Three months ago, Sally Marbry conceived the idea to transform a utilitarian electrical box in front of the Greyhound station in downtown Redding into a piece of public art. The 18-part “Art and Life at the Greyhound Sation” series is a chronicle of her work and her observations of life on the corner of Pine and Butte. This is Part 1 of 4 of her final thoughts.
The Beat Goes On
August 27 Two nice leather bags on the trunk and a woman paces on her cell phone. After the ritual of shooing and sweeping, I settle down in the curb and detail a Cairo label. Indian Joe talks of visiting Tripoli, learning Hebrew phrases and deciphering hieroglyphics.
The Barber comes by holding a golf club with a hilarious head cover. It is a stuffed gopher eating a golf ball. Sort of a “Caddy Shack” affair. He doesn’t even mention the club but talks about how I fool his customers now that the box is looking so very real. One camouflage to another.
A handyman stops by and showers praise. He is also a fine wood craftsman and tells of mangling the end of his thumb. We talk of no insurance.
Dave stops for a minute to describe the squeaking noise the go-karts make underneath Need to Speed’s underground parking lot. I mention the high whining pitch that my refrigerator is making.
The woman still yaps on her cell.
Later, a woman drops by and says that she has never been in the Mall. I point to the Mall and say “what’s keeping you?” Another woman struts by with a dog but does not pause to look. The dog looks, though. He must be male.
I glance up and see a customer exit the barber shop. He proudly holds the golf ball-eating gopher club cover and yells a compliment. I squeak a “thanks.”
A bus leaves. It becomes quiet. I struggle with the new label graphic and mumble to myself. Indian Joe reassures me that I will be all right. He says I should put Santa Claus on the trunk as Santa has traveled everywhere and he makes people happy. Why not?
Click here to find all the Greyhound Chronicles.
Sally Marbry has shared her fine art, ceramics and sculpture skills as a teacher, product designer and interior designer. For the past year, Sally has been the host and writer of “Home Zone,” weekly on KLXR. She also chairs Viva Downtown Redding’s Design Committee, which spearheaded the public art and street beautification project. Reach Sally at Earth2Sal@charter.net.
