When writing a post title, I try to think of something witty, or at least punny while also being succinct. Alas, I couldn’t think of how to encapsulate this post with anything pithy. Maybe, my difficulty stems from the fact that I’m writing this with an insomniac brain starting at 3:30am. But I’m going to console myself with the idea that in the entirety of history of spoken language, the words Flamenco, Raccoon and Kitsch have almost certainly never been combined before in an attempt to communicate something.
I’ve noted a few times, that I enjoy yard Kitsch. (At least when it’s not one of my immediate neighbors.) So, here are a few more gems for the collection. Both of these adornments are found in the front yard of a single house: within a few feet of the road. I pass them semi-regularly on the way to a local park until finally, one day, pulled over to get a couple of quick photos to share with the world.
The first figure is probably 15 feet tall and evidently was created from the remains of a tree. As I’d drive by it at speed, I was always left with the impression of Jack Skellington, from the movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
It wasn’t until I started to examine the photo closely, that I started to perceive that this figure may be intended as some sort of Spanish Flamenco dancer due to the belt sash and Cordovan hat.
Looking closer, at the design and craftsmanship is interesting.
The arms were branches, I’d guess. But the arms and hands also seem to be covered in rubber cloth. So, the creator had to fashion sleeves, of just the right length and created little cuffs with buttons. The hands, or gloves, appear to be filled with some material that gives them a real roundness. I wonder how the glove hands are attached. – It probably wasn’t easy.
The head appears to be made out of plastic or metal and has been customized with a notch to fit neatly around the left arm. The eyes are black Xs. – Kind of an international indication of someone who is either dead or drunk.
The next shot reveals a background with the house and property . – All neatly manicured and in no way exceptional except for the these two giant, permanent figures in the front.
This second sculpture is about 12 feet tall and as far as I can figure, it’s a grey raccoon riding a bike. Let’s look at the details.
The figure also appears to have been carved from a giant tree, but as I examined the bottom of the figure, I started to have my doubts, at least about the base. I circled in red what appear to be pipes, and the eclipse at the bottom shows what appears to be a seam. These items and the odd textures made me question that this wasn’t some sort of artificial base. – I don’t know what to do with that information, but it adds a wrinkle to the story of its creation. Was there some functionality? Did the pipes in the front connect to the pipes sticking out of the ground? Perhaps a fountain at one time?
Stepping back a little, we can observe some interesting details ranging from giant novelty sized sunglasses, a black top hat, peace sign and a license plate on the front that reads, ‘United States Marine Veteran’. Taking up the rear of the bike is a flag. And, a recent addition is the Covid compliant face-mask.
Think about it all as one picture. – Some rural country-dweller who maintains all of their house and yard along cultural standards decided that these two giant statues would add value in their front yard. They spent considerable time making them by chisel or chainsaw or plaster-cast. The got cloth and buttons and fashioned clothes and a mask. They formed hats and heads and painted them. The got a large bike, cut out the midsection and then figured out how to attach it so as to create the illusion that the giant raccoon was astride the bike. Then the creator put on a giant pair of sunglasses; added a peace-symbol to their Veteran American Marine raccoon, and then stuck a flag onto the back of the bike. Finally, after how many days or weeks of work, they stood back, arms folded and nodded approvingly at their handicraft and said to themselves. There! That is what was needed! They then went back into the house and turned on a gameshow.
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