DP Theme Day: Graffiti Or Street Mural

For today's theme day I kind of went out of bounds -- city bounds, that is -- to get the photo. It was taken in nearby Salem, and I thought it not only appropriate for the theme day, but it's also a nice way to wrap up my little tour of Salem (see my previous six posts for more). I had already posted photos of pretty much all the public artwork here in Stayton, and we don't get much in the way of graffiti.

Frankly, this mural is awesome. It lives on the back of the historic Elsinore Theater, and it's one of the things I think of when I think of Salem.

From left to right, the figures in the mural are Charlie Chaplin (and a pooch), Theda Bara as Cleopatra, Marlene Dietrich, and WC Fields. It was painted in 1984 by James Mattingly, who was an art professor at what is now Western Oregon University (at the time it was Western Oregon State College). It was paid for by sponsorships and donations.

It must have been quite an undertaking to paint a mural of that scale. I wish I could have taken a photo of it straight on, but there is part of a bank in the way. Silly bank.

I also took some detail shots of the mural... click on the thumbnails below to see bigger versions of the photos:

   

Many other city daily photo blogs are participating in today's theme day. Check 'em out below:

Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, Aliso Viejo (CA), USA by Rodney, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Cologne, Germany by April11, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Detroit (MI), USA by Taittems, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Evry, France by Olivier, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Jsaltao, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montréal, Canada by Douber, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by MumbaiIteanu, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK by Cassie & Chris, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Radonvilliers, France by Deslilas, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation by Lark, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Terre Haute (IN), USA by Zann, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Wrocław, Poland by Loompi, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,

From The Earth

A string of train cars were parked on the tracks which run alongside Locust St. yesterday. The cars had graffiti marked with a variety of dates and locations, like the one above. I think it's kinda cool I found this one two years to the day it was created, apparently in or around Minneapolis, Minnesota (visit two Minneapolis daily photo blogs -- Minneapolis Daily Photo and Dusty Lens).

Click here for more of my photos of the train cars.

The Wall

Today's the first day of school in Stayton... which has suddenly made me realize I graduated from high school 15 years ago and I am officially old. Anyway, the photo above is a portion of a mural wall surrounding a small amphitheater at Stayton Elementary School.

I featured another part of the mural in June of last year.

Fish

I spotted this carved fish alongside the road, and it inspired a poem:

A Fish Made Of Wood
By Celine Chamberlin

A fish made of wood
Wouldn't taste very good
Nor would it go down well

A fish made of wood
Doesn't swim as it should
At least, not that I can tell

A fish such as this
Is quite hard to miss
And its carving is quite nice

So I'd be remiss
If I didn't mention this fish
Just don't eat it with some rice

Notice I didn't say it was a good poem.

Just A Boy And His Pumpkins

I spotted this artwork on the side of a small portable (I think) building on 4th Ave. I don't know what it is or was used for... perhaps a pumpkin patch. Dunno.

If you'll notice, the boy has his hands behind his back. What is he hiding? Does he have some pumpkin seeds he's just waiting to pop in his mouth and spit at unsuspecting passers by? Is he hiding a potential lack of hands due to insufficient drawing skills on the part of the artist? Oh, the possibilities.

Carved in wood

Continuing yesterday's theme of "what doesn't belong here" (I just made that up, so don't feel you missed anything), today's photo is of a face carved in the Stayton-Jordan covered bridge at Pioneer Park in Stayton.

It's unfortunate the person who carved it chose to deface the bridge in such a way. It's especially unfortunate because the person in question seems to have artistic talent. Unlike graffiti, this can't be painted over, since it's carved in the wood of the structure.

But, it is what it is, and it makes for an interesting picture. I apologize for not getting better perspective on it, but I would have had to climb onto the side part of the bridge to get to it. I probably would've tumbled into the water if I'd tried.

Technorati tags: wood carving / pioneer park / stayton / willamette valley / oregon / daily photo / photoblog

Post office art

Sometimes I'm about as observant as a horse with blinders on. I tend see what's directly in front of me, and often miss what else is going on. It's one of the reasons I took up photography -- so I would "force" myself to see more of life.

So it was the other day that I went to the post office in Stayton and saw the artwork above, which is painted on the front window of the building. I have no idea how long it's been there. I can't remember seeing it before, but that means nothing. It could be new, or it could have been there for years. If I hadn't parked right next to it, I doubt I would have noticed it this time. I'm glad I did, because it's kinda nifty.

This is the same post office with the Oregon, in a nutshell mural I posted earlier this month. It's funny I noticed one mural but not the other.

In other news, a big thank you goes to Marie McC at Best of Daily Photo for including two of the photos posted here in the last week. One is from a guest photographer, Mark in Hillsboro, for his country cemetery photo. The other is my bridge reflection photo. There are some great photos highlighted this week (and every other week), so it's an honor to be included.

A place of solitude

This statue sits in a small courtyard between the Immaculate Conception Church and the church's rectory on 6th Ave. in Stayton. Click on the thumbnail at right to see a close-up of the statue itself.

Oregon, in a nutshell

This mural lives on the side of the post office in Stayton, on the corner of 2nd Ave. and some other street (possibly E. Burnett St.). It does a good job encapsulating my state, complete with a smiley face sun, a giant mutant fish, and a logging truck which is apparently heading straight into a waterfall. ;)

Seriously, I like the mural. It says "Oregon" to me. Or it could be those voices inside my head. Either way, it's nice to see the artwork as I pass through downtown Stayton.

To be kind, to care... to believe

This is part of a mural on the elementary school grounds in Stayton. It's part of a small amphitheater, with the various parts of the mural covering the back.

In case you noticed the lack of diversity in the children on this part -- if you could see the whole wall, you'd see many types of kids represented. I chose this part of it to post because of the writing at the top.