SCHNAUZER FINDS GOOD LUCK WITH EGGPLANT

OWNER'S NAME: Courtney

LOCATION: Lansing, Michigan

EGGPLANT QUOTE: jolly good luck to you!

COMMENTS: "This is my mini schnauzer, Peyton, with the eggplant!  My family is very Irish, so I have shamrock things all over my apartment...what a great eggplant saying!  Thank you so much!"

BOLDY SINNING

OWNER'S NAME: James

LOCATION: Los Angeles, California

EGGPLANT QUOTE: sin boldly

COMMENTS: James denies that this eggplant has anything to do with him at all. He adds: "Don't believe all those stories you've heard about me."

THEOLOGICAL INTEREST SPARKED IN ARTIST

OWNER'S NAME: Curtis

LOCATION: Louisiana

EGGPLANT QUOTE: only of interest to theologians

COMMENTS: "Me and my partner Mark were visiting our friend Eric in Providence, Rhode Island this past winter and we happened in a very cute funky arty store whose name I've already forgotten, although, if pressed, Eric would probably remember it, since he lives there.

"Anyway, in that shop, there was something that looked like a converted old cigarette machine just like I've seen in the gift shop at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and I thought and said to Mark and Eric, 'Hey, you never know what you'll get with these, but I want to try this!'

"So I bought a token from the saleperson and I bought this eggplant, but I'm just now getting around to photographing myself with it. I'm pretty proud of being about to get it close enough to my cellphone camera so that you can read it, and so it almost looks like my head is the same size as it is.

"Back when I was an art student I did a little art exhibit of mail art and really enjoyed when random people sent things in, so this really has captured my imagination. I haven't gone onto your site yet, but I'm going to wait a couple of days and see if this makes it up there.

"Oh. Funny little coincidences -- you're an ordained minister, and my dad is, too (United Methodist, in case you're curious); you're an artist, and so am I."

WEBSITE: www.generalaesthetic.com

EGGPLANT INSPIRES OWNER TO BE HERSELF

OWNER'S NAME: Sara

LOCATION: USA

EGGPLANT QUOTE: a real smart ass

COMMENTS: "I found a stray eggplant!

"I'd heard rumors of art*o*mat vending machines—old cigarette machines that have been revamped to dispense pieces of art, instead. Today I set off to find one. After much drama and adventure, I made it to the very place, and I bought not one, not two, but three pieces of art. From a vending machine. Because that is too darn cool to pass up.

"'a real smart ass' was the second thing I bought. I was the tiniest bit disappointed when I first saw the words on it. 'Smart ass' isn't really my language style, and I'd been hoping for something more quirky or inspirational... and less, well, smartass.

"But I've come to embrace it.

"I'm a nice person. To some people, it's almost frustrating how nice I am—and they take great delight in trying to get a rise out of me. I don't mind (which probably irks them more), but I see where they're coming from. I bite back probably ninety-five percent of my cynical, sarcastic, or off-color comments... So when I actually say something smartass, people tend to be shocked and think it's really out-of-character. (It's not.)

"And you know what? Their feigned dismay makes me feel guilty about making one comment of the kind they make regularly. That sucks, and I'm fed up with it.

"I'm keeping this little guy as a reminder that, yeah it's great to be the cheerful, sweet, loving person of the group. But it's just as damn fine to be myself.

"My adopted aubergine has found a loving home."

FLICKR PAGE: Photos from Sarajea

BUDDHA & OWNER LAUGH ON!

OWNER'S NAME: Joanna

LOCATION: Madison, Wisconsin

EGGPLANT QUOTE: the laughing buddha

COMMENTS: As you can see, Joanna draws inspiration from her laughing Buddha eggplant!

FANCY BODY, INDEED

NAME: K

LOCATION: Northeast Iowa

EGGPLANT QUOTE: every body's fancy













COMMENTS: "Laura shared an eggplant with me after I participated in the 'Peace with Our Bodies' project. I am still not completely at peace with my body (but am still working on it), and it serves as a good reminder that—as Mr. Rogers used to sing— 'every body's fancy.'"

YES SHE CAN

OWNER'S NAME: Verona

LOCATION: Anchorage, Alaska

EGGPLANT QUOTE: you still can

KINDRED SPIRITS BROUGHT TOGETHER BY A STRAY EGGPLANT

OWNER'S NAME: Barefoot Artist

LOCATION: Greenville, North Carolina

EGGPLANT QUOTE: kindred spirit

COMMENTS: The Barefoot Artist and the Eggplant Artist met on myspace and found one another to be "kindred spirits". In fact, they are planning to meet in person in February 2008 at a laughter yoga leader retreat in Wisconsin. They swapped art—the eggplant pictured above for a beautiful hand-dyed silk scarf featured on Laura's laughter yoga site.

MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/barefoot_artist

HAPPY AND FREE LAUGHTER

OWNER'S NAME: Noriko

LOCATION: Tokyo, Japan

EGGPLANT QUOTE:
I laugh so happy & free

FOUR EGGPLANTS LAND IN JAPAN

[Happy geese, my company] They understand what eggplants say!

OWNER'S NAME: Kyoko

LOCATION: Tokyo, Japan

EGGPLANT QUOTES:
• straight ahead, the sky
• her lovely piano fingers
• essential for all night writing
• I laugh so happy & free


[Llama family] "Hey baby, be a good 'n honest, boy, just straight ahead the sky!"

COMMENTS:
You bring sunshine + a big smile to those who know you -- that's what is wished for you especially today; because you made me so happy just now!!

Guess what I found in my mailbox after hard working... ah Laura, THANK YOU SO MUCH :) 4 eggplants are here with me. Though I'm a writer, I can never describe how I'm feeling. But please know, absolutely utterly completely I love them ALL: their unique shapes, lively colors, and of course nice words with your warm heart. [No need to turning on the room heater, indeed :-@]

I was so touched to find you sweetly captured my personality as an expressionist by visiting my myspace page though it's written in poor English.


• "essential for all night writing" — really gave me courage & motivation to go on.

• "straight ahead the sky" — filled me with much hope, strength and light
• "her lovely piano fingers" — I'm proud... when I write an essay on 'Music & me", I will inform you.
• And your great choice "I laugh so happy & free" — this one is perfect! As I ordered, didn't I tell you that I would give 1 for my friend on Xmas? She's my best friend and I do wish she is happy all the time. On Dec 15th we're going to a Christmas concert together. I'll give her then! Sure, I'll never fail to take photos of us with eggplants then.

MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/frizzy_mojaco

THE FAITH FAN STRIKES AGAIN

OWNER'S NAME: Mary Margaret

LOCATION: Richmond, Virginia

EGGPLANT QUOTE: just a fan of faith

COMMENTS: Whatever the faith, whoever it belongs to.

LAURA MEETS THE ART*O*MAT MASTER

NAME: Clark

LOCATION: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

EGGPLANT QUOTE: gimmicky bastard

COMMENTS: Clark Whittington, inventor of the Art*o*mat vending machines, through which the Stray Eggplants are distributed, officially installed the Art*o*mat machine at the amazing Chambers Hotel in Minneapolis on October 17, 2007. Laura Gentry decided to surprise him by driving 4 hours north from her home in Iowa to attend his lecture. Since they've worked together through Art*o*mat for these 4 years, it was only fitting that they meet during his Midwestern trip. Here, Laura presented Clark with this humorous eggplant.


Right: Clark, Laura and hotel curator, Jennifer Phelps with the Chambers' beautiful Art*o*mat machine. Click photo to see enlargement.










Above: Clark and Laura stand before a very realistic piece of art at the Chambers Hotel.

BANISHING BEIGE

NAME: KC

LOCATION: Minneapolis, Minnesota

EGGPLANT QUOTE: beige is just not your color

EGGPLANT ENFORCES BATHROOM POLICY

NAME: Elizabeth

LOCATION: Columbia, South Carolina

EGGPLANT QUOTE: put the toilet seat down

COMMENTS: "This is a hard-working eggplant!"

EGGPLANT OBSESSION

NAME: Lizzie Bee

LOCATION: Columbia, South Carolina

EGGPLANT QUOTE: I'm trying to unobsess myself

COMMENTS: I received my eggplant as a gift from one of my oldest friends, who left it in a bright yellow envelope under the driver's side windshield wiper of my car as it was parked in front of Urban Artware in Winston-Salem, N.C. My friend has modeled many things for me over the years, most importantly, how to laugh: and coincidentally, perhaps, I always hear this quote in Pee Wee Herman's "shh...I'm trying to use the phone" voice.

After practicing my obsessions around the house I have been able, with great success, to transfer them to my work and to my relationships. Progress, right?!

Looking around now (in the middle of a dark no-moon night) at all of my odd little possessions, I can hear the clinking echoes of all of these small things. I think, YES-- It's Not Working-- I'm Still Obsessed-- With junk, with worry, with insecurity, with insomnia...! Finally, I think: But I Love This Nutty Obsessor. She's the one who reveals my dearest passions.

(note, Lizzie Bee's eggplant is from the very first edition of plants when the quotes were glued to the front of them)


And look, Lizzie also sent this picture of eggplants on the Piggly Wiggly marquee. Go eggplants!

MANY MORE SMILES

NAME: Melanie

LOCATION: Lansing, Iowa

EGGPLANT QUOTE: I'm going to smile

COMMENTS: Thank you for my eggplant!! :) It brings me happiness and many MORE smiles! :)

FREE TO BE

NAME: Jasmin

LOCATION: New York, NY

EGGPLANT QUOTE: I gotta be me

COMMENTS:
My girlfriend and I were visiting San Francisco from our homes in New York City. We were quite excited because we were told that, like us, everyone in San Francisco is gay and vegan. Whether or not that is true, I'm going to go with: Yes, it's true. Regardless, we had a blast!

Now I shouldn't admit this to you but I will: I don't like museums and only sometimes am I moved by art. Same with Mariann, the beautiful woman on the left of the attached photograph. Part of me wants to brag about the exhibit I saw at blah-blah-blah, but aside from very few exceptions, that is not me. But I am fun and quirky and like oddities. And I'm into theatre and other forms of art and photography. So when Mariann and I were walking from SOMA to South Park (where they have a lovely swing set beside a yummy French cafe' that serves bowls of soy lattes), we passed a cigarette machine that dispensed art instead of tobacco. Obviously, that was something I needed to explore.

Pride plants?? It's true! Everyone in San Francisco IS gay and vegan! In the cigarette dispenser was a little box that had gay-themed eggplants. It was like my dream! This stray eggplant said "I Gotta Be Me," and how appropriate for me and my Mariann, who defy the societal norm about a thousand-fold. I *GOTTA* be me. We gotta be us.

And so thanks for the prideful eggplant. We love it. It's on our mantelpiece above our fireplace. (Okay, that's not true. We don't have a fireplace or a mantelpiece. But if we DID, you can bet the little purple piece of art would gladly have a home on it. In the mean time, it's beside me on my bookshelf, out of reach of my feisty cat -- who also has gotta be her.)

Enjoy this picture. Continue to make art.

WEBSITE: www.jasminsinger.com

FOR MEEEEEEEEE!

NAME: Mary K

LOCATION: Winston-Salem, North Carolina

EGGPLANT QUOTE:
Better Things

COMMENTS: "Got this one from the original Art-o-mat at Mary's of course with Clark at my side. It reminds me of the song I made up and sing to my boyfriend. It goes, 'Every thing that is good is for meeeeeee!'"

WEBSITE: www.missmaryk.com

HAPPY FREAKS

NAME: Jenni

LOCATION: Red Creek, NY

EGGPLANT QUOTE: freaks need love too

COMMENTS: This eggplant was a special order, requested by a dear myspace friend! :) We swapped art and she sent me a fabulous set of eggplant felties. In this photo, you can see her eggplant is hanging out with an assortment of Jenni's amazing creations.

MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/hedonist_j

LAUGHTER YOGA FOUNDER BECOMES CHUCKLING EGGPLANT COLLECTOR

NAME: Madan

LOCATION: Mumbai, India

EGGPLANT QUOTE:
laugh for no reason

COMMENTS: Because I studied laughter yoga with Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of the world wide laughter club movement, I made him an eggplant with the premise of laughter yoga: laugh for no reason. He graciously received his eggplant with his characteristic chortle and promised to give it a happy home in India.

WEBSITE: www.laughteryoga.org

Dr. Kataria's Diary entry about my church's laughter club.