The Cathedral of Junk in Austin, Texas

"Are you sure this is it?"
GPS guided us into a quiet neighborhood in the middle of Austin. It certainly didn't look like a likely location for a multi-story junk sculpture. The rain was pouring down, adding a sheen to everything, including the brightly colored house we had pulled up to. The front door had a forbidding sign on it "This home is a private residence"-making me hesitant to knock on it. Vince, the owner, poked his head around the fence surrounding the backyard and gestured for us to join him. As we walked through the doorway, the Cathedral of Junk made it's appearance behind the house.

Vince seemed surprised that we still showed up- and greeted us with "well, the Cathedral has never been hit by lightning, so you should be ok. Something about it being grounded..."
I thought about responding with something sarcastic, but it felt weirdly inappropriate at something called "The Cathedral".

The quirky signs throughout the sculpture seem to have their own dry wit to them, vaguely ironic depending on their placement. Some of the quotes are stamped or carved into the concrete, and are a little more uplifting.

Probably my favorite sign, "Attack Cat on Duty" reminded me of @isaria, everyone's favorite Mother of Cats. I had the opportunity to have a meetup with her while I was in Austin, which I will eventually write a post about. It shall be called Isaria's Big Day Out (keep an eye out!)

This portion of the sculpture reminded me of a Native American totem- multiple kids toys circled it like the animals that were normally carved into those pieces of cultural art.

The second story of the cathedral felt surprisingly sturdy, considering it was made of a pile of children's toys and household items, all held together by welding and concrete.

These trolls were tied to a chrome piece ripped off a car. Their smiles looked a little pained, like they were aware of how awkward it was when someone looked up at them. It was one of the driest places in the entire sculpture, so a good place to safely get a picture with my phone.

In order to visit The Cathedral, you have to call ahead and schedule an appointment. The sculpture constantly changes depending on Vince's whims, so there is always something new and interesting to see. Vince is doing his part to keep Austin weird and wonderful.

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Words and photos are property of Sunravelme