Oysterville Tideflat Sculpture

Among the recent structures in Oysterville is a found object sculpture at the end of the oyster shell road beyond the cannery. I haven’t walked out to see it ‘up close and personal’ yet, but Tucker’s picture already tells me that I’ll love it.

It takes me back to the sixties and seventies in the Bay Area. Along the Eastshore Freeway (officially Interstate 80) between Oakland and Berkeley was an art display known now as the Mudflat Sculptures of Emeryville. There is little left of them now, but back in the day, they seemed to go on for miles and miles.  (Actually it was only one or two.) They also seemed to go up overnight. Mostly, no one took credit for them, at least not at the time – sort of like the graffiti art along the Los Angeles viaduct.

Emeryville Mudflat Sculpture

Of course, as you might expect in our overly-concerned-about-everything-society, the Mudflat Sculptures became an issue. The State of California claimed that they were threatening wildlife, damaging the ecological balance, and that the wood used in the sculptures was leaking toxins into the marsh. Seriously! Beginning in 1986/87, officials began removing the driftwood and discouraging new constructions.

In the nineties the freeway was widened and, eventually the Eastshore State Park was created. It offers great views of San Francisco just across the bay and, according to a recent article by S.F. Chronicle pop culture critic, Peter Hartlaub, there are still vestiges of the sculptures there. Or perhaps they are more recently created because, as he states, one of the original artists, Tyler James Hoare “didn’t get the memo.” He was still at work in his Emeryville studio as recently as two years ago.

So, I wonder if the Tideflat Sculptor of Oysterville will come forward. Does he or she (or they) have more ideas to present? Who will be the first to get upset? From where I sit, it certainly seems worth a walk north now and then to check out progress.  Whoo Hoo!