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June 15, 2013 by tomdalzell

Major Quirky #9: Beach Detritus Art @ 1118 Colusa

 

This is a hard one to explain, befitting number nine of anything.

Let’s start with the word detritus.  The source of all answers, the OED, defines detritus as “waste or disintegrated material of any kind; debris.”  Fair enough.

Picture thousands of small pieces of beach detritus assembled into whimsical sculptures.  The yard makes Dr. Seuss look tame.

images

The artist is Mark Olivier.  His amp goes up to 11.

Mark Olivier with Samurai

Mark Olivier with Samurai

Mark Olivier in Studio

Mark Olivier in Studio

His work and influence spill into the neighborhood, several houses north and across the street. Read about him and look at his website, yes, but drive or walk by.  And stop.  And look.  Amazing.

Olivier is always adding, and so return visits have some element of novelty.  It is a natural candidate for the Seven Quirky Wonders of Berkeley, and a good drive-by for out-of-town visitors.  Beach trash.  Beach art.  Beach Boys.  Beach bums.  See it.  Marvel.

 Cathy 1

Cathy 2

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

IMG_2624

Sky King

Quirky BerkeleyIMG_2620

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Cathy 5

Cathy 10

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Cathy 3 Cathy 4

 


Quirky Berkeley Quirky Berkeley Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley Quirky Berkeley Quirky Berkeley Quirky Berkeley Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley

Quirky Berkeley 09-14-2016

Quirky Berkeley 09-14-2016

I have more photographs, a surfeit of riches.  But these give the flavor.  What brilliant quirk, what quirky brilliance.  It would have been enough.  Dayenu.

דַּיֵּנוּ

Davenu

 But there is more.  On the lawns of Olivier’s neighbors:

1114 Colusa

1114 Colusa

1121 Colusa

1121 Colusa

1106 Colusa

1106 Colusa

1106 Colusa

1106 Colusa

1132 Colusa

1132 Colusa

1032 Colusa

1032 Colusa

Sweet Babu the elephant has left Colusa since these photos were taken.  She is now on Stannage, in front of the home of Severin Oliver.

1428 Stannage

1428 Stannage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best in Show now lives in the window of McGuire Real Estate on College just south of Ashby.

2991 College

2991 College

McGuire’s window was also the showroom for the shoe.

Quirky Berkeley 11-11-2015

It now lives in Oakland at the home of Arlene Mayerson and Allan Tinker.

Dick Wezelman bought this face for his wife Beany’s 70th birthday.

Quirky Berkeley 11-10-2015

It hangs near the African mud hut in their back yard.

Bruce Dodd’s daughter Kate bought him this Olivier piece, named “American bristle bison.”

Olivier at Dodd

It sits in Dodd’s garden below the giant orange.  I took this photo at the book launch party there on August 5th – Olivier on the left, Dodd on the right.

And the Winged Victory of Samothrace, modeled after a 2nd century BC marble statue in the Louvre, has moved a few blocks to the home of Phyllis Rothman.

1759 Madera

1759 Madera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1338 Albina. Photo: Colleen Neff

1338 Albina. Photo: Colleen Neff

A metal piece by Oivier on Albina.

And then there is the surfing Ninja Turtle around the corner made with a wheelbarrow for the turtle’s shell but that will have to wait for another day.  Berkeley is much quirkier and much better for Mark Olivier’s creative quirk.  Can’t argue with my friend –

IMG_3677

 

Here you will find photos of the oddball, whimsical, eccentric, and the near-rhyme quirky material culture of Berkeley.
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