Bikes, Books & a Little Music

Street Poetry under a Detroit Overpass

Charlie Z — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:53:24 +0000

I see plenty of messages crudely painted on cement walls, the sides of buildings, scrap wood, and many other places while touring Detroit on my bicycle. Some are nothing more than senseless words, and others are insightful opinions, philosophical quotes or sayings. Several have stopped me in my tracks because of the accompanying graphic or length and subject matter of the written piece.

One in particular caught my attention as I passed under a railroad overpass near the city’s new center area. The black and white piece included an interesting, sad image of a downtrodden person that accompanied a scroll with about fifty words on it. Both were posted to the cement support. The simple but powerfully written piece of urban poetry complimented the image and both captivated and moved me.

I especially like the drawing of the defeated character. He or she appears to be totally at the mercy of the streets, out of touch with the surroundings, and beaten down from the daily drudgery of life. Based on the image, the character’s life also looks to be shackled into a repetitive, day after day mechanical routine, much like a Detroit automobile assembly line that never seems to end.

When reading the street poetry from the photograph below, note the capital letters and boldness that were used to stress the importance of what the author had written.

“Please pick up your weary head.

I know how the weight of this town can put an arch in your spine and I’ve spent far too long memorizing the cracks in the pavement.

There is far too much to see in this city and I can assure you that you’re not going to find any answers located beneath your step.

Today is for moving on.

Today is for finally feeling OK.

Take a walk with me.”

These are powerful words and an engaging image from an anonymous street poet and talented artist.

Art in Detroit Neighborhoods

Charlie Z — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:51:33 +0000

One of the cool things I like about riding my bicycle throughout Detroit’s neighborhoods is the outdoor art I see. I’ve seen alphabet blocks stacked in a way to spell out simple messages. I’ve also seen mounds of dirt and cement painted in vibrant, glowing colors. On Oakland Street north of East Grand Boulevard, I stumbled upon three brightly painted, orange metal sculptures of tall, lean figures in a field. They all carry poles that remind me of spears. The figures are placed as if they are walking across the field.

There are many other outdoor art installations I’ve spotted on my rides, including those that are constructed of throw-away materials such as bricks, old pieces of metal and wood. That type reminds me of urban folk-art. Others I’ve seen are well designed, sophisticated sculpture installations such as the one I recently saw in Detroit’s North End neighborhood.

That particular African looking sculpture is very similar to the three I saw and wrote about in February 2011. Like those, this one is quite similar in style, color, stature, etc. I would assume it was done by the same artist. However, this version is much more ornate and decorative. Unlike the others, this one is blowing a fugal horn (or something similar), carrying a brass colored bow with animal horns at the top, and it’s trimmed in various other metal pieces.

A few blocks away on Second Avenue, near the city’s Historic Boston-Edison neighborhood, there is a series of six urban folk-art sculptures. The pieces are constructed of discarded plastic children’s toys, laundry baskets, flip-flops, orange plastic fencing, yellow construction hats, discarded auto parts and many other plastic items we all see in our daily travels and generally take for granted. Each of the six pieces is color coordinated, and they stand independently of each other. The interesting sculptures add color and interest to an otherwise unassuming, overgrown field near the street corner where they are located.

Over in the North Corktown neighborhood is a bicycle sculpture that runs the length of a sidewalk. It is made of 10 bikes, all aligned single file as if they are following each other. However these bikes start off in one piece as they move forward from one to the next, each slowly deteriorates, as if they have been hit by a car or something. All of the bikes in the sculpture piece are monochromatic silver and all look to be ordinary road bikes that have been reclaimed for the installation.

Over at the Grand River Creative Corridor, amid a hotbed of graffiti and colorful wall murals, stands a white horse. It’s a simple, beautifully proportioned white horse made of plywood. It’s called “Of Course, Of Course.” Sitting atop the horse is a nude female rider, and that makes me wonder if this piece may have been be modeled after Lady Godiva. The unassuming, simple piece looks at ease in the tall grass field where it stands.

Hanging Scarecrows in Detroit

Charlie Z — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:32:47 +0000

On Woodward Avenue near McNichols Road in Detroit there is an older two-story apartment, or maybe a former hotel, that has fallen into disrepair. Many of the windows are boarded, and most of the doors are either gone or open to trespassers. The second level of the compact place has a balcony that spans the length of the building, a perfect spot for those who once lived there to sit and watch the traffic roll by on Woodward Avenue. It’s obvious the place has not been in use for quite some time.

In spite of the rundown condition of the building, there has been some unusual activity at the old place. Not the normal things one might expect to see at a derelict building, such as securing it, rehabbing it, or preparing it for demolition. Strangely enough, someone has mounted four scarecrow-looking people along the railing of the second story outdoor patio. The four of them all have the same clownish looking face, but each is uniquely dressed in bright colorful clothes.

The four characters are drooped over the railings in a hangman fashion. Although all have the same smiling clown face and are dressed differently, everything about them seems to say sadness and loneliness. It’s as if they are hanging their heads in shame. Looking at them, I couldn’t help but think of the characters found in the horror movie, “Night of the Living Dead” or other cultish B films.

Kind of creepy looking characters

Detroit City Couches

Charlie Z — Wed, 29 May 2013 11:34:07 +0000

A while ago I wrote a blog entry on the abandoned boats I see on my bicycle travels across Detroit. They seemed to be discarded everywhere I rode. I’ve seen them in large overgrown fields, in abandoned factories, along eastside streets close to the Detroit River, and within small, fenced-off neglected city parks. Although I still see them on my rides, fortunately, I see fewer of them than I once had. Unfortunately, trashed couches have replaced the cast off boats.

Like the boats I saw in the past, the couches can be found just about everywhere I ride in this city: along neighborhood streets, in secluded parking lots, abandoned garages, and like the boats, stuffed into vacant factories. It seems the couches are more widespread than the abandoned boats. I would assume that’s the case because they are smaller and easier to dump from the trunk of a car or from a small pick-up truck, unlike the watercraft, which usually requires a trailer to transport.

Abandoned couches seem to be everywhere

Cushions are all that’s needed

Many of the couches look to be in relatively good shape, perfect for those looking for an accent piece for their living room. They come in a variety of styles, colors, and fabric finishes, including leather. Some have matching love seats and in some cases they come with custom graffiti messages! Perfect for folks interested in a true urban look for their home.

This one was in pretty good shape

This beauty has a nice urban look

Contemporary style with vintage windows, perfect for the great room

If you’re lucky, you may spot someone illegally unloading one of the overstuffed beauties in a field or parking lot. If asked nicely, they may deliver the couch they are about to dump directly to your home. Of course they might impose a small delivery charge. Their fee will help defray the huge fine they will be paying when they get caught trashing the city, which I hope will happen soon.

A relaxing view of the wall

A message to illegal dumpers

Fading Wall Signs – Part 3

Charlie Z — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:30:23 +0000

As I’ve written in past blog entries on Detroit’s fading wall signs, many of the city’s old brick structures and other weathered buildings have some incredibly designed wall signs. Many that I’ve spotted while on my bicycle rides look as if they were hand-painted on the sides of buildings sometime in the 1920’s or 30’s. A few look a bit older, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were painted on the brick walls sometime in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s.

Check out the swinging doors

It’s remarkable that they have survived decades and are generally readable despite our somewhat harsh climate. Some of the most interesting wall signs feature fascinating, pastel colored illustrations and decorative letter fonts that one would find in a 100-year-old book or in an old yellowed magazine found in an antique store. Others I’ve seen are simple in design, with nothing more than block letters that advertise a manufacturing company, a specific service, or basic household goods.

Probably a real eye catcher when it was painted

A small illustration might have been below the curve of the letters

Detroit has plenty of older brick buildings that feature the vintage signs. In many cases, they have been hidden for years on the sides of the older buildings because other structures have been constructed next to them, blocking their view. Once the neighboring buildings were torn down, the classic old signs have been exposed.

This beauty was probably painted around 1920 or so

As time moves on and the city evolves, many of the old buildings where the signs can be found will be torn down. The fading signs on the sides of buildings that survive the wrecking ball will eventually deteriorate due to the weather and other factors. Unfortunately, they too will slowly fade into the brick they were painted on and be lost forever.

Note how the flow of the letter sizes work together to create the message

This sign could have been illuminated at one time

This is the third of an occasional blog entry on Detroit’s fading wall signs. To read the earlier entries, click on the headlines below.

Fading Wall Signs

Fading Wall Signs – Part 2