AWAY IN TEXAS

Schroeder, Texas 2013

I know, I've been lax with my posting these past few month....more like half a year.  Preparing exhibitions, school and traveling have sapped my time and energy.  I boggied down to Texas for a couple of weeks this past March.  I have spent little time in the area between Houston and San Antonio below Interstate 10.  Just figured it was time I did so, and needed something to get me out of town during Clark's spring break.

MAIN STREETS V

Dennisville, New Jersey 1988

MAIN STREET IV

West, Texas 1986

MAIN STREETS III

Goshen, Utah 1987

MAIN STREETS II

Mansfield, Pennsylvania 1987

MAIN STREETS

Dayton, Nevada 1986

Back in the mid-1980's, as I was traveling cross country, I became interested in how many towns had Main Streets.  Throughout my wandering I began thinking that this one commonality was one of the things the defined us as a unique people and culture.  Of course, there are many towns with no such named street.  In fact, it is not even the most common name for streets in this country according the US Census Bureau.  Main Street comes in at #7 behind #1-Second St, #2-Third St., #3-First St., #4-Fourth St, #5-Park, and #6-Fifth St.  And in many towns, Main Street is not the main street of the town.  In many river towns, often Front or River or First Street are the main street.  Still, Main Streets are a fairly unique North American, and specifically United States, icon. A few Main Streets can be found in Canada, but not really anywhere else.

SURPRISES

Worcester, Massachusetts 16 September 2012

Ellen and I has spent almost two hours wandering around the arts street festival, "stART ON THE STREET", in Worcester. As we were leaving the throngs of people and artist booths, and turned the corner of the street where we had parked, I was suddenly faced with a large orange wall that abruptly turned to green. We had obviously passed this same wall when we first arrived, but my mind was obviously elsewhere. I love the moment of revelation when something startles my brain into recognition. I think if I were a painter, this is how I would paint.