I took a different approach this week.
While looking for the address for my newest place to explore, I was inundated with google-search articles about the failed plight to save the Cathedral of Junk from being dismantled after a heated battle with city building codes. The more I read, I became infuriated. More than anything, I was livid that I would not be able to experience this art project, one man's creative passion.
It has been dismantled, I read. A shadow of its former self. A heartbreaking loss to artists and art-lovers everywhere. A hurt to Austin.
The Cathedral is something that represents the best of Austin, I had read. Something unique, a true "hidden treasure" in Austin that helped ignite the now ridiculous motto, "Keep Austin Weird," that has become a lame parody of what makes Austin special.
Something happened, though. An agreement made, a compromise. And the Cathedral, while different, well, it still stands.
Located in an unassuming neighborhood off of South Congress and St. Elmo Street, you will find something that is truly magnificent and awe-inspiring. The Cathedral of Junk, a testament to art, passion, and fighting for something, represents what so many people love about this city.
I was overwhelmed with the experience. There were so many things to look at and admire. I could be lost there for hours and come back days later with more to explore. It is truly the most unique place I have been in Austin, and it made me very happy.
I can only provide pictures, though they can do no justice. These are pieces that caught my attention.
(Front of the house)
The Cathedral of Junk:
(Second Story)
("The Throne")
(Quailman!)
(The staircase in progress)
(One of my favorite parts)
Before embarking on the Cathedral, I decided that I would not meet a curious admirer like myself. I wanted to meet the artist, the creator, and hear his story.
Vincent Hannemann
"Junk King" is tattooed across his knuckles, and he stood with a beer in his hand, dressed in a muscle shirt and Spiderman swim trunks, assuring me that the rope and stairs were very safe to climb onto the second story.
He is a man in his backyard, showing us around.
Vincent moved to Austin in 1989 from Santa Fe. His then-wife's career garnered a move to a bigger city, and they had what he calls "a tenuous connection" to Austin through his mother.
What keeps him in Austin? The Cathedral.
"I guess my life and the Cathedral have become interwoven," he said.
It was that statement, while taking an overview glance of the intricate Cathedral, that it hit me. They made him dismantle his life.
"When they made you take it down... that must have been horrible," I said, quite lamely.
"I was pissed off," he said. "It was heartache. I felt betrayed."
He then told me about the massive efforts the community put forth to help save this part of Austin. There were 200 volunteers, people who brought sandwiches for the volunteers, a benefit at Spiderhouse Cafe, three lawyers, two engineers, and an architect that volunteered their time and aid.
The Cathedral has been re-opened for almost a year, and Vincent remarks that it is the people like me, those "people who are really determined to get here" that find a way into the Cathedral despite the former dismantle.
Vincent works on the Cathedral in the mornings, as it is the only time he has to create before showing people the Cathedral all day. There are no hours of operation, but appointments can be made for the weekdays, and the Cathedral is closed at sunset.
"It's not a business," he said. "You're just visiting me at my house. I'm just showing you my artwork in my backyard. It's not a business. I'm not selling anything."
Vincent expects about 10,000 visitors this year, and that is with most people assuming it has been dismantled.
"That part hangs over my head," he said. With more visitors, he explains, "the Cathedral is only going to increase, and I'm going to have more issues with the city."
But still, the story wrapped in the structure flows deep. A beloved piece of Austin, it started as free-standing structures, and grew from there.
It is fueled through donations, as people are free to leave their "junk" on his doorstep.
His favorite part of the Cathedral? "The atrium. I feel like it's my consolation prize."
Vincent enjoys going to the Greenbelt to take his dog and get away from the city for awhile to someplace "nice and quiet," and he enjoys swimming somewhere by the river.
Vincent's Favorite Restaurant:
Torchy's Tacos
Several locations
The fried avocado taco. "So ridiculously good."
Austin's Hidden Treasure:
Abandoned miniature golf course
South of 1500 Pleasant Valley
"Definitely creepy." A stop on the Austin Art Yard Tour.
Next week, Vincent sends me to the Museum of Natural and Artificial Ephemerata.
Thank you for letting me into your yard.