Billy Tripp's Minefield in Brownsville TN

What a great day to be on the road! 66 and sunny and heading through the back roads, listening to the music, changing course often.  One slight caveat...I neglected to fill up the tank when I left Cape Girardeau, MO this morning...oop   Suddenly along highway 421, just over the Mississippi river bridge into Tennessee, the rover ran out of gas.  Never has this happened.  Luckily, it was a gorgeous day to sit in a Tennessee hillside, I had my AAA card, and 30 minutes later there was a rescue with a can of gas, and on the way I go. 

On to Brownsville and Billy Tripp's Minefield. I have heard about it, but had no idea it would be so enormous. Towering spires of over 80 feet loom over Anthony's Master Barber shop and the neighboring motel off of Hwy 51. This architectural masterpiece representing his life' at first looks like a cacophony of gray metal.  As you look closer, you can see individual pieces of sculpture networked into the tower.  The memorials to his parents, lost loves, and life philosophy are all woven in.

Minefield

Billy Tripp (1956-)

Creation date: 1989 to present

Brownsville, TN

Visionary art environment, welded metal and found object

More photos

I am obviously from the North, as I was thrilled to see cotton growing along the highway...