Junkyard dog out of a '66 Fury

Bob "Daddy-O" Wade has been asked to make a giant dog sculpture out of a 1966 Plymouth Fury. And his commission? Mechanical work on his old car.

From Scott Huddleston in the Express-News:

"We'll have public art on the South Side," said Jeff Morehouse, a lawyer and friend of Wade's who bought the property several months ago. "This will be our version of the boots."

In exchange, the salvage yard will refurbish Wade's broken down '57 Chevy.

The boots referenced in the above quote are the 40-foot boots in front of North Star Mall, which Wade apparently made many years ago. They have become somewhat symbolic of San Antonio since then.

Wade is also responsible for such pieces as shot-up cars, a Volkswagen football helmet, and tall signs for clubs and restaurants. His thoughts on his work -- especially the junkyard dog -- are pleasingly succinct:

In 1987, one of Wade's shot-up, rusted-out cars sat in front of the San Antonio Museum of Art. It was moved to the Blue Star Arts Complex, where passers-by bashed it, then finally it was crushed into a cube.

"I've had my art turned into junk. Now, I'm turning junk into art," Wade said.