How to Create an Ad Hoc Protest Organization

Remember when folks used to march against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? That was before we elected Obama, he increased the troop count, and somehow the whole anti-war movement seemed to just fade away. Back in the protest days I created my own little anti-war organization on a whim before I went to an anti-war rally in San Francisco. I designed the logo, ironed a printout onto cloth, and sewed it onto the back of a shirt. During the march, various women of a certain age came up to me to ask how they could join CAW. I had to tell them CAW didn't really exist, it was just something I made up.

What does all of this mean? The yuppies were right: it's all about marketing and branding, something the antiwar movement could benefit from right about now. Come to think of it, so could Obama.

The Little Shoes Now

Where are "All My Little Shoes" today? The edible ones were eaten or have long since rotted. The rest are ensconced in a vintage electric rotating watch display in the section of my apartment I call "Party Corner."

 

To see the little shoes, start with the "All My Little Shoes" introduction (click here), and follow the links from there to see the edible section, ephemera section, and etcetera section.

All My Little Shoes: Etcetera

Astroturf

Copper

Cork

Emery Cloth

Gold Mesh

Nylon Screen

Truck Tire Inner Tube

Sandpaper

Metal Screen

Sponge

For the back story/introduction to the All My Little Shoes project, click here. To see the edible shoes section of the project, click here. To see the ephemeral section of All My Little Shoes click here.

All My Little Shoes: Ephemera

Carbon Paper

Cigarette Pack Foil

Comedie Française Stamps

Dollar Bill

Aluminum Foil

Lottery Ticket

Newspaper

Sewing Pattern

Toilet Paper

Campbell's Soup Label

Wax Paper

For the back story/introduction to the All My Little Shoes project, click here. To see the edible shoes section of the project, click here. To see the final "etcetera" section click here.

All My Little Shoes: Edible

Bologna

Wonder Bread

Red Cabbage

Swiss Cheese

Lettuce

Tortilla

Corn husk

For the intro to All My Little Shoes, click here. To see ephemeral little shoes click here. To see the final "etcetera" section click here.

All My Little Shoes: Intro

The next few postings are creations I made for a little art book called "All My Little Shoes," an experiment in materials from gold mesh to meat.

Little shoe from one square of toilet paper

While viewing the little shoes, try humming "Put My Little Shoes Away," a traditional folk song recorded by the Everly Brothers. The lyrics are below, or you can listen to the Everly Brothers sing it by clicking here. Let it play in the background while you view the little shoes collection.

Mother dear come bathe my forehead,

for I'm growing very weak.

Mother, let one drop of water

fall upon my burning cheek.

I'm going away to leave you mother darling,

and remember what I say.

Do this won't you please dear mother,

put my little shoes away.

Tell my lovely little playmates

that I never more will play.

Give them all my toys but mother,

put my little shoes away.

To see edible shoe section click here. To see ephemeral shoe section, click here. To see the final "etcetera" section click here.

Evidence of Fairies

Fairy Daytime Frock

Magnolia Ball Gown

Fairy Party Dress

Fairy Play Romper

Fairy Sun Dress

Fairy Tea Dress

These may look familiar to some of you. They were previously posted in my Etsy shop, which is now closed since I have decided to return to my noncommercial roots. The frocks above were hand-fashioned from flower petals, with a heavy reliance on daffodils.

Curate Your Neighborhood: We're Here, We're Ginkgos, Get Used to It!

The idea of curating my own neighborhood started with this hate crime against a ginkgo tree.

Note graffito on sidewalk saying "This tree is a faggot."

I created a reader panel and attached it to the support posts of the tree. This is on a well-traveled foot route around Lake Merritt in Oakland, California.

Click on image to see larger readable version.

I printed the ginkgo leaves on the sign by painting a leaf with copper paint and then making simple leaf prints. I may continue to curate the neighborhood, including the underground stream that keeps valiently breaking through the pavement on a side street, the Ethiopian hugging tree, and more. 

Before There Were Bics: Tibetan Fire Starter

I bought this little leather pouch in Oakland from a Tibetan immigrant who told me that now that people have abandoned these traditional fire starters, the Himalayas are littered with used Bic lighters. I turned the pouch into a survival necklace with a piece of twine and a few old beads.

Metal blade on bottom is a striker.

Inside the pouch, a piece of flint and some fluffy lint.