Visions Fron A Yard Sale Addict - Nashville 6/9/07

The opening of the exhibition of photography from this site finally took place at Ruby Green in Nashville last weekend. I packed the Camry with 20 works and drove north arriving at the gallery on Friday afternoon where Cindy and I worked with the staff on the install. The day before the show received a large write-up on the cover of the living section in the Tennessean in Ms Cheap’s (Mary Hance) column.
The opening the next day went well with a larger than expected crowd, especially considering that the CMA Fan Fest show was happening that same weekend in downtown Nashville.




Photographs ready to be viewed.













Art patrons viewing images of clutter.















Due to the crowds in town for fanfest we had to stay in a hotel nearby Brentwood. With the artwork in place I had some time to visit a few sales in Brentwood and visit some Music City attractions.

Brentwood – "Yard Sales”

Being out of town I was not up to my normal standards of yard sale documentation. I was also a little off since the neighborhoods here were far more upscale and suburban to the typical Candler Park sales I visit every week.

The first sale was in the driveway of a large home in a new development. Most of the stuff here was new as well. Among the clutter I found a jigsaw puzzles of the United States, a ba-relief of two angels, a wine connoisseur’s gift set that appeared unused and a sealed roll of shelf paper. A few books included a cloth Busy Bible, “Mom’s Book of Answers” and “3299 Mantras, Tips, Quotes and Koans for peace and Serenity”.
I bought nothing.



The second sale was a little larger and held on the rear driveway and in the garage of a slightly older suburban home. Here I found a large assortment of Xmas stuff including some large homemade Xmas animals. But the seller told me to stop taking photographs after she may have seen me capturing an image of a dirty soup maker or the old Coke machine in the garage. She did not seem impressed when I told her I had a show opening tonight.
I did buy a laptop case from her for a dollar.





The next sale was more laid back. Here I found a large amount of wreaths made from dried tree limbs and twigs and a lot of rabbit figurines. Among some toys was a kit that allowed children to do a dissection of an artificial frog. I recall as a child I received an Easter gift many years back of a science kit that contained a real frog.
I bought nothing.







The final sale was in a little bit more urban neighborhood where among some toys, and kitchenware a large console organ was in the driveway. Cindy attempted to play, but. It was not plugged in.
I bought nothing.














Nashville Sights

That afternoon we checked out some other galleries in town and visited the Parthenon. Nashville has a concrete full size replica of the Greek structure that dates back to some turn of the century exposition when people had a better appreciation of faux classical monuments. The Inside of the edifice is dominated a massive statue of Athena done in the style of late 19th century carnival statuary. I am surprised that over the years Christian fundamentalist did not destroy the pagan goddess like the Taliban did with the giant standing Buddhas. Perhaps Tennessee is more progressive than Afghanistan.
Gargantuan statue in faux Parthenon.













A brief sojourn in Appalachia

The morning after my show opened we headed east and north towards the hills of Kentucky. Just over the Tennessee border we visited Cumberland Falls. Hailed as the Niagara of the south the falls is one of two in the world where visitors can see a moon bow. Unfortunately there was not a full moon the evening of our visit so all we saw was a lot of falling water in pale light. From There we went on the Corbin to see the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Here one can dine on KFC at the site of the original Sanders motel and restaurant. A museum is set up where one can see large tubs that once held the secret recipe, early menus, and various kitchen items used by Col. Sanders. Scattered about the museum are countless full sized replicas of Sanders that one may pose with or make offerings to. There is even a likeness of the Colonel made of eggs and copies of his Christmas albums. The food served there is no different than any other corporate KFC outlet.
I ordered the original recipe.

Replica of the Colonel in his office. Note hamster cage on his desk.














Elvis seen in downtown Knoxville. All travel reports of Tennessee are required to contain at least one image of an Elvis impersonator.