Red Goats: Art or vandalism? REDUX!
Let's beat a dead red goat some more after having beating it to death some months ago. Now with 100 percent more New York Times!
- First, as always, some background information.
Reaction to the mysterious red goats that appeared spray-painted in recently-finished planter boxes in Kingston.
- The New York Times, as expected, has taken up this most important of issues. It's not like there's a scandal or anything.
How Red Graffiti Goats in a Hudson River Town Became a Symbol of SomethingKINGSTON, N.Y. - The red goats of Kingston came from nowhere. One day there were new, clunky white planters in the stockade district and then, mysteriously, in October they became canvases for about 37 stenciled goats, red on white, like ghost goats from another world. And then the red goats went everywhere.- This headline would have been 100 percent better if 'of' was replaced with 'or.' Almost.
- (Full disclosure, the story was written by Peter Applebome, who still follows me on Twitter for some inexplicable reason, with help from Sari Botton of Rosendale —and of TMI fame— , whom I know personally and had the pleasure of embarrassing myself when I visited a journalism class of hers at SUNY Albany some time ago).
- Anyway! Apparently, the thing has spread to Brooklyn.
- What had happened.
- For a November column (SPOILER ALERT: already published!), I had asked the following question on different places:
- Exactly. So what is it?
- Steve Ladin was running for mayor under the Red Dog party banner (no relation to red goats)
- This is a wide sentiment.
- So is this
- Diane Reeder of the Queens Galley in Kingston has an idea
Catch the vandals and sentence them to hosting a free community event. They want to motivate people and get them talking? Obviously there is a talent to do that. Put those powers to good instead of evil. The artistic expression may have been liked by some people but it was an affront to at least one store owner. It is still vandalism and that should not be allowed to just go by without reprimand. Fine them or mandate them to host an event open to the community...maybe a fundraiser to benefit a local arts program for kids at risk so they don't grow up pulling stupid shit like vandalizing property in the name of artistic expression.
