I met Buck in front of City Hall on Monday, July 16, 2012. I stopped him and asked him to take my picture in front of Mildred Howard’s installation “Clear Story”. He one-upped me by also taking my photo a second time with his smarter phone.
Earlier, I had asked a young lady walking her little Chinese (she said) semi-hairless 3-or-4-year-old little doggie to do likewise, and she complied. The thought occurred to me that I could make it a little project to stop strangers and get a series of portraits done with “Clear Story”. I stopped with these two (three) but I did sit for about an hour — waiting for a meeting to start in City Hall — after a meeting with City Clerk — and watch five or six people interact with the work. I spoke to one other woman about the work. Not everyone notices the banner that explains the work more fully.
Buck told me that he is an artist and print-maker, lives in town, and studied with Kent Manske at Foothill College.
His full name is Buckley Dueker, I learned when he sent the photo from his own (smarter) camera.
This mini-project is related to the comments I made to Council during my interview for Planning and Transportation Commission in June wherein I described a concept I attributed to Stephen Carter about the basis for Democracy is greeting strangers on the street.
If I run, I am planning a minimalist campaign. I don’t plan to walk many precincts. On the other hand, I do habitually talk to total strangers on street corners, in elevators, waiting in line in supermarkets; I would hope to be out-going, if I run, but am contemplating making it a point to NOT mention to people that I am also running for public office. The Steinbeck book I’m reading had a vernacularism “break into song” meaning go off into a familiar speech or mode; I hope to NOT gratiutiously jump from saying “good morning” to polling people on their favorite local issue. (Although I caught myself doing that to Debbie Mytels Monday at council chambers). edit to add: it occurs to me, if I am considering “canvassing” at “Clear Story” as a campaign tactic, I would have to spend a lot of time there; consider that when Sid Espinosa ran for council it is reported that he had 70 volunteers who met 10,000 people in one day.
edit to add, Sept. 29: I am running. Thirty six days to go until election. Thank you TAD for upgrading the look here at Svayambh-PA (n0t to be confused with the temple in Kathmandu, but not unrelated either).
