Recreate/Houston/Reuse: Words On a Wall

Yesterday afternoon and evening, Robynn Sanders painted the first section of the 88 foot long basement corridor wall. We are working with recycling and all kinds of 're-words' in five languages, the concept being to reflect the cultural diversity in Houston and the universality of remaking, recycling and reinventing.

Now that I've just written the word 'reinventing,' it occurs to me that this word speaks directly, not only to diversity, but to the opportunity that Houston offers each of us to reinvent ourselves using individual talents and skills. So, this 88 foot wall does not only carry a recycling message. It goes further than that to say that in Houston, "We can reinvent both ourselves and our city. We can grow ourselves and our city." I may be getting a bit too metaphorical and poetic here, but you get what where this wall could go.

Here are photos from yesterday. Robynn has found it a challenge to use 'green' paint, as it seems to be thinner both on the wall and on the brush. It is definitely not lush and creamy.

Here's the palette she mixed. Blue for English, terra cotta for Spanish, red for Chinese, green for Vietnamese and teal for Arabic, plus a dose of gray for the recycling logo.

Here are the first two words or characters being painted. Spanish and Chinese.

Najwa, the wonderful lady who worked with me on Arabic translations, chuckled when she saw these two photos, because Phil is painting the Arabic from left to right. Arabic reads from right to left. Doesn't matter. Those who can read it, will move their eyes from right to left.

The genesis of this wall occurred last fall when I attended the ribbon cutting for Neighborhood Centers' new Gulfton campus, where I learned that their clients speak over 80 different languages. Wow! Gulfton is just one part of Houston, a microcosm of the whole. I loved the fact that so many languages are used right here in my city. What a gift.

I suppose I could have visited Gulfton to collect the word 'recycle' in 80 languages. I did not do that. But I did think about using more than English and Spanish words. I wrote a list of English words that begin with re-. It was easy to come up with nearly 50 in a few minutes time. In retrospect, it might have been fun to play with the Latin root word from whence so many of these words come from. I digress.

The making of this wall has been very much a collaborative experience. To obtain 're-words' in at least five languages, I reached out to friends who speak the language I wanted or have a friend who can. As things progressed, at least a dozen people were involved in making or confirming translations. I am still toying with adding in at least a word or two of French and Russian, both languages well represented in Houston. I may still call friends for one or two more words. After all, this wall is 88 feet long and a work in progress.

This wall has become an unexpected joy on which to work, because it involved so many Houstonians. What might have happened if we'd involved 100? I see another project down the road.

Withdrawal, But Not Quite Yet

I was not at the site today, but I was there twice yesterday. In the morning I was to meet someone at 10:00. He was not in the building, so I wandered instead. Ended up on level 3 where I found the "Overheard' wall entirely covered with yellow plastic tubs - emptied and ready to go back to the movers. Must be that employees on level 3 are settling into their new quarters.

The level 3 lobby was filled with people, many of them looking out the window, which I found interesting. I ended up having a chat with one of those folks as each of us moved toward the elevators. I asked if he liked the new building. He said that yes, he did. A big improvement, he added.

I took that as an opening for conversation and introduced myself to John Rodriquez, Pearl Classic Homes. He was there to run plans by a plan reviewer. However, I think he was leaving with the thought of returning another day when things are more settled. The delay didn't seem to phase him or dampen his enthusiasm for the facility.

We talked about the new wood floors in the elevator - which I was seeing for the first time. I remembered that Texas Timbers was to install those floors. They're made of salvaged Texas wood, much of it from Hurricane Ike.

The elevator flooring led into talk about the main lobby's reception area which includes a lowered ceiling made of salvaged wood, also by Texas Timber. The wood beams that make up the lowered ceiling over the reception area and the race track are all words in 'bar code'. You can read them if you're lying down on the floor. We might need a plaque that speaks to that.

Mr. Rodriguez and I talked some more about the art. Talked about Metalab's piece in the lobby and I showed him the CO2 monitors that reflect people movements on the big wall screen by the north entry.

Talked about Jesse Sifuentes' coffee mural, the montage of vintage maps and blue prints on the cashier's wall and Serena Lin Bush's sky monitors in the basement stairwell. This man is one patron who is pleased to see how well this new facility turned out.

At 6:00 p.m., I was back at the site and met with Robynn Sanders until nearly 8:00 p.m. to discuss the 88 ft. long basement corridor wall that she'll begin painting on later this week. For some time now, we've had the concept, the paint colors and translations of recycling words in five languages.

The timing for painting this very long wall is now upon us and we needed to confirm the particulars. Robynn is terrific to work with. We can think things through in tandem with one another, putting ideas out there and knowing when we've hit on the right one. This wall will be a really good one.

The low western sun was golden when we came out of the building, so I took a few photos of Dick Wray's tower, but still don't have the one I want. The photo that says it all. No, I don't have that one.

Still, Dick's tower is the asterisk, the frosting, the building identifier. Call it what you will. It looks pretty good right now and there are just a few more small pieces of powdered coated metal that need to be added.

Dead tired last night. Too tired to read or watch a Netflix or gather together all those emails from the artists so I have the proper verbiage for aluminum plaques that will be made for each work in the building.

Didn't get to that task today either, because I spent a lot of time at the Memorial City APPLE store where I was then referred to the APPLE help hot-line to obtain the serial number for some of my software. Seems that having a new motherboard installed last week obliterated the entryway to Aperture. Stuff like this eats up a day.

Enough. Enjoy the photos. Know that there are more to come.

Gonzo's Aerosol Mural: Level 3

Gonzo 24/7 painted a mural on canvas that, if memory serves, is almost 20 feet long. Really nice interplay of forms that build a cityscape with a swirling highway running through it. Gonzo says that intricate flowery pattern overlaying the deep orange was made by painting over lace. Who knew? Well, it works.

Swamplot Focuses on 'Overheard' and Solar Panels

Just read Swamplot's take on the level 3 text wall titled 'Overheard.' This wall was installed by A&E Graphics just last Wednesday and is immediately adjacent to the lobby elevators. Apparently, it caught someone's eye. Check out all the comments on Swamplot, too.

Thanks to Earl Greer and the countless plan reviewers and inspectors who allowed me to listen in on their conversations over many weeks. And thanks to them again for listening to what I captured to see if it was 'the real thing.'

Thanks to Kelly Musebeck at S.O. Creatives for taking all those overheard phrases I'd transcribed on yellow legal pads, for listening to my ideas for covering an entire wall with these conversational phrases, for designing the wall and finally for tweaking that design again and again as we made it what you see right now on level 3.

And thanks to A&E Graphics for producing this text wall, for cutting the plexi conversation clouds and for installing the entire thing.

One never works alone. I may have dreamed up that idea many months ago, but it takes a village to make it a reality. Everyone adds their skills and creativity to the idea. I've always maintained that collaborations are the way to go.

Swamplot also covered Metalab's new solar panels on the roof of the new Houston Permitting Center.

For more information on how this new permitting center got started back in 2009, here's another Swamplot link.

Gonzo and Carolyn Get Hitched

"We're getting hitched in June." That's what Gonzo said last February. And so he and Carolyn Casey (aka CKC) did get hitched. They were married at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church last evening at 7:00 p.m. The church was full and both the bride and groom looked happy and so 'a couple.'

Reception followed at Spring Street Studios and the place was jammed. Lots of food, dozens of small children of all ages and stages, and seemingly hundreds of guests. Good DJ too.

Wish them well.

What I Saw Today At the Site

Always something new at 1002 Washington Avenue and this morning was no exception. Arrived at 10:45 to see the A&E Graphics van leaving the parking lot. I rolled down my window to say thank you. I knew they'd just installed one of my text walls. I missed the entire installation for an early morning appointment with my favorite physical therapist who made those tight neck muscles bend to her will for my well being. An appointment with her and a really good rain over most of Houston made for the beginning of a really nice birthday. Plus all those Facebook messages that keep popping up on my iPhone. Facebook has totally changed folks' birthdays, don't you think? In a good way. But more about this very special building.

Walked into the lobby, which by the way, is very cold. The air conditioning sure is working. Real folks at the cashier's windows involved in what I assume are real transactions. I think I see some dollar bills being counted there.

Into the elevator headed for level 3 and it was terrific to see that wall for real. At last. After all the scheduling delays because the wall had to be repainted with semi-gloss and then it had to dry and then the size of the wall paper was not exactly right. But now, it's really fine. Looks just as we imagined and planned.

That wall represents hours and hours of time spent listening to plan reviewers and inspectors interact with architects, engineers and designers at the building on Main just south of Westheimer. Last spring, I filled entire yellow legal pads with transcriptions of real conversations, then got it all on a lengthy word document and finally edited it to phrases and expressions that best exemplify what happens when the city takes a look at a set of plans. Had the text vetted by the very folks who use this 'language' and after hearing a few chuckles, I knew it'd be 'good to go', as they say.

This morning there were real people sitting in the reception area on level 3, right in front on Gonozo's cityscape mural.

Couldn't resist relooking at the entire building. Went to level 4 to see Geoff Winningham's photo mural on metal. Reflection of UH Downtown main campus building in ripples along Buffalo Bayou. Two folks fishing in the image too.

Just inside the doors to the administration offices is another text intervention. This one is bar code that reads GREEN. Hand made with many different types of salvaged and recycled local woods by Bob Card and installed by Daniel Adame, this piece is both understated and rich in detail. Each strip of wood is stamped with its provenance.

The installation of Dick Wray's tower panels by Charles Masterson and his crew continues. More photos by Beth Collins Wray coming soon.

Suffice it to say that it's hard to let go of this building. But, we artists don't have to let go quite yet. There's still a reception in the works, when we will all get together to celebrate a project unique in Houston. Date and time to be announced. In the meantime, I need to get those artist plaques ordered and installed and finish the attendant paperwork.

Thanks to all. We're almost 'good to go.'

More on Metalab's CO2 Review

See this link for more about tracking 'people movement' in the lobby of the new Houston Permitting Center: CO2 Review. And remember to mouse over the blank spot in the text to find the link. Still haven't been able to make the links visible on this particular blog of mine.

However, a question about making links visible will be the first words out of my mouth when I go to the Apple store today or tomorrow to pick up my laptop, which, last Thursday evening beeped and turned dark. Turns out that its motherboard was tired, very tired. It just gave out, so a new motherboard has been ordered. Memory - that would be all documents and photos - will remain unimpaired, fortunately. At least, that is what Apple says. But those beeps signaled real distress. This may have been more than you needed to know about why that link in the first paragraph of this post has to be moused over to get anywhere.