Concrete Folk Art
December 23, 2004 10:22 PM Subscribe
Fred Smith's Concrete Park near Phillips, Wisconsin. "Born in 1886, a tavern owner and former lumberjack, Fred Smith began building sculptures in 1948, in his 60s. He created more than 200 concrete sculptures and covered them with broken beer bottle glass from his tavern. Said Fred, 'nobody knows why I made them, not even me.' " [more inside]
Excellent
posted by Bighappyfunhouse at 10:26 PM on December 23, 2004
posted by Bighappyfunhouse at 10:26 PM on December 23, 2004
People from Wisconsin have a thing for building sculptures.
posted by drezdn at 10:40 PM on December 23, 2004
posted by drezdn at 10:40 PM on December 23, 2004
Egads drezdn!
As someone who plays upright bass for a living (if you call this a living) those sculptures are straight out of one of my anxiety-ridden-pink-elephants-on-parade type feverish nightmares.
The basses are coming! Hooray! Hooray!
posted by sourwookie at 11:49 PM on December 23, 2004
As someone who plays upright bass for a living (if you call this a living) those sculptures are straight out of one of my anxiety-ridden-pink-elephants-on-parade type feverish nightmares.
The basses are coming! Hooray! Hooray!
posted by sourwookie at 11:49 PM on December 23, 2004
sourwookie, Doctor Evermore's place is actually really amazing and beautiful; not nightmare-inducing at all, especially if you go at just the right time in the summer when the cottonwood trees are blowing motes everywhere.
posted by interrobang at 12:01 AM on December 24, 2004
posted by interrobang at 12:01 AM on December 24, 2004
In Dublin, OH (near columbus) there is a peculiar site: a field full of concrete corn. Not nearly as cool as the link, but still interesting.
posted by adzm at 12:14 AM on December 24, 2004
posted by adzm at 12:14 AM on December 24, 2004
Sadly, in 1976, Fred died of multiple lacerations to the face and hands. The exact cause was never determined.
posted by ladd at 12:41 AM on December 24, 2004
posted by ladd at 12:41 AM on December 24, 2004
drezdn, I'm glad that you brought up Dr. Evermor, because I couldn't remember his name, just that I had read about him in the first issue of Found. Stuff like this always reminds me that people are more than worth it.
posted by scrim at 1:13 AM on December 24, 2004
posted by scrim at 1:13 AM on December 24, 2004
There would appear to be a severe paucity of good web galleries related to Edward James' Las Posas so excuse the crappy link. It easily covers 20-30 acres, and the way his sculpture blends into the jungle defies description.
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:36 AM on December 24, 2004
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:36 AM on December 24, 2004
I must be a real Wisconsinite since I can remember passing this place all the time. It's unimpressing to me now, oddly.
Be sure to check out the Hodag too. Not as cool, and the legend behind it is really annoying if you live up north here, but it's neat nonetheless.
posted by sian at 6:59 PM on December 24, 2004
Be sure to check out the Hodag too. Not as cool, and the legend behind it is really annoying if you live up north here, but it's neat nonetheless.
posted by sian at 6:59 PM on December 24, 2004
The Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas, as featured in one of my favorite WTF movies: Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees.
More.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:29 PM on December 24, 2004
More.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:29 PM on December 24, 2004
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