Mural mania....it's multiplying

Mike, Mike, Mike.....how can you call this mural ugly???  It is a slice of

North Jersey

that conjures up wonderful memories of life as it used to be.  My entire wardrobe came from Alexanders and many a great day was spent shopping there with my now deceased Mother.  I can remember approaching the mural on Alexanders and being so excited and happy to be in

Paramus

in days of old.  I think it is an historical piece from the 60's. Finding a new home for the mural at the Xanadu Complex will give all of us who remember those good old days an opportunity to view and enjoy it once again.

I might add that I am a watercolor artist and instructor.  If art conjures up a feeling..whatever it may be, than it's purpose has been served.  Please take another look and don't have it stored away or destroyed.  Some of us really love it.

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Mr Kelly,

In all due respect, do you have only paint by numbers art hanging in your house?  For so many years I viewed the Stephan Knapp as a great piece of art.  My interpretation is a world view, like a map.  With so many plain structures in

Paramus

(and elsewhere) in the last 40 years, having this beauty to look at while driving brightened up a mundane trip to work or shop.  I was so pleased to read that it is saved.  I hope one day it will be in full view for all to see.  It is one of the Seven Wonders of Bergen County.

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As a professional artist/designer with work around the globe, I totally agree with you that the Knapp mural IS garbage, and NO.. art is not something that instills an emotion.  If that were true, anyone could (for example) place a dime in a crack in the sidewalk and rope it off for the sake of stirring emotion so as to call it art.

I work in a very creative and competitive field of Theming Design and Construction.  Xanadu is an entertainment complex looking to attract kids of all ages.  With that, they (Xanadu) should be thinking "out of the box". 

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I do not often comment on articles I read in the paper.  I try to remember that many of the writers are the unfortunate victims of this states lacking school system and that we are all affected by the mass amount of corruption and crime that has a strangle hold on this great state.  But when I come across an article like the one you wrote in Thursday's Local section of the Bergen Record, I feel obligated to provide a little education and feedback.

First of all, in response to your opening statement, "Let's face it:

North Jersey

is pretty ugly".

When I drive the Turnpike and gaze out at the oil tanks, the shipyards, the garbage mounds, the rising smoke plumes, I see the growth, prosperity, ingenuity, and wealth that has made this country the strongest and richest in the world.    In spite these scenes that some may see as less than beautiful, North Jersey still has the beauty of nature preserved along route 23 and out west 80, an abundance of parks, zoos, architecture, cultural history, etc.   I could go on but way waste the efforts on one so blind.

In reference to your comments regarding Stefan Knapp's mural, "The mural means nothing, has no message.  It's just blotches of blue and red and green, swimming, swarming, floating".

First of all, if you had any eye for beauty or art, you would recognize the this is an abstract of a bullfight.  I'd help point out the specifics to help you see for yourself but again, why waste my efforts.  This mural is a

New Jersey

icon that has been enjoy and appreciated by thousands of fans for decades.  It is a splendid work of art and I would be proud to see it displayed at Xanadu.

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Dear Mr. Kelly, I guess you don't realize that the mural which once hung on the Alexander's store is a non - objective style painting. Actually it is closer to abstract art because it is quite evident that its subject is the map of our world. How you don't see this is unbelievable to me. Maybe you do see it but just failed to mention it in your article because you needed a topic to complain about. I think it is a wonderful idea to hang it again. It has been missed. Yes it did stir up a lot of talk when it showed up on the store many years ago but art discussions are a wonderful thing, especially since most people talk about the lives of stupid pop stars.

As an elementary art teacher, with over 25 years of experience, I will tell you what I feel about this painting. It is as I said a modern non - objective/ abstract painting. It is painted in primary colors - red, yellow and blue (you said orange in your article but the picture in the paper looks red and I don't exactly remember the true color). The painting shows great movement and force. Its massive size emphases this. It is very powerful and cannot be ignored. It makes you look at it and react, something that artists want to happen. So, is it art? Most definitely! Sorry you don't get it.

You mentioned that you love artwork by kids (we call them children), this I find hard to believe since you can't appreciate the mural. My elementary students were very excited to see this painting and could see the image of the world in it immediately with large land masses and water. It sparked wonderful discussions and is new and exciting to them since they were born long after it was removed. I know they will enjoy it when it gets re-hung.

Well, back to you Mr. Kelly. You should think before you criticize art which you are not capable of understanding or producing. You need to visit some art museums. Try going to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) to expand your thinking, and do read some art history books dealing with modern art. Maybe it's time to take a few art classes both theory and studio.

I know you will be receiving mail about your ridiculous article, so you see this art piece has achieved its objective - reaction !

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Hello Mr. Kelly,

I was recently made aware of your article in The Record, in which you made numerous disparaging comments about the mural that is being considered for the new "Xanadu" complex. I have to say, whole heartedly, that I completely disagree. My sister and I were raised in

Bergen

County

and fell in love with that mural. We spent hours debating over imagined scenarios depicted in the swirling colors. The day it came down we were saddened and honestly wished we could have afforded to purchase it ourselves-not that we had any idea what we would do with it! My sister and I are now a lawyer and a doctor, respectively, but we both have strong art backgrounds (I have a Masters in Art and she has an Art minor in college) and I can say without hesitation that mural is a wonderful, imaginative work of art. Not everyone need agree, as is true for most interesting pieces of art. However, I felt that another opinion needed to be heard and it be understood that your opinion is not universal. My family would love to see that mural reinstated and I hope that you have not completely abolished that possibility.

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Mike…..i was blown away reading your thoughts on the Alexanders mural.  I agree that it may not be the most beautiful piece of art but nor is Mona Lisa the most beautiful woman ever painted before.  Having grown up in Fair Lawn since the early 60’s and now residing in

Woodcliff

Lake

, the mural was seemingly a part of our life.  The building that stood at the crossroads of Rt 4 & Rt 17 was always measured by the mural.  Even when Alexanders went bankrupt and the store closed, at least we still had the mural.

As far as bringing it over to Xanadu, have you really taken a good look at that monstrosity?  The rectangles of tones on the exterior are absolutely horrendous.  It looks like the designers are trying to create a building that looks OLD! 

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As to your feeling that the mural will pale in comparison to the

Izod

Center

, have you seen those large pillars covered with red vinyl on the four corners?  NOW THAT’S THE DEFINITION OF UGLY!!!!

Comments

[Peter Knipe]

Dear Mike,

I am president of the Bergen Museum's Board of trustees. I have not been at all surprised with the overwhelming support for the Knapp Mural. In speaking with the reporter that wrote the recent article about the potential of the Knapp Mural being located at Xanadu I told Mr. Gavin that the Museum had conducted a survey a few years ago that found that a very large majority of the more than 1,000 people surveyed regarding the possibility of finding a new home for the Mural in Bergen County or the region strongly supported the idea.

In very simple terms the Knapp Mural as one person put it is "1,000 times better" than the geometric pattern that travelers now see on the Xanadu project when traveling west on Route 3.

Xanadu is a great project and will attract many people to its varied attractions and businesses. The size of the Knapp Mural and its bold colors would make a very impressive and memorable impact to those going to Xanadu and those passing it. It will attract positive attention and I am sure would have a second life as an Icon of lower Bergen County as it had become an Icon in Paramus where millions passed weekly.

I would encourage as many people as possible to share their opinion as to the benefits of seeing the Knapp Mural on the Xanadu project or on any venue that would have a large passing audience.

The Bergen Museum would love to hear from people directly via email at bergenmuseum@hotmail.com

Peter Knipe

[Miriam Taub]

For those of us who grew up in the area, the mural is a slice 'o Bergen County life. I'd welcome its return. It reminds me of the days when stores weren't open 6 nights a week and it was a family event to go shopping on a Thursday evening to Hackensack or Alexander's or the outdoor Garden State Plaza or Bergen Mall.

[Marie Ebert]

I moved out of Bergen County 25 years ago, but the mural on the Alexanders building remains one of my clearest memories from childhood. I always saw a duck with a hat on near the right side.The mural is definetly a piece of Americana, and should be reinstalled for all to see. The value in art is it ability to insight emotional responses and to tell stories. The Knapp mural does all that and......... more.

[Marie Ebert]

I moved out of Bergen County 25 years ago, but the mural on the Alexanders building remains one of my clearest memories from childhood. I always saw a duck with a hat on near the right side.The mural is definetly a piece of Americana, and should be reinstalled for all to see. The value in art is it ability to insight emotional responses and to tell stories. The Knapp mural does all that and......... more.