Pretty much everyone in Texas has some junk to some degree that they have no need for, right?
Nestled in the heart of South Austin, along a tranquil residential street, lies one of the city’s most cherished and unique folk art installations: the Cathedral of Junk, a backyard creation by artist Vince Hannemann.
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The Famous Cathedral of Junk
Begun in 1988, this towering sculpture has grown steadily over decades, transforming from a modest assemblage of Hannemann’s own discarded items into a sprawling, multi-room maze of found objects weighing in at roughly 60 tons.
Mr. Hannemann acknowledged that while not all the junk originates from his personal collection, a significant portion has been donated over the years. As for the name, coined by his mother, and it kind of stuck.
Legal Issues From the City of Austin
In 2010, the City of Austin threatened to demolish Vince Hannemann’s Cathedral of Junk after it was deemed a code violation…