The Lardner Report

Unleash your creative superpowers!

The Art of “Getting Tired”

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(Pic #1) Just junk on the ground. Or is it?

Functional, useful, reliable — the rubber tire also serves as artful inspiration.

They get me every time. I do my share of junkyard exploring, and inevitably, I stumble upon a pile of discarded tires. While arguably the most dependable load-supporting, system of transportation, I see them as perfect sculptures emerging from found objects. They are appealing as a group — or as individuals. And I’m not the only one with a soft spot for these under-valued heroes.

Robert Rauschenberg’s clever combine called “Monogram” (Pic #2)  might be the most famous from the school of trashed tires — curiously collaring a painted, horned, Angora goat.

(Pic #2) Robert Rauschenberg ‘s “Monogram” combine, 1955.

A lesser known but equally trailblazing sculptor named Noah Purify incorporated tires in many of his assemblages in the brutal desert heat of Joshua Tree. (Pic #3) His orders (after his death) were to leave his work to disintegrate in the dry desert air. It’s been decades. Miraculously, his installations still stand.

(Pic #3) Installation by Noah Purifoy, Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum, Joshua Tree, Cal.

The Unexpected Art in Urban Decay

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(Pic #1) Brooklyn surprise. Weathered wall and signage —  instant abstraction.

It’s a legal high I can’t fully explain. While I’ve had the opportunity to visit some of the most extraordinary museums all over the world, there’s nothing like discovering an exciting image on weathered urban walls, sidewalks, or curbs. There’s something I love about “unintended” art — the kind that appears with age or years of neglect.

(Pic #2) One of  Jackson Pollock’s early  1950s “Black paintings.”

The above “painting” I suspect started out as a parking sign glued to the building in historic Red Hook, Brooklyn. The white curvy lines would be where the glue was placed. What makes this work for me is the contrasting background colors of dark blue and black. Also, that the unpainted top beige strip appears inside the painting as well. It’s almost as if the whole thing was planned.

The next place my brain visits is my mental catalogue of key images in art history. Truth is, I don’t need to liken one decrepit old wall with a legit artist — but it just happens in my head. It just might be a way to “justify” my find.

In this case, I took a deep dive back into the work of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock, who made a series of black-and-white paintings before he became known for his multi-colored “action” or “drip” works.

The lesson, each time I explore the streets of any urban landscape, is that art is in fact, everywhere.

Age Before Beauty — Duh!

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(Pic #1) Side panel of 1941 Mack Fire truck. Saticoy, California

Confession: I’m kind of a junkyard junkie.

Not sure that’s a thing — but I love the mix of rusting old metal, peeling paint, and layers of decay. I know, you really want to say, “Lon, get a life.”

Well, check out this formerly red, classic 1941 Mack pumper truck I found in Saticoy, California. It sits in a salvage yard I like to visit for artistic inspiration. (And often, I incorporate these discoveries into my creativity workshops for Fortune 500 executives.) Art is in fact everywhere, if you are willing to look beyond.

These colorful, textured images — with their own preordained compositions — represent 80 years of extreme Southern California heat, and perhaps unintended neglect. But weathering brings new life — in the form of unpredictable art. These abstractions are just as exciting to me as a Rothko or Rousseau — just as visually stimulating, and way more accessible.