The Totem Poles of Mullinville
The Totem Poles of Mullinville
Location: West edge of Mullinville on Hwy. US-400.
Admission: None (Just stay clear of the electric fence wire!)
All photos are Copyright H. J. Schuster. Please do not use without permission.
A
strange array of flapping, whirling and static metal sculpture
captures the eye of travelers on the busy highway just west of Mullinville.
The creations of M. T. Liggett are a fine example of what is known as "Folk
Art", much like the more famous "Garden of Eden" at Lucas. This
time, however, the folk artist's choice of material is metal. Mostly iron.
Bits and pieces of machinery and scrap iron ingeniously spliced together to form
what is at least one man's idea of art.
Old
disc blades (small photo, right) are recycled into artwork.
Here he cuts, welds and paints them, turning the old blades into some sort of
metal jack-o-lanterns which are welded to a gate.
Absurd and sometimes almost obscene, Liggett's artwork takes aim at every available subject from obscure local politics to national leaders and their more widely known indiscretions. In fact, it was tough for me to find a camera angle that wouldn't include something that would offend someone, somewhere. His use of obscure words is remarkable, and I guarantee you will have to look up at least some of the vocabulary used on the sculptures.
The totems of Mullinville, disk blades, wheels and whatever,represent many hours of labor. I suppose inside each of us is an artist struggling to find an outlet, and that outlet can be expressed in any number of ways. Here, the outlet just happens to take the form of strange metal forms along a busy highway.