Since the conditions are always changing in our lot on South Main Street in Memphis, we like to document the installation numerous times in the various conditions. The first image was from the back of the lot facing east looking out onto South Main Street. It just so happened that the trolley was passing. Click on images to enlarge.
Detail of the Crest and Banner from. Detail of banner with camels converging on the maypole and the back of the crest revealing the embroidered text "solidarity." The camel is our avatar, our stand in. It is a beast of burden and a wanderer and a perfect representative for this transitional space in this itinerant river town and an installation that looks like the remnants of a carnival, circus or some event that quickly packed up and left town. Initially we wanted to create a maypole for this lot, but due to concerns about rigging and liability, we changed it to a crest, banner and pennant installation. The maypole dance is traditionally a rite of spring, danced in various parts of the world, often by children. It also has a strong association with May Day and the Labour and Suffrage movements. A merging of the social and the political.
