Charging rhino :: Mesa and Schuster Streets

A while back, a local sculptor named Julio Sanchez de Alba, created a life-sized charging rhinoceros. Now, I don't know if his target client was the local hockey team whose mascot is a charging rhino, but they purchased it and it is now installed at the El Paso Colosseum, the team's home rink.

As this Holga photo is over 2 years old, the sculpture is gone, as is the gallery. But the house remains with a new occupant, a plastic surgeon.

I miss the rhino, though.

Alas, the days quickly pass through my fingers

A day or so ago, I went to check on the Daily City Photo Blog website as I've found their promises and portals to be sluggish. They are not able at this time to keep up with people's posts. In fact, mine have yet to surface and so, I must depend upon a random visit or someone following from my initial post on their message board. But back to their website. Unfortunately, at the time I checked, the site was down and I couldn't see if my recent posts were connected to their site.

In the spirit of random hits and acts, here is a picture of The Equestrian sculpture by John Houser. Very controversial, and berated by some, it is touted as the world's largest equestrian sculpture. I don't know about that. All I know is that I love horses, and this one is exceptionally detailed and beautiful. It may be an inflated example of public art and artist ego, but no one can deny the effect the horse made upon the history of both natives and colonists alike.

Powerbox art

Yesterday, as the Judge and I were driving in the University area, I decided to stop at the corner of Rim and Mesa and catch this glued up guy before someone ripped him off the powerbox. While I understand powerboxes are property of whatever utility owns them, I think original silkscreens and handmade stickers and stencils are far more interesting than a burred silver surface that is a clean and boring powerbox.

This is true after someone, either from neighborhood, city, or utility company rips off powerbox artwork/graffiti that leaves a mess. Oh, yes I know. There is always the argument that all powerbox art is vandalism. But to me, it is no more vandalism than Clearchannel dirtying up free public sky space with vulgar jumbo billboards hawking $99 DNA paternity services. Yes, they do pay for the privilege of cluttering up free air space, but does that make it ethical or no less a distraction when driving the freeway? Beyond the grand commercial privilege, shouldn't there be the privilege of public art/speak? Or, perhaps all should be removed equally and thus quiet all public free space.