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Beginning construction in 1956 at age 60, and working until 1981, Tressa "Grandma" Prisbrey transformed her 1/3 acre lot into Bottle Village, an otherworld of shrines, wishing wells, walkways, random constructions, plus 15 life size structures all made from found objects placed in mortar. The name "Bottle Village" comes from the structures themselves - made of tens of thousands of bottles unearthed via daily visits to the dump. Appearances aside, Bottle Village began as a practical need to build a structure to store her pencil collection (which eventually numbered 17,000) and a bottle wall to keep away the smell and dust of the adjacent turkey farm. However, it was her ability to have fun and infuse wit and whimsy into what she made, which over time became the essence of Bottle Village. Bottle Village was a hobby she enjoyed, and enjoyed sharing with anyone who would pay the .25 cents for the walking tour. These tours consisted of her taking you room into room, guided along the mosaic walk, bordered by TV picture tubes so that people would not wander off.
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Timeline:1896 1908 1912 Over the next 13 years, the Grinolds have seven children: Earl (b.1913), Raymond (b.1914), Frank (b.1916), Velma (b.1918), Othea (b.1920), Florence (b.1925) and Hubert (b.1926). late 1920's 1931 late 1930's 1946 1947 1954 1954–1955 1956 circa 1961 1964–1969 Timelime continues below: |
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1972 1974 Tressa returns to Bottle Village to live as a caretaker. Resumes giving tours and begins to obtain a different kind of notoriety - the acceptance of her work by art scholars. 1974–1979 1979 June - Bottle Village made official landmark of the City of Simi Valley. July - Non profit organization, Preserve Bottle Village Committee (PBVC) is founded. Begins task of trying to raise money to secure property, as well as being a support group for the ailing artist. At 83 Tressa Prisbrey had begun to experience some small strokes. 1980 1981 1982 Dolls Head Shrine featured on the cover of LP single "Mexican Radio" by rock band Wall of Voodoo. 1986 July - Preserve Bottle Village Committee become property owners as the result of a gift deed from the local 1988 1988–1994 1994 1995 1996 November - After 2 & 1/ 2 years of working with FEMA, Preserve Bottle Village signs for the approved $485,000 in earthquake repair money. 1997 March - Even though this Bill is tabled, FEMA rescinds the grant. Citing the fact that Bottle Village had been "unopened" since 1984, and citing political concerns. During this time Bottle Village receives excellent National Press from NPR, New York Times (Brown, Patricia Leigh. "Reading the Message in the Bottles". February 6, 1997 ppB1, B8) and People Magazine. (Zutell, Irene. "Bottle Battle". June 23, 1997. p113). May to December - Preserve Bottle Village files appeals to FEMA, successfully appealing $18,900 yet not overturning FEMA's decision on the larger sum. 1998– |
Preserve Bottle Village Committee is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. |
Practicality alone would not explain The Leaning Tower of Bottle Village, the Dolls Head Shrine, car-headlight-bird-baths, and the intravenous-feeding-tube-firescreen, a few examples of her delightfully idiosyncratic creations.
After a series of anecdotal stories and other assorted information, the tour would end in the meditation room, where she would play the piano and sing risque songs from the 1920's.
Tressa Prisbrey died in 1988. In retrospect, another layer presents itself now that her person is no longer there. Her life was not easy. She married her first husband when she was 15 and he was 52 and had 7 children by him. She left him and lived in various places in the country, raising all 7 children on her own. Death struck 6 of her 7 children, both of her husbands, a fiancee, and all but one of her siblings in her lifetime. In her book "Making Do or Making Art", Verni Greenfield discusses in depth what now seems obvious. That on one level, Bottle Village was, literally, a constructive approach to transforming discard and sorrow into something more. Bottle Village possesses many references to both maternity, and sympathetic magic (wishing wells, good luck symbols, religious structures, etc.). 
Even the buildings themselves, scaled to children and made through such a compulsory process are a testimony. So Bottle Village is not only a one of a kind, quirky, fun, and brilliant approach to recycling and shed making, Bottle Village is also a bold and personal statement to the importance of the creative act in everyday life. At Bottle Village, art does not just reflect life. Art and life merge, in a 25 year fusion.