It was a sultry Sunday afternoon. Son Volt was singing Windfall in the background. The well-worn poem wall, usually full of thoughts and inspirations from family and friends, said just one thing - warm. But the pinholes around the word radiated out like constellations reaching deep in the universe. And Chris Brown was admiring his newest tattoo - a number 7. Seven significant for his birth date and the year. And I was juicing limes, marinating jalapeños, and preparing a fresh batch of margaritas.

Before talking with Chris, I was certain of one thing. We shared an affection for Warrenton and for found items with miles of character. But I needed to understand more about this curiousity-collecting, style-setting cowboy. Doll heads. How does one start a collection of doll heads?

It starts as you walk through a field of tents and tables and boxes and trailers and hopeful vendors. It starts with a spark as something strikes you and you must take it home.

Chris has been building his collection of doll heads for three years and he limits them to wooden heads. Beyond the initial quirky style they lend to a room setting, there are many levels of value to these pieces. This value comes through real and imagined stories about a collected piece. The doll heads are such a great handmade juxtaposition against the pervasive mass of factory-made goods. And on a deeper level, symbolize a rebellion against that cookie-cutter aesthetic.

As it turns out, doll heads aren’t the only thing Chris collects. He describes his scissor collection on the entry table and I can see the bowl. Like the dolls, it works so effectively as a piece of art because it is evocative. A bowl of scissors is not something that everyone has on their entry table. But I love it. The unexpectedness of it. The cascading thoughts and ironies it brings to mind.  I will think of this bowl of scissors many times in the coming weeks.

Chris will be opening an Urban Prairie storefront online to offer a taste of his curious collections. For the novice collector, such a store offers a great starting point. A launch pad for inspiration. And for the veteran collector, it is a way to expand and refresh a collection. What a great opportunity to own something that I would consider art from an influential style-setter.

If you can’t wait for the store and you want to get your hands on a slice of his vision, then go to Urban Prairie and order an advance copy of Crack Heads. These books promise to be as unique as their creator with a variety of bindings and packaging.  All embracing the independent spirit with which Chris styles.

And I don’t believe the book is merely about doll heads. It is the ultimate expression of a Chris Brown style point which is to find beauty in something that others would cast off. I call this thoughtful design.

It was getting late and my glass was nearly empty. The sun sank lower in the sky and I noticed that the late afternoon had a music video quality about it. The film was tinted and scratched. The kind of video that sweeps a slow frame on an Allison V Smith setting.

This was the backdrop for my conversation with Chris Brown and in the end, I was refueled.

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