I went to Ocean Beach the other day and discovered this. You can’t tell from the pic, but the waves were ginormous that day, I swear!

Seeing this reminded me of my favorite outdoorsy, acid-trippy joint, the Albany Bulb. Originally a landfill, this place is a maze of trash art, graffiti, and architecture… like a library and a castle. Plus birds, fishies, old folks walking their dogs, and Jimbow the Hobow (who runs the library). The entire thing is actually very peaceful, in a chaotic sorta way… Nevertheless, a lot of the artwork has been dismantled throughout the years in favor of turning the area into a park.

The photos range from 2007 to 2009.

That’s my friend Mei, kickin it with the wailing lady.

My favorite.

Fisherman, fish and doggie.

The painters.

Calm and contemplative.

Lately it’s been hella rainy.

This has gotten me thinking about water in general and the ocean in particular. I have enormous respect for it. It’s the most terrifying and humbling presence in my life… for several reasons which I will list.

1. I live 3 blocks from it and I’m a terrible swimmer
2. The recent tsunamis/typhoons that wiped out so many lives and livelihoods in the Asia Pacific.
3. That very real possibility of entire countries being swallowed up by it.
4. There’s a worldwide drinking water shortage and the ocean is the only growing body of water… yet drinking from it will kill you. Ah the terrible irony.

But I’m not even trying to be a downer. Cos as much as the ocean can destroy, it creates. Think about how much life there is down there that we haven’t even begun to grasp. We try though, and I always enjoy people who try.

So this post is dedicated to the ocean and the artwork it inspires.

The pics above and below are from Mexico’s Underwater Museum, lifted from the UK Telegraph. According to the BBC, the museum is intended to raise environmental awareness by serving as an artificial reef. Apparently tourists were trampling on and destroying the real coral reef.

Shots from The Life Aquatic, directed by Wes Anderson. The scenery and animation are fantastic… the film itself is highly mediocre. In fact I’m only a fan cos I secretly dream of living at sea. But I digress.

This is one of my favorite things to witness at Ocean Beach: older Asian men, fishing in rubber pants. It’s calming and reminds me of my dad, who also happens to fish. Photo minus said older Asian man.

Isle of the Dead, made in 1883 by Swiss artist Arnold Böcklin. From Wikipedia:

Böcklin himself provided no public explanation as to the meaning of the painting, though he did describe it as “a dream picture: it must produce such a stillness that one would be awed by a knock on the door.”

Art is by Christopher De Leon, from the Tabi Tabi Po Po exhibit at 1AM SF. The show is an art benefit for victims of Typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng, and features the work of Filipino artists from the Bay to Norway to the motherland. I fell in love with this guy’s work and felt compelled to share. He also happens to be good at making really cool stuff out of burnt wood. Not jealous at all.

Above is a corner mural, and below is an aptly titled piece, Giant in the Mental.

A nice lady gave me some background to the show, which I promptly forgot but have since recovered thanks to the gallery blog:

Tabi Tabi Po (pronounced Ta-bee Ta-bee Poe) refers to Filipino superstitions- particularly when someone is entering a locale where ghosts and goblins may be living. It is a way of saying “excuse me” or “pardon me” when entering or passing a territory where these creatures inhabit for fear there will be unforgiving consequences if the creatures are not acknowledged or given respect. It can also be translated as “move to the side, sir”.

And finally, a fun animated trailer to the exhibit, which is going on through December 12th.