The Re-Appropriation of Art

Unfortunately, I don't know the names of the artists, or even the title of their artwork... only that I was fairly impressed with this outdoor sculpture park.

I also felt that the position of a particular piece, in terms of its environs, added to the display. A statue of a Native American raising his arms to the sky is one thing, for example. A statue of a Native American raising his arms to the sky — with a park bench behind him in the distance — is something else altogether.

This was not my first sculpture park experience. But I've not seen many of these around, which I suspect has something to do with artists not wanting their artwork exposed to the elements. Wind, rain, spider webs, lightning... these things can ruin a perfectly good work of art. But they also add to it.

And the thing that struck me most, in all of this, was the realization that every photograph I take is really just a catalogue — or even appropriation of — someone else's creation. Whether it's my reflection in a "Push to Go" button at a crosswalk (see left), a snapshot of my nephew playing like he's the Lone Ranger (see wall in my apartment) or a photograph of a Weeping Willow tree behind a statue of a man suspended by heart-strings (see below).

I so wish I actually knew how to take pictures. I mean, really take pictures. With every close of the shutter, I feel like I'm doing the world a tremendous injustice by failing to catalogue things precisely as I see them.