Thickair Blog

Here in Panama, the litter and trash problem is unreal. Rivers, mountainsides and any roadside ditch is filled with plastic bottles, juice boxes and millions of these colored plastic bags. Every time you buy anything at a store they double bag your item in these very inexpensive, blue, red or yellow baggies. I have been thinking of different ways to re-use these bags, and create a piece of art with them. My original idea was to attach millions of them together and make a Christo-esque installation piece. Instead I thought it would be a fun idea to make a kite with it. Here they don’t sell wooden dowels (except for in Panama City), so I thought I could use bamboo instead. I drove up the mountain looking for a good grove that had some slender bamboos. I found a dilapidated turqouise house with huge bamboo groves behind it. I stood outside for a long time, and an old man yelled down ‘buenas’ as he looked to find himself a shirt to wear. After dressing, he walked down to meet me and I explained to him that I was looking for bamboo. He had the boy get him a machete and we went hiking into the groves, asking me to tell him exactly what size I wanted. I showed him the slender 1/2″ dia reeds. He told me to wait in the shade and he went through and cut me several bamboos. He talked and talked to me telling me all about his life living there and working the chicken farm. As I sat there, I realized that I would never go up to anyone in the US and ask them if I could have some of their bamboo. People are incredibly inviting and welcoming here. I took my bamboo home and started making the material for the kite. I ironed together plastic bags to make the sails. In all it took about 5 hours to complete, looking fairly sad. The bamboo supports are not perfectly straight, so it gives the structure a little curve, and the sails look like garbage, because that’s what they are. In my first flight attempt, the sail tore down the side. I guess maybe I should go back to the christo idea.

I have yet to take the bus here in Panama and I recently got my chance. I went down the mountain to visit my friend at the beach and decided to stay over and come home the next day via the bus. I stayed nearly all day, and decided to leave around dusk. I got to the stop, crowded with school kids, I stood waiting amongst them. A somewhat drunk fellow asked me where I was going and I said ‘El Valle’. He laughed a sarcastic laugh and said something to the effect that there was only one or two buses. The normal buses are called ‘coasters’ and probably seat up to 50 people. There is a smaller bus that is more like a van. All of the other city destination buses pulled in and were the coaster size, gaining only two or three passengers each. When the ‘van-like’ El Valle bus appeared, the entire crowd of school kids ran, pushed and shoved their way into the bus. I just stood there watching the whole scene. They packed themselves in, one on top of the other to the point that the sliding door could barely shut. Me, with my backpack, and a lady with her bags full of crafts to sell at the market just stood there. At one point I asked one of the boys when another one would come, and he just shrugged and said ‘PANAMA!’ Like he and I both knew that it was entirely unpredictable. The bus took off and she and I just stood there watching it go, me thinking of how I might flag a gringo down to give me a ride. Just then they stopped and the money-taker guy jumped out and said are you going to El Valle? And we both looked at each other then at him and said ‘SI’. He said “We’ve got room!!” I helped her with her bags, and we walked toward it. They made the school girls that sat in front, sit on each others laps, straddling the gear shifter (so she had to lift herself up everytime he shifted) and sat the lady down first, while I sat between her legs. I tried to count how many people were in there, but it was hard to see, being dark and so totally packed. This was not safe. However, as we went up the mountain people slowly started to get out and gained a little reprieve where I was able to sit in the back. The interesting thing, is that there was another El Valle bus that had stopped to get a soda with no passengers. From the reaction of the students and response from the kid I spoke to, this must be a daily occurance. And no one seems to question the safety or recklessness of the event. ITS PANAMA! Oh well, it was a pretty harmless and funny adventure.

(Design) I am working on a renovation design and the clients are down to earth, yet somewhat spiritual people. They are attracted to Asian design and want that tropical asian influence represented in the design. They also want a swimming pool and garden space off the back terrace, and as I played with shapes and designs I started thinking about how geometry is not only shapes but a visual code.  Originally I wanted the design to be super simple and stream line, so it was simply a square shaped pool. But the ideas of the reason for the pool kept talking to me. The water represents relaxation and serenity. There are languages that use graphic symbols to represent ideas, and I think that as we move more and more into a graphic-inundated world through the internet, the idea of graphic-based explanation of ideas is more present than ever. I looked on-line to find a ‘graphic or geometric symbol’ that represents this idea. I didn’t find any that really could work as an elegant shape for a swimming pool. But this is my design challenge. To create a geometric combination of shapes that represents one single idea.

(Architecture) I had a construction manager tell me once that I needed to make my architectural details so totally clear that the notations calling out materials are irrelevant. His point was that many of the builders either could not read English or would not take the time to read them. Being young and impassioned, I felt that he was being racist and not giving the workers any credit. The more construction experience I gained the more I understood what he meant.  It is true that the detail needs to be as straightforward visually as possible, because it becomes the representation, visual information of how the detail will actually get constructed. Many times we drafters assume that the builders read the detail with as much care as we take to draw them. Not the case. They give the detail a quick walk through and if it is missing information or one little line that could represent a material ‘beyond’ or ‘in-between’ is a critical mistake on the drafters part. I learned the concept better as I built my house in Panama, where I did not share the native languauge of my builder (Spanish) and so I used sketches to communicate my ideas and wishes.

(Art) I think in the matter of Art, the artist is visualizing information and processing with visual matter and at the same time creating a new language. But here, the language is much more complex and rich, because with graphic information, it is a straight translation of a word or maybe a phrase. With works of art, we have novellas of ideas being expressed through color, line-work and form.  Often the idea is not reflective of the world or society, but that of the individual creating it. This is why Art is so subjective and hard for people to understand. The ‘meaning’ is stitched into the creation using a language either to be deciphered or not.

I have been told that Panamanians are leery and rarely invite people into their homes.  Distrust is endemic.  During the high winds our mandarina tree blew over and left a huge gap in the focal point behind the pond garden. We also have the exposed chain-link fence and are trying to coax our little plants to grow faster to create a screen. We wanted to add some banana trees there, because the foliage is full and it has the right structure for the space. Now bananas grow everywhere here, but no one really sells them as garden plants. I asked the nurseries and they just sort of laughed at us. So I asked our gardener, where I might buy one. He said, we have them…So in this way of figuring out how he was going to bring me banana trees on his bicycle, I offered to come get him in the car.

I first asked him to draw me a map of where he lives. He just looked at me blankly like he simply could not. I sometimes wonder if he can’t read. So he suggested that his next work day I would take him home so that I could learn the way. After leaving El Valle a litte inconspicous road that looks like the entrance to someone’s estate, a road leads beyond and over another mountain ridge through a rocky and steep road. Definitely 4×4 terrain. We drove for 20 minutes or so and after a point he told me where to stop. He said that he lived down in the valley. The road is on the dry ridge and his house is by the lush-lined river at the bottom. A narrow and steep hiking path has been made by forming the clay soil into steps. He put his bicycle on his shoulders and we hiked down.

The trees and the river created shade and a noticeable (probably 10 degrees) temperature difference. His house is the first one, surrounded by little gardens of roses, “lilis” (ammaryllis) and other plants he has obviously nursed from cuttings. The house was made of mud walls and a zinc roof. The design is a square with a notch for outdoor space where he had a rocking chair and a neat row of cactus plants. A deep trench was dug in line with the overhang of the roof to drain the water. The corners and walls were incredibly straight and flat, considering I imagine they had very little tools to make the homes. He gave me a very proud tour of his gardens and we walked across the bridge made of different sized rocks to the other side where his sister, brother and father live. There she too had a rose garden of many varieties and orchids. She stood on her front porch, curious to have me visit. It is clear they live alone there and rarely have visitors, let a lone gringa visitors.  We toured behind her house where there was a grove of banana trees of every variety. Sloping up the hill, the vegetable garden was tucked behind the ornamentals. A caged rabbit sat in front of her house and the chicken pen was to the opposite side. I got to choose my bananas and we sauntered back. He gave his sister the protruted pursed lip look that here is something guys do as a machismo thing to girls or other guys, sometimes as a joke but other times as a ‘woman do as I say’ kindof thing…She ran inside and came out with a huge plastic sack full of fat tomatoes. She gave them to me.  Sharing food is also a sort of tradition here. I always try to reciprocate.

I didn’t have a lot of time to really look at the houses. But I was amazed at the cleanliness, simplicity and ingenuity they had developed out of completely living with nature. I imagine it takes him 2 hours to get to our town every morning, and with such a narrow steep trail, it would be difficult to carry many materials there. We gave him some cyclone fencing, it was a huge roll, and we could barely move it to scootch it on the ground. I wonder how they got it home.  Perhaps one day he will let me visit again and I can describe in more detail the design and construction of the homes. I can say that it was clear they function very well for them, these solid little mud houses.

During the laborious construction of the roof structure for the vegetable garden, we realized that our plants will have a better built home than some people around here…. I guess we can’t get too guilt ridden about it, but it puts things in perspective for sure. Finally, this weekend we completed the structure and can now….PLANT PLANTS!! The rainy season is nearly upon us, so it will be a good test to see how able we are to grow things full year. My artichokes sprouted, but not much else, an asparagus did too, but one day with out multiple waterings it dried out. I was trying real hard to be recyclie and used old egg cartons for seed starters containters. They just dried up too fast, no matter if we watered them every hour…. The main staples we want to grow are just tomatoes, zucchinis, beans, lettuce, spinach and the like.

Americans have taken a heightened interest in vegetable gardening due to the recession and the price of organics. We didn’t call it whole paycheck for nothing. The cool take away, is that these veggie gardeners are hip on this idea of getting the whole country into it, and with our leadership (the Obamas) too. Similar to what Elenor Roosevelt did, starting victory garden to inspire the country. You can sign the petition to let the Obamas know you think its a cool idea here : kitchengardeners.org.

4\’33

I stumbled upon this the other day and was really intrigued by it. Its sort of ridiculous…..but it shows that we can be totally convinced that even nothing is really something.

Before the trip to Boulder at Christmas, I had been hunting for ‘COOL” coasters to buy stateside to bring back. However, without spending a fortune. The only thing that was sort of cool were these stainless steel coasters. I guess not quite cool enough, so I held off. A must stop for me in Boulder is my favorite bead shop Nomad Design on the East Pearl St. Mall. It was there that I found my cool coaster.

They had a basket full of them and a little sign that explained the artist and background. Made by a volunteer doctor who spent a lot of time in the tropics. By his experience there he understood the great need for a coaster (I’m telling you!!) and came up with this design of beading a coaster. I bought one thinking I could easily mimick the design and make a set for the house.

I wanted to modify the design so that it would be a free-floating design without being bound to the leather. After trying peyote stitch circle designs with both seed beads and big beads, and failing that attempt, I decided to give in and string a string of beads and stitch it to a backing. So far, the raw technique is working pretty well, it just needs some elegance and refinement now. With the design being so simple, the patterns, colors and shapes are sort of endless. I heart crafts…

I am currently reading Art as Experience by John Dewey. I picked it up a few years ago on one of my days whiling away at the Tattered Cover in Denver. I tried reading it before but it just wasn’t gelling. I am ready for it now.

He is saying that Art, the creation of, is something we all have capacity, inspiration for. That ART as we know it, the art-world rather, is putting certain art objects on a pedestal of greatness, saying that the artist has had some spiritual divination in the creation of. The world then makes these a commodity, object for sale, and thus the art becomes a product and object of incredible value in the market. He says that art is something that comes from our existence in the environment and our responses to it, they can be spiritual or emotional and these responses to nature, objects, colors and sensations, are just part of human existence.

Something like that anyway. As I read it, I am so convicted of its truth. As I myself create art, I often feel that I am not creating a piece to be sold or even shown, but a piece, a response to a moment in time or glimpse of emotion within nature that draws me in, wanting me to dissect and process through creation. The artist has his problems and thinks as he works. The only thing that really makes an artist an artist, is that we are particularly sensitive to these inspirations, and take action to make creations of them. We try to take what is known, an experience, a color, a technique, a material and create or invent an entirely new way of seeing or experiencing it.

This drawing was the first in which I started to have these ideas about my drawing. That I am not interested in representing realistically the object, image or experience, but express with the linework and color the emotion or vibration of the experience, space and create a new world or image, only inspired by the one that existed in reality or nature.

It was started after a hike to the water-break river in El Valle where the water that was once a lake broke through to the oceans.

headwaters

Maximo has dug by hand 20 inch depth of soil by a 4′ wide by 37′-0″ length. He is amazing, this is incredibly hard work. The original idea was that we were going to dig in 8-10″ of river rocks, sand and big chunks of old concrete to create a drain-tile effect under the garden beds for rainy season. However simultaneously we were going down the path of creating a temporary roof system to cover the plants during the rainy season. We asked ourselves, if we are covering it, why do we need to go to such herculean effort with the soil? We have revised our planning on the roof structure from a pvc-plastic temporary solution to a metal post and polycarbonate roofing permanent-solution. The bean trellis structure is going to be horizontal rails of copper wire attached to screws in the galvanized posts. The other raised beds are going to just be a mixture of tierra negra, existing soil, rice husks (the tropical solution for peat moss) and compost. Some of the seedlings have sprouted and are growing well. My rescued tomatoes have fruit and the arugula is almost ready for harvest!

We are going to have an herb garden along the path that winds to the side entrance as you access the garden from the house. I have basil, lemongrass and parsley growing well, and just purchased a funny little oregano plant from the market. We have seeds started for fennel, dill, cilantro, shiso, and purple basil. To see the progress on the vegetable garden see the new flickr set : Vegetales

Its pretty amazing to think that we went a whole year in Panama, building a house etc. with out injury. Or REAL injury I mean, the psycho-emotional injuries are another story.  I am especially amazed when I think of those days when we were emotionally charged with anger using the air hammer….not such a good combination. YIPES.

So I was working away on the vegetable garden trellis, drilling thousands of holes for the copper rails and at some point the slightest tiniest bit of metal flew into my eye. Little did I know it though. I went to bed thinking I had a stupid eyelash. The next morning I woke to thinking I had a ‘cold’ in my eye or something, still not realizing what it might be. Went to bed seeing now that there was a little speck of black metal in my eye. I went to our clinic here, and because it was saturday morning there wasn’t anyone there. We drove to the fancy new clinic in Coronado and they attempted to remove it with saline solution and a q-tip. Still no effect. By this time my eye was swollen and red and in a lot of pain. They said that I could wait until an opthamalogist could see me, and they would call me when they could talk with him. It was Saturday evening so the likely hood was getting slimmer. He said that my eye would eventually absorb the metal and that is probably what would happen. EEK.

After a few phone calls to some very good friends that understand Panama and know a lot of people, we had through this person talked with an opthamalogist and he said I shouldn’t wait and must have it removed immediately. There is only one doctor in Panama City at the Paitilla Hospital on call that could do it. So we made the 2 hour trip to Panama City to get it removed. The doctor quickly responded to the phone call, bringing his wife and daughter with him, attended to me in 5 minutes. He stuck the tip of a needle right in my eye to remove the metal.  It was amazing that such a miniscule object could cause so much pain. He told me that he does 5 or 6 of these procedures every week because construction workers refuse to wear eye protection.

That’s for sure. While building the house, Pedro who was the person good at cutting things with the ‘flexible’ - this is what they call it but is a disc grinder that they use for multiple uses - cutting, grinding, sawing etc. He never used eyeware and there were always sparks flying wild. In Panama there are no real enforcement of safety, wearing a hard hat is sort of a joke and boy you should see the ladders they use.