The Greatest Hits of San Antonio Outsider Public Art, Vol 1: Samuel Mirelez
Posted by ben on 27 Oct 2007 at 12:43 pm | Tagged as: outsider, responses/reviews
This post is the first in a series that will cover some currently active, publicly viewable outsider art installations in San Antonio. We’re starting with Samuel Mirelez because he passed away on September 17 after a long battle with cancer, and the work may only be viewable for a short time. In the coming days we’ll cover Rev. Seymour Perkins and Ed Clark. All photos by Justin Parr.
As with all the artists we’ll be looking at in this series, Samuel Mirelez began his work as a gesture of love. Finding himself in a state of poverty, and with a wedding anniversary fast approaching, Mirelez decided to craft a gift for his wife out of Folger’s coffee cans. Despite the humble materials, the gift was ambitious: a bird house modeled after the San Fernando Cathedral, where the couple wed. The gift was a success, but the choice of materials took its toll; soon, the bird house began to rust and deteriorate. Seeing his wife’s dismay, Mirelez vowed to build a new San Fernando bird house, this time out of aluminum. Soon he found himself building bird houses for his children, his friends, and his coworkers. And he kept building them. He modeled bird houses after castles, Spanish missions, even the White House and the Kremlin. Eventually his yard, front and back, became a permanent installation of avian domiciles (though, strangely, with very few birds):
Although he switched to rust-proof metals, he continued to use found materials for all his houses: left over aluminum siding, scraps of wood, and anything else he could find, or that friends would give him. On a recent visit to the Mirelez house, we even spotted a transparent bird house:
The pieces also became less functional over the years, although they retained an architectural focus. Note this large piece with no walls, but architectural features including arches, spires, and friezes.
One of Mirelez’ early projects was to build bird house models of all the Spanish missions in San Antonio. This is a project he repeated several times over. The first and only time I met Samuel Mirelez, he gave me a tour of the installation and recounted one of his favorite stories. He once sent an avian White House to then-Governor George Bush. Before long, he received a thank you note, including a photo of George and Laura Bush standing in front of the sculpture. Bush became a fan of Mirelez’ work, and one year the Christmas decorations in the Governor’s Mansion in Austin included the entire series of San Antonio mission bird houses. Mirelez was invited to attend the Christmas party, and not long after he received an invitation to the inauguration of a newly-elected (are we going to split hairs here?) President Bush.
If you want to visit the Samuel Mirelez bird house installation in San Antonio, . I’d suggest checking it out soon, because it is unclear what his family will do with the collection. His bird houses are also carried by Yard Dog gallery in Austin and Marfa. (Although there are rumors that Yard Dog is purchasing the entire collection, this is not true.)
Here are a few more pictures:
I am against nature. I don’t dig nature at all. I think nature is very unnatural. I think the truly natural things are dreams, which nature can’t touch with decay.
The proposed series is great–ffering us an expanded view of our city. If the subsequent studies are as great as this you have really hit it! Justin’s photos are fabulous. Thanks, guys.
Thanks Gay, Its astounding how timely the series is, considering the present situation. Ben certainly has hit his nose to the pavement on this one.
This is a most entertaining and enlightening piece…I have sent it on to many friends who will be most appreciative..good work, Ben!
Majnun layla
glad you got around to putting this together, ben. looking forward to futurw installments. jparr’s photos are spot on, as usual. i am sorry to hear about mr. mirelez’s passing – condolences to his family, friends and fans, both avian and human.
[...] Posted by ben on 31 Oct 2007 at 05:03 pm | Tagged as: responses/reviews, outsider This post is the second in a series focusing on publicly accessible outsider art installations in San Antonio, Texas. The first post in this series covered the work of bird house maker Samuel Mirelez. All photos by Justin Parr. [...]
Greetings!
Hello San Antonio, please forward…..
There was a magic man living right here in SA, and he has recently passed away. I know he is resting in a birdhouse, up in the clouds, waiting for the public to visit his delightfully kaleidoscope home – one last time.
All are invited to make — one last trip — to this paradise. Artist and Folk Artist Lover, Rhonda Kuhlman has arranged with the family one last day of visitation to the home & garden of Artist Sam Mirelez. His daughter, Yvonne and wife, Mrs. Mirelez will be on hand to tell you stories, show you the White House/Bird House he made for President Bush, and offer up for sale the last of the fruits that the garden has to offer.
All art groups invited, Bring the kids – young and old, a camera and CASH only. Items range from $20.00 to $200.00 and pls. respect the asking prices. I have attached the lovely article in this weeks Current, by Elaine Wolff. I am available – do call or email.
Thanks A Zillion, Rhonda
Directions: Take I -10 West,
Exit West Ave and go right/north on West Ave.
Just past the elementary school – you will see a street called Storeywood.
Take a left/west on Storeywood and just 2 blocks down on your Right – There will be an oasis of birdhouses.
Time: Thursday November 8th at 6pm – 8pm
Rhonda Kuhlman
Recycled Works & RC Gallery
222 Roosevelt
San Anto, TX 78210
cell #
dangit, justin – wish you woulda posted this in the events.
i just found this and obviously missed it.
[...] Posted by ben on 12 Nov 2007 at 02:33 pm | Tagged as: responses/reviews, outsider This is the third in a series of posts on publicly accessible outsider art installations in San Antonio, Texas. The first two covered the work of Samuel Mirelez and Rev. Seymour Perkins. [...]