Monday, October 11, 2010

Kemps UFOs and Cows Painted Over!


Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman

Am I the only one who is disappointed here? John has long railed against the Kemps' UFO/Cow panorama as a symbol of "urban dystopia." Me, I grew up on a farm and I love science fiction. I rather LIKED the Kemps building. (Full disclosure: Kemps bought the milk from my family farm until the cows were sold several years ago.)

And now the palette is clean, leaving us to imagine what might be painted in its place.

8 comments:

Ariah said...

I'm disappointed. I liked the Cows.

emma. said...

I understand. We drove by as it was getting painted over and I nearly cried. I remember this was part of their proposal for the facad improvement grant and I didn't like it then and I really don't like it now! I'll take a colorful painting of whatever over a giant, long, unwelcoming gross white building. What a boring welcome into north Minneapolis!

Anonymous said...

This is sad. I hope they replace it with something.

Johnny Northside! said...

I am so glad to see the "Trippin' Cows" go away. I am sorry if Emma and Ariah and (even) Jeff feel bad, but this mural was an eyesore. Now if only the banners of "distorted faces" would also go away from the light poles.

boathead said...

I request a painting of the greatest Bovine leaders of all time.Bessie of Elmers glue fame deserves a spot as does the Herefords Cow representative.While they are at it they could print some Mooving comments plucked from the annals of cowdom.Just no Bull shit and everyone will be happy 'til the cows come home.Someones trippin' and it aint the cows no more.

General Disarray said...

I remember when the cows went up. At that time North Minneapolis was still the crime ridden and had a bad rep. I saw the cows being put up was like saying "We need more color around here, something that makes people say " you see those cool cows in Northside?". It was super cool when I was a kid.

I am disappointed as well. Seems like a lot of new comers like to hate on a lot of things that make Northside Northside.. ya know?

M. Clinton said...

I personally did not like the mural, but I don't care for a long expanse of blank, white building either. The building needs a new look that may or may not include another mural. At minimum, the different segments of the building should be painted in coordinating, but different colors to visually break up the monotony of the expanse.

Anonymous said...

I agree with other commenters .... I liked the mural and think it's far better than a gigantic blank wall.

And I like the banners on West Broadway. Art is definitely subjective; one person's annoyance is another's delight. We have to accept these differences just as we do the variety of cultures in NOMI, don't we?!? (And I'm not talking Thug Culture, okay?!?)