Running down the road trying to loosen our load we made it to Amarillo, Texas and gave a quick glance at half dozen cars parked along an empty field. Zooming by at 70 mph, Stephen noticed that people were walking from their cars to a series of Cadillacs planted head first in the ground. The vertical column of colorful cars is Cadillac Ranch.
We immediately pulled off the road, chucked a U-ee (Stephen's favorite American term) and joined the crowd. Families of all ages, shapes and sizes were parking their cars and trekking out to explore the sculptural installation. The Cadillacs are covered in spray, proclamations of love from Wendy & James, Ben and Linda, Matt and Marlene (just checking to see if you are reading closely) Just when I needed a Hearts in San Francisco bumper sticker I didn't have one.
We wandered around the cars and photographed them from various angles. I managed to get some hip shots of folks trying to make sense of this unusual sight. Free art? Is it art? Why aren’t they charging? Whose idea is this? Hey we coulda driven our motorcycles up the path.
What I appreciate most is that the art is accessible, touchable, climbable and changeable. There are no white walls, controlled lighting, lines of tape on the floor keeping you away, or guards to intimidate you. Frankly, I glaze over in the traditional arts environments. My way of enjoying works of art is interactive. Maybe I am not alone.
