Walking around downtown Waxahachie, TX, this past weekend I came across this man finishing up his artwork for the day and I thought it was a good time to revive my series Out and About. Meet Kent Brewer and his artwork.
I told him that photographers were artists as well, but artists without the patience of painters. He seemed to enjoy that.
He has a website here, with artwork on display. He does impressionism really well. Check it out.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2022.
Originally run in February 2019.
These wonderful rock formations are done in Grenwelge Park on the Llano River, in Llano, TX. I’m sure there are some religious connotations to some of them. But the rest are just rocks on top of each other, which we can call “art.”
The Llano River busted its banks recently and I would love to drive back and see how many of these formations still remain. But then, that is probably the joy of it for those who take the time to stack the rocks. They know they can do it all over again. Kind of like the people who find fascination in building castles in the sand while at the beach. Only, the rock formations have a tendency to last longer.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons 2021.
I’m not sure that this piece of art has anything to do with the Death Star in the first (fourth) Star Wars movie, but it looks kind of like that. I guess I could have gotten closer to it and tried to figure it out, but I did make out a dolphin on it, and that was enough to confuse me. So I moved on after snapping a few shots. It was really cold and my hands were freezing. You decide: Star Wars Death Star or Crappy Art?
On our recent trip to Tennessee, we had to stay in a hotel on two separate occasions, choosing to stay in the same chain both times: Country Inn & Suites. The first time, in Cookeville, we really enjoyed the stay because the hotel was really nice. The second time, in Memphis, not so much. Memphis has a way of taking things that are nice, and spitting on them.
But what I noticed in both hotels was the stupid hotel art. It was the same in both hotels. What is worse is that it isn’t even good art. It’s two-dimensional, lacking contrast, or any creativity.
I will leave comments on each piece. But the long and the short of it is that these chains should take some time to think about what they are putting on the walls. There is so much good art out there, what is put forth below is inexcusable.
Comments on each piece below. One last thing: the word stupid in the title is appropriate. It can mean to act in a careless or unintelligent manner, and this is my usage of the word.
Reminds me of a virus. Flat. No real contrast or depth of field.
A close up of colorful rocks, but without contrast. Flat, with some depth of field. That is a good thing. Overall, a boring shot. Let me give you an example of something more fitting.
Who is designing this? Four, boring spheres in squares in a square. Did I say boring? This was nothing more than an attempt to put something, anything at all, on the wall at cheap price, in order to make the residents think they were in a nice hotel. Fail.
I think my shot of this bad art is far better than the bad art itself.
More of the same.
May the chains actually employ real artists and photographers for their hotels. Just for the record, Hampton Inns do use photographs for the area of each hotel, so their art is unique for each hotel.
I wanted to do a follow-up shot on this work this week, but Mr. Buscemi told me that it was packed up for state competition. He has more than 20 students going to the state finals for their work. But that is nothing. A few years ago, his students set the record with 39 works going to the state finals. I hope you can see why.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2020.
Another in the series. The portrait makes me think of summer at the beach.
The eyes follow you. That is what I first noticed about Rohan’s artwork. No matter where I stood, the eyes of the child were looking right at me. I told him he did a fantastic job on the little girl’s eyes. He replied, “that’s not a little girl. That’s me.”
It didn’t matter that I made the mistake. He knew that I really appreciated his work. I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished.
