when the gold rusher was walking and sounding...

here, an image circa 1850 by currier, depicting a man rushing to california to find gold, from a 1964 los angeles county museum bulletin. it's a beautiful image, and it also reminds me of joe jones, the fluxus artist who makes instruments out of things like baby carriages and rolls them around with strings and motors. somehow this gold rushing gent reminds me of joe's bells and metal things, and in his rushing and his "tools" he seems to be preparing for a performance of sorts, or perhaps even his walking with such things is performance enough as he rattles and clinks along the path to gold, a portable gamelan sounding with every step...