Welcome

Ahoy Matey, and Welcome to REPTIRE, an intermittent ‘ship’s blog’, chronicling the slow rise in the South Easterly skies of Reptire Designs; a studio that designs and crafts always artful, and sometimes useful THINGAMABOBS from old Indian Cucachou, aka ReTired Rubber.

Down Below, Ye shall find a permanent 'flagship post' marking the Maiden Voyage of Reptire Designs.

And below that, in the ‘hull’, can be found more recent posts chronicling the daring new adventures of Reptire Designs, dashed with small bits of whimsy, spotted pickerel, local color, and lizard lore..

In fact, on the right, in pale purple, ye shall find the Captain's Log’s Table of Previous Posts, which ye can peruse by year, month, and title to ye hearts content.

If ye haven't gotchyer sea legs yet, My Pretty, Ye can take a gander at our website at www.reptiredesigns.com, to get a proper Landlubber's Introduction.

Thanks for stopping in, I do hope you enjoy your visit aboard this ship! HARHARHARHAR.......

Sincerely, Travius Von Cohnifus

Captain, Founder, Indentured Servant, Rubber Alligator Wrestlor Extraordinaire a' this here ship.

enter the treadknot

Welcome
On September 26th, 2006, I launched my tire art/design business, Reptire Designs, with a solo exhibition of my artwork in The Green Gallery at The Scrap Exchange Center for Creative Reuse, in Durham, NC. For many reasons, it was a night that I will always remember, and I am grateful to Laxmi (my girlfriend at the time) and Edie (my mother, still) for dutifully documenting while I shmoozed, so that I may now shmare a taste of the evening with anyone who was not able to attend...



On a cool but lively autumn night-before-Center Fest, a stream of friends and curious strangers trickled (like pebbles through a rain stick) through the forest of odds and ends (that roost at night in The Scrap Exchange), out into the warm light of the back savanna, a scene utterly glopped with bizarre rubbery hybrids. Tentative and curious, the visitors craned their necks, nibbled, pecked, stood back, moved in closer. From the walls, glassy mirror eyes gazed back through black unblinking eyelids, while beneath the visitor's feet, in a steamy drainage cistern, a mortal drama unfolded. Primordial forms, with no eyes at all, sat puckered on stoops. A cascade of glittering steal droplets formed a curtain, to which clung a colony of tiny tire knotlettes.

Vito D., a long-time collabator down from the Asheville area, caressed the warming air with his Strange Little Folk music. I bobbed and I flit, and at an increasing clip-someone must have opened the faucet a bit....for soon I was swooning, I just about lost it! As the evening progressed, to my delight and amazement, 'family' from Durham, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, Hillsboro, Siler City, Asheville, and Fresno all made it! From the Cohn Clan to the Steudel Clan to the CFS Clan; from the WWC Clan to the Duke Ac Pub Clan to the SAF Clan; from the Bike Shop Clan to the Ninth St. Clan to the Scrap Clan... and every one in between, guys, they were all appearing before my stunned, blinking eyes. While I spun and I splayed, Vito now played-CHURNED- up a torrent of gritty ditties; while a staff volunteer (Brandon's a photographer, I swear) whipped up pitchers of Mango Lassies. And The 'Scrap Exchange girls' worked the door, the counter, and the floor, going "cha-CHING!", cha-CHING!","cha-CHING!".!.



By the end of the night, hundreds of friends, acquaintances and had-been-strangers had poured in, poured over the work, and partaken in, what was for me and my art, a monumental communal feast. And on top of it all, I got to place many of my preemies in hands that I love and trust, and in several instances, hands that fit them like gloves. What a privilage to be able to connect with people this way. Heading into the turbid seas of small business, I can confidently say that if I drown tomorrow, I am at least blessed today with the memory of (as Vito later put it) one authentically good Durham night.



Thanks to all of you who were there; in body and/or spirit.





Reclaimed-wood Builder and Reptire Collector Howard Staab enjoying magwi knot at the Scrap Exchange

Reclaimed-wood Builder and Reptire Collector Howard Staab enjoying magwi knot at the Scrap Exchange
I can't think of anything more rewarding for an artist than to see someone interacting with their artwork. Photo by Laxmi Haynes

Sammy and Dannette contemplate

Sammy and Dannette contemplate
Photograph by Laxmi Haynes

Cascade Colony of Knotlets

Cascade Colony of Knotlets
They would go with your jacket, would they not Claire?

Laxmi Resplendent

Laxmi Resplendent

Mavis In The Mist

Mavis In The Mist
Photograph by Laxmi Haynes

Tire Amazement

Tire Amazement
Photograph by Edie Cohn

Monday, October 4, 2010

Trying to find my tires

Well, after a great, life replenishing band practice in Pittsboro, with my fabulous bandmates of Zambamboogie, I hauled ass into Durham to try to peel a few tires and some rims from the knuckles of my old friends at the Durham Bicycle Co-op. But no such luck, when I arrived, the place was deserted.
So, this morning I stopped by the Scrap to cancel my encrusting party, and learned the DBC had moved their operations to a spot by a railroad tressle which I know well.  As they are only open on Sunday's (and thursday's too now) I just took a peak, and then went along on my round.

First was the Bicycle Chain in Durham. Those guys are my number 1 supplier,- they have been heros during this process, even attempting to get some of the other stores involved in the effort. These guys, Jeff, Brian, Geof, Carlisle, have really been coming through for me. And true to form, they had a fat stack for me. One big pile in the back seat.

So then off I drove to Chapel Hill, where I stopped first by Performance Bicycles, where I spoke to Scott the repair shop manager, who was happy to help, (I will bring them a basket to set out back), and then Franklin Street cycles, where Linkon was also were very helpful, and gave me two heaping armfulls, probably n part thanks to Bryan's representation.

Then I stopped at a favorite tire pot in these parts, the tire pile behind Back Alley Bicycles. Jason has always been very supportive, and has given me free, wide open picking privilages from their pile out back. And, miraculously, their pile had magically swelled since my last visit, only a couple weeks ago. This struck me as most bountiful luck indeed.

And then to top off, a great big 'tattude' dude pulled up and introduced himself as the new manager of The Recyclery. I instantly got a good vide from this guy. He told me I could take any of the rims in their pile outside the tent, and was very enthusiatic to contribute to the project. (This was great news, as I was a little nervous about having missed the Co-op in Durham.)

A nicer more generous guy I couldn't have found. I think that between he and Jason of Back Alley Bikes, I might have found some formidable Allies in the Carrboro area. As I picked through the pile, and did a little tidying of the pile in return, I thought to myself, "you know Travis, it is time to lay down your old (deeply rooted) prejudices about Chapel Hill (and Raleigh), because with in the walls of these cities, are at least a few fine people."

So I STUFFED the back of my little carrolla with nappy tires and rusty rims, dropped in to thank the crew, and headed off back to Chatham, about 20 blessed mountain bike tires closer to bringing this sculpture end to end...


Before I go, I would like to send a salute out to Geoff, of the Bicycle Chain in Durham. Geoff just recently retired from his post there at the shop, and this appears to conclude many years I have had the pleasure to work with Geoff, as an informal supplier of tires for Reptire Designs. Geoff has always been willing, not only to help me collect the cast away tires from their shop, but also helping me connect with other shops in the chain, and give me advice and in sites into tires. He is also the first person to commission a Hell-o-Holster, which I custom made for him and his ride.
Geoff has just been an all around great guy to work with, and I wish him a GREAT next chapter.
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