I thought I would share with you some photos of a job I was on recently for COVER, photos of Paul’s house. Paul is a guy in Hartland (in his 70s-80s?) who has no car and has lived in this trailer his whole life. He walks weekly from his place on the Jenneville road 7 miles to BGs general store for red duct tape and groceries and then 7 miles back. COVER was called in by the Aging in Hartland group to assist in trying to make this place a little warmer. I had to take apart a couple small sections of the collage interior to squeeze in some reflective bubble wrap to protect his water pipes from freezing. Taking apart these sections was like taking a part a beaver dam! Paul weaves clothing, garbage, newspaper, wire, old calendars, magazine images and of course red duct tape into the walls of his home. This is his art and insulation. Unfortunately when you dig beneath the surface everything is damp from condensation, this seems to be this a ripe environment for mold and mice. While I face lots of sad stories derived from various states of desperate poverty, I do catch moments of wonder and beauty; I’m in awe of people like Paul who survive through so much adversity. It’s also nice to see grass roots organizations like Aging in Hartland and COVER working together to help folks out. And yes,
it’s not everyday I encounter such art projects on COVER jobs.
Tags: art of sustainability, recycled, repurposed, sustainability