Gnome place like home

January 29, 2013 8:22 AM

Tiny paintings of gnomes have been turning up in the Oakland neighborhoods surrounding Lake Merritt. Some were attached to Pacific Gas & Electric power poles and were in danger of being removed, but the utility has responded to public outcry by granting the gnomes a reprieve. Neighbors and the popular Children's Fairyland are supporting keeping the gnomes around.
posted by agatha_magatha (18 comments total)

"We received a great deal of public feedback, so we're declaring the poles gnome-man's land. We're not going to remove them," PG&E spokesman Jason King said.

Nicely done. Nicely done.
posted by brundlefly at 8:30 AM on January 29, 2013 [4 favorites]

1. Paint tiny pictures of gnomes around Oakland.
2. ???
3. Profit.
posted by entropicamericana at 8:34 AM on January 29, 2013 [3 favorites]

Nice connection from my current neighborhood to the city where I was born. I'm guessing Oakland's gnomes are less politically weighted than Wrocław's.
posted by migurski at 8:35 AM on January 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

The idea is adorable, but the execution is....we'll go with "naive."
posted by xingcat at 8:36 AM on January 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

Authorities tried to find out who the artist was, but everyone said they didn't gnome.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:47 AM on January 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

Someone call those Pines kids.
posted by fight or flight at 9:02 AM on January 29, 2013

Not so much naive as heavily pixie-lated.
posted by arcticseal at 10:35 AM on January 29, 2013

The idea is adorable, but the execution is....we'll go with "naive."

That's what I like about them. It puts them in the "folk art" part of my brain rather than the "twee street art" part.
posted by cmoj at 10:56 AM on January 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

These aren't accompanied by black cubes, are they?
posted by Atreides at 11:38 AM on January 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

If PG&E changes their minds, you can send them all to me. I love gnomes and collect them. As soon as the weather changes they will all come out and go on my porch amongst my plants and flamingos.

Yeah, flamingos, too. Leave me be.
posted by SuzySmith at 12:09 PM on January 29, 2013

Here at FairyRoom, we might joke that all the fairy dust we’re stirring up with this online magazine brought these mysterious urban gnomes to our town, but we really do know better.

Urban Gnomes? Really?
posted by Metro Gnome at 12:16 PM on January 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

Urban Gnomes? Really?

Call the Atlantic!
posted by migurski at 12:45 PM on January 29, 2013

Urban Gnomes? Really?

Yes, gnomepunk replaced steampunk about two years ago. Hipsters in the know are already living in hollowed-out mushrooms and tweeting about fights with squirrels.

Do try to keep up.
posted by sebastienbailard at 12:59 PM on January 29, 2013 [6 favorites]

Yes, gnomepunk replaced steampunk about two years ago. Hipsters in the know are already living in hollowed-out mushrooms and tweeting about fights with squirrels.

There's a house in the hipster neighborhood I live in with more than 200 gnomes out from decorated in all different costumes and set in various scenes.

Hipsters and their ancestors have always embraced kitch.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 2:15 PM on January 29, 2013

TORX drive: clearly the work of advanced beings.
posted by humboldt32 at 2:37 PM on January 29, 2013

I think this is cute.

My volunteer job is having a gnomes-and-gargoyles craft contest in the spring. I still need to think of what I'm going to do for that.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:17 PM on January 29, 2013

Will hipsters start wearing conical red hats? Can we make that happen?
posted by Area Man at 8:05 PM on January 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

well, there is an Art School about a 15 minute bike ride from Lake Merrit. who else would carry a screw gun and have art supplies? the Torx head screws are a nice, difficult to remove, touch.
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 5:19 AM on January 30, 2013