Junkyard in Paradise

In the summer of 1969, I took my first trip to California. We hitchhiked from LA to San Francisco, mostly in the open back of a pickup truck. Once out of LA, I was struck by how beautiful and pristine most of California was. Somewhere around Monterey, we suddenly came across a classic junkyard - several acres of chaotic automotive and agricultural junk, rusting away under the California sun - in the middle of what I saw as a virgin paradise! Years later, I conceived a piece depicting this in sound - clouds of consonant string harmonics, violently interrupted by shrieking, rumbling dissonance and gradually fading back - and recorded the sonic elements with violinist Mark Feldman and violist Scott Dowd at Steve Yates’ studio. Eventually this was combined with violent elements, anchored by Hal Russell’s chaotic drumming. Recently I revisited this recording and used it with Lance Brown’s beautiful circle paintings and several of my own photographs. Please enjoy, like, comment and share!

[@joyceglasgow2356]

Beautiful, Doug!❤️🎶❤️👏👏👏 And then the unexpected chaos! Return to blessed serenity!

[@carolloverde5649]

I experienced this more as Paradise in Junkyard. Thanks, Doug and Associate Artists!

[@thomasgoforth6912]

I like the beginning and the ending of this piece! The cacophony was an unwelcome arrival, but I survived and returned happily to nature. Thanks, as always, for your monthly offerings Doug!
Tom Goforth

[@actionridge8857]

Beautiful in so many ways! The cacophony went on just long enough that I was saying "enough" and then I appreciated the peace even more. I love the way the art blended into your photographs. How very clever and quite amazing. You're a multi-talented artist, Doug. I'll send this to our friends, Karen and Carl, whom you met. And congrats again. Have so much fun being married!!! Nan