STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Swedish graffiti artists kidnapped a fiber-glass cow from the international art exhibit CowParade, held power drills to its head and threatened to “sacrifice” it unless the sculptures were declared “non-art.”
A video sent to a newspaper showed the cow flanked by two masked, black-clad figures wielding power drills in front of a sign reading “Stockholm’s Militant Graffiti Artists.”
“We demand that the cows are declared non-art. Otherwise the hostage will be sacrificed,” said a voice on the video. The group gave the organizers of the Stockholm exhibit till noon on Aug. 23 to comply with their demand.
I support this radical action, as I actually suffered the humiliation of dressing as an Chicacowgo Art Cow named Dean Mootin for a Halloween costume competition at work. It was part of a group entry that included Frank Cownatra and Sammy Davis Moonior. We were the Cow Pat Pack. And yes, we sang (or mooed) our signature tunes.
That was when I started everyone at the office my “cow-orkers.”
The next night at a party, I was again an Art Cow, but this time I was a Paint-By-Numbers Art Cow. I wore another Tyvek white coverall, drew in blank numbered piebald shapes, and invited people to color them in using Sharpie pens in different hues. David went as an Art Cowboy and did all the really fun ones, like on my butt and chest. Yep, humiliations galore, but it was a fun time.
The Art Cow moovement is insidious and must be stopped. Only last year, there were Art Ponies in Arlington Heights, and even my beloved Seattle got in on the act with Art Swine. In Utah, there are Art Moose (or Art Meese, if you prefer).
In solidarity with Stockholm’s Militant Graffiti Artists! Bad Art Must Die!
