VANISHING AUSTIN

Is Your Austin Vanishing?

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:07:00 +0000

Soon a bland corporate hotel chain revered the world over for its predictability will stand in place of this textural, colorfully cheeky block of individuality, replacing the contrasts of angles and styles and skies that exist now along Congress and 2nd. A corporate logo stamped on countless buildings will take the place of the gaudy vibrancy of Tesoros and the Joseph's mural and will cast its own lengthy shadows on the sparkling Frost Tower.

That's Austin, Vanishing.

What's next? Post your concerns for what's uniquely-Austin, yet poised for visual mediocrity--when you fear your favorite bit of Austin eye-candy is about to be overtaken by bland new development, comment here.

I've been photographing the visual derring-do that is Austin's homegrown architectural charm in my Vanishin g Au stin series since 2004. I've got 40 images to date, many juxtaposing the old against the new; and sadly, many more in the photography pipeline to go. Your thoughts about this series, and your suggestions for places you'd like to see honored in the series, are welcomed here.

Commentary on Cranes and Their Creations

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:58:00 +0000

The building cranes loom everywhere in Austin, giving us an unusual skyline these days. It's hard to avoid casting them as characters in my Vanishing Austin photographs. When the snake that graces the east side of Ranch 616 actually seemed to have a reaction to the cranes, that was an image that seemed to embody my concept for my photographic journey through Austin old and new. Its title: Vanishing Austin / Duelling Threats. (Though you gotta wonder who's winning.)

Sometimes it's the tall towers that seem to mock the scale of the architectural ambiance that thrives so far beneath them. Still, I'm rootin' for the little guy--like the Tiniest Bar in Texas. Whose owners say they're makin' a stand, right there amidst all the high-rise action on West 5th Street, in the shadow of the Monarch. Below, Vanishing Austin / Tiny Bar, Tall Tower.

In the Warehouse District, cranes reflect back in the existing high-rises (which are themselves being overtaken by the newer skyscrapers) and provide an artsy backdrop to an older block that still stands. Here's to a fight until the Bitter End (below, Vanishing Austin / Until the Bitter End).

What's Vanishing Next?

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:20:00 +0000

At a much-loved Austin coffee shop on West 6th Street in Clarksville, a young man behind the counter handed me my biscotti, looking on in astonishment at my Vanishing Austin series. "All these places are gone??" he asked, seeming a bit dumbfounded.

"No no no," I told him hastily. "This series of photographs is my take on what Austin stands to lose whenever a new high-rise condo overtakes the old-style artsy Austin buildings with all the charm and funk and personality that these have." (well, I said that more or less.)

He seemed relieved.

"But look," I pointed out. "Already this is gone. And this. This, too." We both looked longingly at the Alamo Drafthouse neon sign that once enlivened the Warehouse District (I called my image Remember the Alamo). And we contemplated the image I called Frisco Gold, where soon Walgreen's would stand in place of the Frisco-Nighthawk's vivid golden orange-roofed home on Burnet Road.

But his face lit up when he saw the one-of-a-kind mural that Marriott would soon raze--painted on the side of the building next to Las Manitas (Avenue Cafe) on Congress. "That Joseph's mural," he explained about the image I call Stylin' High, "I love seeing that mural because that's my name. Joseph."

We both considered this loss solemnly.

He promised to visit my Vanishing Austin blog and post a comment.

What Would Johnny Say?

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:06:00 +0000

That's one Mean-Eyed Cat .

The signs of progress are overtaking the humble little bar on West 5th Street--witness the yellow-clad condo rising in a wink to the bar's star and the explicit spelling of M E A N that dances across its front facade.

I've been photographing the Mean-Eyed Cat ever since I discovered it, about the time it opened, not long after I moved to Austin (as quick as I could). My image, above, Mean Cat Meets Condo is my nod to Johnny Cash (whose song, Mean-Eyed Cat, inspired the bar's name, theme, just about everything except its former chainsaw-repair-shop roots). The environment that once let the dive bar with a lot of local color be just that, a funky dive bar at the end of the tracks, now mimics the song's lyrics "Dear John, honey, baby, I'm long gone."

It might have ended up worse. CMT.com reports that owner Dave Marsh fought the developers who'd planned to raze the building and replace it with condos; once historic designation was finalized, development was planned to work around the Mean-Eyed Cat rather than replace it. Hence, the startling proximity of new v. old, a modern condo that's bound to end up all sleek and hip, in contrast to the once-condemned chainsaw-repair shed that turns out to have some history, after all.

I guess Johnny would be pleased. I know I am, that local color and new development managed to peacefully co-exist.

Movin' On--Carefully

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:23:00 +0000

Vanishing Austin/Movin' On by Jann Alexander, AustinDetails.com

How do you move a neon sign? Especially one that's achieved icon status in Austin?

As it turns out, very carefully.

When the Night Hawk Frisco Shop moved from its original Austin location at Burnet Road and Koenig Lane to new digs a bit south on Burnet Road, of course its original neon had to go along. Above, the crew proudly displays the sign moments after removing it from the distinctive gold stucco home it had known for a half-century.

Austinites love to love the Frisco, and luckily for them, the restaurant's original service, many of the original staff and now the original neon survive in the new location, even if the original menu does not. The funky little gold building, replaced by Walgreen's, may not remain, but the Frisco's motto, "There's nothing accidental about quality," is still practiced daily by a loyal staff and appreciated by an even more loyal clientele.

Vanishing Austin/Movin' On copyright Jann Alexander 2008.

Finally, Overtaken

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:37:00 +0000

Vanishing Austin/Overtaken

More than a year before a corporate giant’s expansion plans doomed Las Manitas, I enjoyed my first breakfast there amid the late Saturday morning hub-bub and was greeted as warmly as a regular by Cynthia Perez, one of two sisters who’ve owned the Congress Avenue café for over 25 years. She took note of my bandaged thumb, offering some homespun wisdom to aid its recovery from the car-door-slamming that had it throbbing that day, and suddenly lessened my focus on the pain with the unexpected comfort she gave.

Maybe that’s why the left-over neon of the old Avenue Café sign, vivid blue and framed against the turquoise of a new landmark building, the Frost Bank tower, caught me so suddenly when I left Las Manitas that day; the image was so clear. Old and new both embracing a cyan Austin sky. That’s when I made the photograph that would inspire my Vanishing Austin series and set me searching for more of Austin’s architectural funk before it bows to development. The little café that would become the icon for keeping Austin weird in another year had just become my icon for Vanishing Austin.

Las Manitas Closes Its Doors-Sept. 3, 2008

Truly in a Hue of Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:22:00 +0000

Vanishing Austin / True Blues , at right, is an homage to the art of tatoo in blue, and one of five prints included in the upcoming group exhibit Singing the Blues: Art in One Hue. A unique show featuring the work of seven Austin artists, sculptors, painters and photographers (including my own) all working in a hue of blue, the opening party is Thursday, October 23 from 6-9pm with live blues to put the mood in the show's theme. Drop in to the new Gallery at AMPLIFY, 2608 Brockton Drive (one block North of Burnet and Braker) for the party and enjoy the show, some wine, some food, tatoo'd or not. Wearing blue: optional.

Singing the Blues: Art in One Hue is on exhibit in the Gallery at AMPLIFY from October 20-January 17, 2009

Vanishing Austin / True Blues, © 2006 by Jann Alexander, AustinDetails.com

Going, Going, Gone? But Not Forgotten.

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:37:00 +0000

Some still stand, some are gone, and with luck, some may never go.

The Endangered Species of Austin poster, a 24 x 36" signed custom print, reflects what we love to love about Austin. It's available for holiday delivery by special order--for more information, email AustinDetails@mac.com.

Stop by my booth at the Holiday Art Festival at AMoA-Laguna Gloria on Saturday & Sunday, December 6-7 from 10 am-5 pm to see the Endangered Species of Austin poster and the entire Vanishing Austin series of photographs, nearing 50 to date.

KUT pays a visit at Art City Austin

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Above, photographer Jann Alexander (right), exhibiting at Art City Austin,

is visited by fellow artist Suzanne Davis

KUT's Erika Aguilar stopped in to my booth at Art City Austin this weekend, and we talked about my Vanishing Austin photography series, selling local art of local landmarks to the local citizenry, and making it as an artist in a recession:

Austin photographer and painter Jann Alexander showcases her latest art project Vanishing Austin at the Art City Austin outdoor festival. Photo and Audio by KUT's Erika Aguilar

Click the photo or download the 'sound' to hear the full audio interview. Download this sound.

Making a Clean Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:53:00 +0000

Vanishing Austin / Mr. Clean Gene, soon vanishing from a car wash near you
(c) 2009 Jann Alexander, VanishingAustin.com

Get a wink of the Genies at one of Genie Car Wash's three Austin locations before they wink no more. The local Austin chain has been purchased and the neon Genies will (perhaps appropriately) vanish. (Above, the Genie looks down from the William Cannon Dr. location)

There's no shortage of neon in Austin, and while a lot of it is vanishing right before our very eyes, the talented sign designers at Ion Art keep lighting up our skies by creating new (but like old) icons for our beloved places. I met owners Greg and Sharon Keshishion recently when I exhibited at Art City Austin, where we shared our passion for neon art. Some of the neon they've created, though now gone--like the surfer girls from Lucy's Boatyard--is commemorated in my Vanishing Austin photography series.

The Stars Come Out at Night

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:47:00 +0000

I have long been fascinated by juxtapositions, and this one always grabs me as I approach downtown in the early evening on West 6th Street. Despite all of the other condos rising high above the Frost Bank building, its lighted tower top seems to always find a spot in my photographs of Vanishing Austin. With neon that's becoming a relic these days in Austin and a loyal following, Wiggy's Spirits, above, doesn't seem to be going anywhere for now, though the little white pedestrian is crankin' along.

VANISHING AUSTIN PRINTS, POSTERS AND NOTECARDS are now available for purchase online. You can choose from many sizes -- affordable small prints to poster-size images -- all beautifully reproduced on archival fine art papers, in brilliant high-quality color, with professional framing options you can customize to fit your living style. Visit http://AustinDetails.imagekind.com/VanishingAustin

KUT Asks, What's Historic? And Offers Hope for What's Vanishing

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:05:00 +0000

Vanishing Austin

kut : Item | Just What Consitutes "Historic?"

Source: kut.org

Today Austin Officials celebrated the City’s designation as a “Preserve America Community.” KUT’s Mose Buchele reports that attitudes towards what types of landmarks should be preserved are changing. — Mose Buchele

http://kut.org/items/show/17710

A Rare Treat: an all-art issue from Rare Magazine, featuring Vanishing Austin

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Featured in the Art issue of Rare this month, my work (including Vanishing Austin) is in good company with many notable Austin visual and performing artists:

Rare Magazine :: August/September 2009 :: Art

Pictured: 'Vanishing Austin / Frisco Gold' by Jann Alexander (c) 2009

Shared via AddThis

A Bitter End for the Warehouse District?

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:46:00 +0000

A crane overhanging the vanished Bitter End last year portends its doom--

and maybe that of the entire Warehouse District.

Pictured: "Vanishing Austin / Until the Bitter End"

Can This District Be Saved? asks Katherine Gregor in the current Austin Chronicle cover story about Austin's Warehouse District. A provocative question indeed. Can Austin find the guts to maintain some of the historic fabric that makes it so attractive or will the City Council let the developers have their way with us?

The Heritage Society of Austin is working to preserve the District's historic character. It has an online petition drive (in its quest for 1000 signatures) at Save the Warehouse District to ask that City Council adopt special protections for the area at the September 24th Council meeting.

Vanishing Austin

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Endangered Species of Austin unveiled | KXAN.com

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:24:00 +0000

KXAN's Josh Hinkle focuses on Capitol Saddlery's oversize boot to showcase my new poster debut, Endangered Species of Austin (from my Vanishing Austin series) in his on-air piece and online story that aired in conjunction with the poster-signing reception hosted by Austin Fastframe:

Endangered Species of Austin unveiled | KXAN.com

The vivid color poster, printed on quality paper and sized 24 x 36" to fit a ready-made frame, features 16 beloved Austin icons and is available for purchase online at http://VanishingAustin.com/ and around Austin at many local retailers, including AMOA Museum Store, Authenticity Gallery, Austin Visitor's Center, Austin Fastframe North and South locations; also at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar and the Keep Austin Bizarre Bazaar.

Austin Arts Insider Features New Vanishing Austin Poster

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:09:00 +0000

Austin Arts Insider Rob Faubion features the new Endangered Species of Austin poster in today's column on tripvine.com. I'm grateful for the publicity, since sales of the poster help support my on-going effort to photograph Austin before it vanishes (so to speak) for my Vanishing Austin series--there are 68 images to date, published in slide show form on my website, VanishingAustin.com

What's Vanishing Next?

noreply@blogger.com (Jann Alexander at AustinDetailsArt.com) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:47:00 +0000

Not unlike the many landmarks that I photograph in my Vanishing Austin photography series, my Blogger blog is vanishing, too. But like lots of our luckier Austin icons, it's merely moving--to wordpress. Now you'll find it at VanishingAustin.wordpress.com where commentary (mine and yours) appears and Austin's iconic eye candy lives on in my photographs . . . and fans of Vanishing Austin (if that's not a contradiction in terms) will also appreciate my Facebook page, facebook.com/VanishingAustin, where all the latest news, events, images, fan comments plus invitations and special offers for fans appear.

The entire Vanishing Austin series, and purchasing options for signed, numbered, limited-editionVanishing Austin photographs and for the $35 Endangered Species of Austin poster are at my website, VanishingAustin.com, with many more of my photographs and paintings at AustinDetails.com

Hope to hear from you at wordpress and on facebook!

Here's a parting shot:

So Long from the Ladies at the Boatyard

Vanishing Austin / Boatyard Farewell (c) Jann Alexander 2010