and grabbed the shot. She and her colleagues Sherri and Poonam might have been bumfuzzled, but were very polite about it.

(Pic #2 ) Composition of Black, Gray and Reddish by Antoni Tapies, 1968.

I saw what could have been an acrylic abstract landscape  — a really interesting composition. (Pic #1)

(Pic #3) "Vuillard's Chariot" Painting by Helen Frankenthaler 2006

It reminded me of the work of the late Spanish painter Antoni Tapies, (Pic #2) and the iconic American abstract expressionist, Helen Frankenthaler (Pic #3).

But the artist, in this case — was nature. Who knows how many rainstorms or snowfalls ravaged the roadside ad, and how many layers of paper and ink were left in their wake. I just like the idea that the elements become artists too, and we benefit from  their unpredictable, repetitive action.

(Pic #4) Deconstructing Signage

 

 

Today’s Pic: Stunning But Deadly

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Up close: Gorgeous hues and geometric lines of the Cold Spring Canyon “Suicide” Bridge – linking Santa Barbara with Santa Ynez.

Spectacular engineering feat still haunts locals.

“Jump up — not down!” screamed a dude in a pickup truck as we began to shoot a few photos of this magnificent scene. I should have known something was up. It only took a couple of casual chats with people along Stagecoach Road to figure out what it was.

Built in 1963, the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge embodies the perfect blend of strength and beauty. The 1200-foot crossing is by far the longest steel arch bridge in the state of California — a brightly colored architectural symbol of the Santa Ynez Valley.

But its history paints a darker picture — as 55 people have plunged to their deaths from the deck of its imposing span over a 420-foot canyon below. Eight lives lost in 2009, making it the most lethal year in the bridge’s history.

For years, residents have been calling it a “suicide hotspot” — many have been fighting for the installation of safety nets — though it has become a contentious legal battle in and out of court. But last week Caltrans announced it would begin installing grid mesh barriers on both sides of the historic structure; the project is expected to be completed this spring.

Bridge in the abstract: handsome contrast in color

Highway 154 (also known as The San Marcos Pass) is a sweet 33-mile ride through a portion of the Los Padres National Forest.

Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its load partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side.

Photos  by Josh Kaplan.

 

The Art of the Haul

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(Pic #1) Trucker hauling tires on the 405 in L.A. inspired this old-school sepia tone print.

Truckers in traffic: The art of abstraction is freeway close.

I guess you could call me obsessed. The Oxford dictionary says I would be labeled as such if I became “preoccupied with something… continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.” Guilty.

(Pic #2) Side of construction truck near Albany, NY

I can’t help it. I see 18-wheelers or old farm trucks and I’m sucked into a visual vortex: patterns of rusty holes, peeling paint, and flatbed piles worthy of a classic episode Sanford and Son. In these fleeting images I catch glimpses of stunning abstract art — some reminiscent of work shown in the world’s most prestigious contemporary collections and auction houses.

Finding the beauty:

In my corporate workshops I always stress the importance of really looking around us.  It’s become an annoying habit for anyone driving with me, because I’ve been known to engage in some light tailgating to get the shot I need. But if you make looking a habit, you will discover art in the most curious places. I happen to find expressways and side streets a great place to start. You’ll see quirky patterns and textures — and quite often, the making for a spectacular abstract-expressionist work of art.

(Pic #3) Left: Junked boxcars, Saticoy, CA. Right: Rothko"Blue Divided by Blue" (untitled) which sold for $4.1 million U.S. Rothko 's record: over $72 million.

Two cases in point: On a recent visit to an automotive junkyard in Saticoy, accutane California, I encountered a graveyard for old trucks, trailers, and box cars. They were all piled high and strewn about. I was mesmerized by the geometry and contrast in color.  The delicate patinas of blues and browns reminded me of the work of iconic Russian-American painter Mark Rothko (Pic #3). Then — popping out from the mountains of metal — bold primary colors you might only see on race cars or lunch boxes. (Pic #4)

(Pic #4) (Detail) Side of trashed truck, Saticoy, CA

The same week I shot the back of a rusty white truck, I also encountered a chillingly similar painting in the Museum of Contemporary Art in LA that I had never noticed before (Pic # 5). The artist is a Spanish abstract painter named Antoni Tapies. The piece is called  “All White, Number 2”– painted in 1955. The truck image was captured on the 101, passing through the San Fernando Valley in 2011.

It doesn’t matter which came first– it does enrich us if we notice both.

(Pic #5) Left: White rusted moving truck, Los Angeles, 2011. Right: Mixed media on canvas painting by Antoni Tapies, 1955. Artist's work typically fetches hundreds of thousands to millions of U.S dollars.

(Pic #6) Flatbed full of metal scrap, Los Angeles, CA

(Pic #7) Trashed truck, Saticoy, CA

(Pic #8) Twig truck, Agoura Hills, CA

(Pic #9) Industrial "tagging," Los Angeles, CA

(Pic #10) Distressed beauty, Encino, CA