On the corner of Fletcher Avenue and Morris Bridge Road in Tampa is possibly the largest collection of styrofoam buoys I've ever seen unattacted to a fishing fleet. This is Hong Kong Willie. Surrounded by an interstate highway, a corporate business park, and national chain hotels, the orange helicopter on a flat-bed truck festooned with a web of fairy lights does catch the eye. The Hong Kong Willie blog has links to interviews and news stories outling the Hong Kong Willie philosophy of reuse, and tracing the evolution from bait shop to art studio.
Hong Kong Willie Preservation Art Group (audio / slide show from WUSF)
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Added May 2, 2009
My husband took an unblurry photo of the helicopter, so I've added it here:
Did you get a chance to talk to the man himself? He's quite the character... I wanted to take photos of the inside of the gallery but he wouldn't let me...
ReplyDeleteI didn't see him there, but my husband talked with Kim Brown a little bit. I didn't try taking pictures inside - the difference between indoors and outdoors is interesting, isn't it? And, disappointingly, my picture of the helicopter was blurry!
ReplyDeleteSo cool to spend your time. Thanks Hong Kong Willie
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