Friday, July 23, 2004

Butt Ugly

Kansas City, the town where I lived for 26 years, has always resented being called a cowtown.  So why is it that at I-435 and Bannister Road (95th Street), the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) has erected some of the ugliest western themed "art" that I have ever seen.  

The "art" consists of rusty silhouettes of bison, cowboys, Indians, you get the picture.  Now I know that the place where the "art" was erected is in the general location where the Santa Fe Trail crossed I-435.  

I am not a philistine.  I like the shuttlecocks.  I liked it when Christo wrapped the sidewalks of Loose Park,  my favorite place to lay on a blanket with excellent company during college, with golden cloth.  I really like the Sky Stations on top of Bartle Hall.  What I don't like is poorly executed crap.  This is even much worse than the rusty steel cattle bull wall" " that is in front of the American Royal.

Folks, it doesn't have to be ugly to be art.

No comments: