Author Archive
September 24, 2016 by tomdalzell
Murals: Minus Some, Plus Some
Murals come and murals go. This temporary construction mural in front of daliel’s bookstore at 2466 Telegraph (at Haste) in 1946 shows us what a temporary construction mural should look like. It was painted by Bezalel Schatz in 1946 Schtaz was an Israeli artist, son of Boris Schatz, who was the founder of the Bezalel School of Arts […]
September 17, 2016 by tomdalzell
Ken Stein’s Souvenir Spoons
Look at these Berkeley souvenir spoons! Souvenir spoons convey a memory of a place or event, or serve as a travel trophy – I was there! They can be made from sterling silver, nickel, or steel. Most of the spoons shown here are sterling and most date from the 1890s through the 1910s. I met […]
September 10, 2016 by tomdalzell
Eni Green / Harper Street / Doxies
This is the most prominent piece of art at Eni Green’s house at 3026 Harper Street that is visible from the street A large Doggie Diner head with the DD chef’s hat and a bow tie overlooks the gate and the yard, a reminder of the glory that was the small Bay Area fast food […]
September 5, 2016 by tomdalzell
Duane Flatmo’s Kinetic Sculpture in Eureka
It is Labor Day – a holiday – and time for another Quirky Berkeley field trip. I was in Eureka for work. In a free moment I went to meet Duane Flatmo. I did not see what is depicted above as it is depicted there. These are not my photographs. But it is the […]
September 5, 2016 by tomdalzell
Romano Gabriel: Old School Eureka Quirk
Romano Gabriel was an Italian-born carpenter and gardener who lived in Eureka from just after World War I until his death in 1977. For 30 years he constructed a magical folk art garden in front of and around his Eureka home on Pine Street. After Gabriel died, the Eureka Heritage Society gathered and preserved much of […]
September 3, 2016 by tomdalzell
The Murals of Cloyne Court -Part I – First Floor
Holy mackerel! When we visited Kingman Hall on graduation weekend 2016 and photographed the murals there, we were told that Cloyne’s murals were to-be-seen-amazing. We visited Cloyne (2600 Ridge) and spent an hour just on the first floor. And – learned that all the housing coops have murals. Lots of visits to make! Lots of […]
August 27, 2016 by tomdalzell
Doors
Of course I know that I did a post about painted doors a few years ago. But: my style has changed significantly. My productions values have changed greatly. I have more photos. I have a broader vision. I occasionally break my own rules. So let’s just forget about what has come before and focus […]
August 21, 2016 by tomdalzell
Darwin the Retrieving Cat
Yes. This is a stuntish post. Featured is material culture – scraps of trash from the streets and alleys and yards of Berkeley. They look like what one sees in Found Magazine. The stunt: brought home by Darwin the Retrieving Cat of Berkeley. The artist: His spokesperson, who groks Quirky Berkeley as well as […]
August 19, 2016 by tomdalzell
Holiday Field Trip to West Oakland: The Genius That Was John Abduljaami
Our Martin Luther King Jr. holiday field trip is to west Oakland. It is a thinly veiled salute to the art of the late John Abduljaami. Abduljaami was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in 1941. He quit high school and did a hitch in the Navy, working as a jet mechanic. After the Navy he […]
August 14, 2016 by tomdalzell