The season in decline….

As the leaves have fallen so have any semblance of quality and entertaining yard sales. Today there was next to nothing in my neighborhoods so I had to drive further to get to these few meager offerings.

Virginia Cir. – Virginia Highlands “Yard Sale”

This was the largest yard sale I could find today. It was put on by the residents of two adjoining homes and featured a decent collection of clutter. On one side was a large collection of collectable dolls and toys. A table was stocked with small Madame Alexander figures and some hideous plush toys with horrifying hand painted faces. I will not mention the creators name for fear of bringing on a lawsuit. Other stuff here included a pair of pink glitter children’s disco boots; a Santa figured that played an annoying saxophone, a pillow in the shape of a bunch of asparagus, a VHS tape “The Vita Mix Cookbook” a copy of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and a Ben Hogan biography.
On the other side I found an American flag woven from wicker (these colors don’t run, they splinter) a scuba tank, children’s furniture, several framed prints of grizzly bears, a famed print of some kind of aquatic dinosaur and a boxed set of Inner Child cards.
I bought nothing.

Framed print of aquatic dinosaur.























Horrible plush creatures.


















Highland Ave. – Virginia Highlands “Yard Sale”

The Craigslist ad said a couple was combining their households and getting rid of stuff. Among the stuff they were getting rid of was a vacuum cleaner, a pair of plastic machine guns, a boxed set of wild drinking games, some wine glasses and women’s clothing.
I bought nothing.










Two non-events

I did later visit an estate sale in Virginia Highlands that was disappointing beyond my standards. I might have been wandering thought a realtors showroom house. I'm starting to think I should not go to any estate sales unless obsessive compulsive octogenarians lived and died in the household.

Dreadful estate sale.






















Earlier in the week I relieved the following email message:

“The Yard Sale, examines the adventures of making and viewing art in alternative spaces and for unconventional audiences. As the name suggests, this is a residential address where the performative‘sale/show’ will take place.

Part One is aimed at bringing art to the average shopper. It will invite the viewer to a Saturday morning yard sale, placing the works in an environment different from their typical context, in order to invoke the eye of the ordinary, unbiased consumer. The goal of the show will be to create the illusion of an actual yard sale, complete with random objects typically found at such occasions. The artists will not be in their expected roles, acting instead as observers in order to document the reaction of the unassuming public.

This setting aims to create a dialogue that contains a new set of thoughts and ideas by taking art out of its assumed context and placing it into an environment that is unfamiliar.
Part Two includes a literal and conceptual documentation of the show, that combines the remaining chatchkees from the yard sale with the artworks in order to initiate an engaged dialogue between curator and viewer. The artists will be sharing their observations of the above experience, including consumer reactions to the work and concepts that were presented.”

Sadly I drove by the address for this event three times this morning and it appeared that nothing was happening. I am a major advocate of conceptual art and an even bigger supporter of any project that demonstrates that I am the founder of an entire sub-genre of art. But the only thing that really occurred were few wet signs placed around midtown and this written documentation of the non-event. Which is in it’s self a conceptual work of art.

Sign for conceptual yard sale non-event in Midtown.