The Frying Pan Skatepark

The frying pan skatepark in Wilkeson, Washington.

Disclaimer

According to the artist who designed it, John Hillding, this is the Bacon and Eggs Pop Art Skateable Sculpture, in Wilkeson, Washington.  I love this idea for a whole bunch of reasons.  John himself explains his idea behind it in this local news clip.  He comes from the world of Pop Art, where Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein are some of the best known names.  John Hillding has been into Pop Art since the late 1960's or early 1970's, and has created pieces for Bumbershoot, a Seattle based arts and music festival, over the years.  Bacon and Eggs is his most recent big idea, and the late skatepark designer  Mark Hubbard, of Grindline skateparks, did the design work to help bring John's vision to life.  After Mark's untimely death, Grindline built the sculpture/park.

Pop art never bowled me over, but like everyone, I've seen art by Warhol, Lichtenstein, Koons and others over the years, some of which made me take a second look, wondering about the thinking behind it.  Then, in the mid 1990's, I took a bus back east, then hopped in my sister's car, to help her move back to California after graduating college in North Carolina.  By the middle of Texas, we were bugging each other a bit from the long hours of driving each day.  Then, just outside Amarillo, we drove within site of the Cadillac Ranch, and decided to stop.  It was just an empty field with the back ends of all these old Cadillacs sticking out of the ground.  I had seen post cards of it, but didn't realize we were going to drive right by it.  My sister didn't really want to stop, she was on a schedule to get to San Jose, to move into her new place, and start work as a teacher.  But I talked her into stopping.

We were the only ones there when we walked out in the field from the parking area.  And we just started laughing.  There was no gift shop, no fee, no nothing, just all these old, graffiti'd, Cadillacs sticking up out of the ground.  Tired and road weary, we couldn't help but smile.  As we wandered around, a couple from Germany, and then a few other people, showed up.  We took some photos with the cars, and walked back to her car smiling, in a much better mood.  We just couldn't help it.  

Much more recently, a couple of years ago, I spent an hour walking around the Newport Beach Art Park, home of Bunnyhenge, shooting photos.  The circle of three foot high concrete rabbits is just so ridiculous, and I got a similar vibe as I did at the Cadillace Ranch.  

Bunnyhenge, Newport Beach, California (It's on Google Maps)

Yes, it's easy to say acts of absurdity, like these two places, and the Bacon and Eggs skatepark, are a waste of money.  You can say that they're stupid, and they're not "art."  I say, who the fuck cares?  Places like this have an affect on people when we go to them, and that's reason enough for them to exist.  It's just hard to walk away from them in a bad mood.  

Another thing I love about the Bacon and Eggs skatepark is that a little town, of less than 500 people, built the thing.  Wilkeson, Washington, decided to build that sculpture/skatepark, to put their home on the map, in our social media heavy, photo taking world.  And it worked.  There are several videos on YouTube of groups of skaters sessioning at the park, and Thrasher magazine even covered it.  

I think "skateable sculpture" and "BMX rideable sculpture," are great ideas, and I think we will see more of it in the future.  Personally, I'm waiting for an enlightened architect to design an action sports themed subdivision, and actual place for people to live where the sidewalks are half pump tracks, and there are jumps and grind rails and pools to ride all over the neighborhood.  Golf communities?  Yeah, hang up the plaid pants grandpa, lets design some kick ass places to live for THIS century.  

A little town none of us had ever heard of, Wilkeson, Washington, ante'd up and made a cool sculpture/skatpark.  Who's next in this line of progression?  That's what these sports are all about, right?  

One main theme of The Spot Finder blog/concept is to get my fat ass back on a bike before too long, and go check out lots of cool places to ride and skate, along with interesting art projects.  Bacon and Eggs is on my list of places I definitely want to visit someday.  How 'bout you?