Talk of the Town - Expect the unexpected March 04 2004
Visting a handyman’s Virginia-Highland pad
At 75, Rufus Stansell is a walking monument to the paradoxical. In an Old Testament-meets-rural lawn-ornament collector sort of way, Stansell has festooned his Virginia-Highland ark with pieces he’s collected from every corner of society and morphed them together into an illogical clutter of beauty.
Years ago, a former landlord gave this basement tenant free-range of the small pasture behind the building. Since then, Stansell installed everything from whirligigs to homemade disco balls, an outdoor 65-gallon fish tank, even an old rocking chair atop his car garage. The life-size statue of Stansell in the bedroom always has its eye on the time and the plethora of framed completed jigsaw puzzles.
Creative Loafing: So would you classify yourself as a collector?
Stansell: No, just an old man! People give me stuff and I add to it. What are you supposed to do?
What’s in your fridge?
Now, let me show you something. Most people don’t have a will. See, I do, though! It’s in the freezer.
In the freezer?
Where else would you keep it? But besides this, I also have some ice cream.
(We move into Rufus’ bedroom.)
How many clocks do you have in here?
Twenty-six. Well, it’s probably more than that, it was just 26 the last time I counted. When I die, I want to know what time it is. And another tenant is always asking me what time it is, so I started putting clocks all over the place.
Well, what happens when it’s daylight-saving time?
Oh, man! That is a day’s work. I spend all day turning these clocks around.
Rufus, talk to me about this statue.
One time I was in a little bit of trouble, and I’m not Catholic, but I asked St. Jude, I said, “I’ll make a statue of you if you get me out of this problem.” And whatever happened, I got out of that problem and I started to make a statue to St. Jude.
I’m not Catholic, either. Who’s St. Jude?
St. Jude is a saint of hopeless cases. But anyhow, I started making [the statue of St. Jude] and as it turned out, it didn’t turn out to be St. Jude, it turned out to be me!
How long did it take you to make all these jigsaw puzzles in here?
That one right there was over three weeks. I won’t even buy a puzzle if it doesn’t have at least 2,000 pieces. I had cancer in 1992 and I couldn’t get out of here. Anyhow, while I was down here is when I was making all this stuff.
How many completed jigsaw puzzles do you have in the house?
About 600. I put a whole bunch out in the garage. But I don’t know, you’ve got to count them.
So why puzzles?
Our life is a puzzle. You have to put it together one piece at a time.
(Rufus eagerly shows his back yard.)
What’s with the rocking chair on top of the garage roof?
I’ve got a good view up there. I can look down and see what everyone’s doing. I was just up there two days ago.
What for?
Just because I’m crazy!
cityhomes@creativeloafing.com
Years ago, a former landlord gave this basement tenant free-range of the small pasture behind the building. Since then, Stansell installed everything from whirligigs to homemade disco balls, an outdoor 65-gallon fish tank, even an old rocking chair atop his car garage. The life-size statue of Stansell in the bedroom always has its eye on the time and the plethora of framed completed jigsaw puzzles.
Creative Loafing: So would you classify yourself as a collector?
Stansell: No, just an old man! People give me stuff and I add to it. What are you supposed to do?
What’s in your fridge?
Now, let me show you something. Most people don’t have a will. See, I do, though! It’s in the freezer.
In the freezer?
Where else would you keep it? But besides this, I also have some ice cream.
(We move into Rufus’ bedroom.)
How many clocks do you have in here?
Twenty-six. Well, it’s probably more than that, it was just 26 the last time I counted. When I die, I want to know what time it is. And another tenant is always asking me what time it is, so I started putting clocks all over the place.
Well, what happens when it’s daylight-saving time?
Oh, man! That is a day’s work. I spend all day turning these clocks around.
Rufus, talk to me about this statue.
One time I was in a little bit of trouble, and I’m not Catholic, but I asked St. Jude, I said, “I’ll make a statue of you if you get me out of this problem.” And whatever happened, I got out of that problem and I started to make a statue to St. Jude.
I’m not Catholic, either. Who’s St. Jude?
St. Jude is a saint of hopeless cases. But anyhow, I started making [the statue of St. Jude] and as it turned out, it didn’t turn out to be St. Jude, it turned out to be me!
How long did it take you to make all these jigsaw puzzles in here?
That one right there was over three weeks. I won’t even buy a puzzle if it doesn’t have at least 2,000 pieces. I had cancer in 1992 and I couldn’t get out of here. Anyhow, while I was down here is when I was making all this stuff.
How many completed jigsaw puzzles do you have in the house?
About 600. I put a whole bunch out in the garage. But I don’t know, you’ve got to count them.
So why puzzles?
Our life is a puzzle. You have to put it together one piece at a time.
(Rufus eagerly shows his back yard.)
What’s with the rocking chair on top of the garage roof?
I’ve got a good view up there. I can look down and see what everyone’s doing. I was just up there two days ago.
What for?
Just because I’m crazy!
cityhomes@creativeloafing.com