This fun Odd Pueblo feature asks the audience to rate a trend, topic or sighting of something around town: is it snappy or crappy? The last snappy or crappy, the cutest kid with a Mohawk, was voted one of the snappiest yet.
The jury is mixed on the latest snappy or crappy: multicolored architecture.
It could easily go either way, depending on how it’s executed.
The first example is snappy.
This midtown stone border is sweetly kitschy and hopefully was painted using masonry primer or the paint will flake off and make it incredibly crappy. It’s an older home that deserves some funky touches.
The second example is crappy.
This newer building, on North Alvernon Way just north of Fort Lowell Road, should have at least left out the purple. The effect is a multicolored mismatching mishmash.
It’s a prime example of art trying too hard to be cool when it really isn’t, not unlike those paintings of a single dot in the middle of the canvas at which you are supposed to oooh and aaah even though all you are looking at is a dot.
What do you think? Please respond:
a. I agree the stone wall is snappy and the newer building looks like a pile of poop.
b. I think the stone wall is crappy and the newer building is gorgeously sleek and attractive.
c. All multicolored architecture is crappy. The whole world should be one big beige blob.
d. I don’t care because I’m stuck in a red brick house and all other architecture makes me angry.
_
Mornin’ Rynski! The first one looks like volcanic rock, so anything is better than that. Any other kind of stone, I would have to say crappy.(similar to people who have an exquisite antique and paint it.) Architects? Don’t go there in this town. Crappy!
hahah! Mornin’ RadMax – I remember a carpenter friend of mine made this gorgeous wood bedroom set for someone – and she painted it glossy white. I think I know what you mean. I’m still digging the volcanic rock, however. There’s some cool architecture here – some of the older homes are fabulous. But I don’t know what anyone was thinking with several of the putrid “highrises” downtown.
I agree, some of the old houses on main/fourth ave. area are my vision of the perfect home. The elevated hardwood floors, intricate detail if it still has the original moulding, walls about two feet thick, is a lost art. Some of the exposed wood cielings are magnificent. Almost nothin’ but stick and stucco these days. No personality. RE: Downtown. I have a theory that the architects in this town are all trying to one up each other with the most outlandish, impractical eyesores their busy little minds can come up with. PS- I think the guys who designed those cool old houses are probably dirt nappin’ by now.
“Dirt nappn'”! you use the most amusing terms. Love it.
In general, I favor more use of purple around this town. It’s a good desert color. On the subject of architecture, I wish Tucson had taken the styles of the old barrios and just modified them as needed for modern use, without resorting to too many stories blocking the view. It’s a shame that the trend has been towards homogenization. Go anywhere and the stores are the same, the food is the same, and the unique qualities of place are being lost.
Question – why does Red Star aggravate RadMax to tears?
I have to agree with ya on this one Ryn. Normally I wouldn’t think something like the first picture would be my thing, but it really works. in this case. The house looks really charming.
The second one is to contemporary looking for me. I think they added the funky colors trying to warm it up, but that building looks stark and uninviting.
My vision of the multi-colored building in the photo is to paint the whole thing purple, then cover it with a stars and planets motif, or maybe geckoes. Unless it is a corporate headquarters. In that case, were I a guerilla artist, I would sneak over under cover of darkness and paint two big, rosy buttcheeks around the main entrance door. Maybe I would also write “Bend over, all ye who enter here” arching over my masterpiece.
hahhha!
to respond to the glorious comments –
AZMouse – yes, that second building is SO uninviting. even the patio, which should be a nice place to hang, looks like it’s trying too hard to make you want to sit there…but I never do.
Leftfield – Wholly enjoy your vision of the purple with stars and planets. Then purple would work. It doesn’t work as a “jazzed up” box. I’ll give you the exact address of the building if you promise to “rosy buttcheeks” it.
As for the aggravation question, I thought RedSlop aggravated everybody to tears but RadMax simply finally decided to say something. ?? Any other theories?
Hey, what did I miss? RadMax and Red Star had a tiff?
Check out comments on Bastille Day
I’d say RadMax won the tiff.
My goodness. I always miss the excitement.
I’ll never understand why people just want to be negative or mean.
I still live by, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, then say nothing at all’.
Your comments are always helpful, useful, kind and downright hilarious. A welcome addition to every post. Others, as we see, are just headache-inducers. One of my friends always said: “Hurt people hurt people.” So my theory is those who are nasty are really miserable inside. Poor pups.
Thing is, Ryn Gargulinski, ethically, reporters aren’t allowed to be part of the story. But then, you don’t work for a newspaper any longer. Or do you?
To your credit you have at least been careful to not threaten to “find” Red Star or in any other way to threaten.
And yet…
developing…
C’mom now, everybody be happy 🙂
No need for negativity.
Afternoon your redness. Let’s speak hypothetically, shall we? Let’s say I’m a cranky, fuddy-duddy who knows that I personally cause the planets alignment, the sun to shine, life itself.(Why I spend my precious time on a site I seem to despise…. I’m still working on that). Now let’s say there are some talented, but not nearly enough for me, writers at this site. One I happen to know is black. I show my contempt for this person at every opportunity, but it just isn’t enough…Eureka! I’ve got it, I’ll post a link to some off color black jokes! That’ll show them! You are beneath contempt. PS- Lefty, if red menace had posted to a black joke site, and Ryn was black, would you be so clueless?
I think they are both snappy!
The multi-colored stone was is cool and unique (as long as there are no junky , broken down cars on the other side of the wall).
I like the multi-colored building. The colors go really well with our desert landscape.
Thanks Ryn!
I too feel that unhappy people want others to feel unhappy as well. Life is to short.
I’ll go with the buildings, b. The first shot looks like someone put their Fruity Pebbles together with mortar instead of milk–gross!
yuck
Yes, it does look like Fruity Pebbles! Now I like it even more (even though I don’t particularly care for Fruity Pebbles). Now I’ll have to find the Cocoa Pebbles house….
Thanks, RadMax, for your continued support. It’s very annoying when people just don’t get it.
A simple apology to you might be nice, but don’t hold your breath waiting. You keep writin’-I’ll keep readin’.
Hi Radmax – just a question, that’s all; not taking a position. As to being clueless, I often am. I also don’t follow links from posts, so I am thinking I missed something there. I am gathering that RedStar attacked Ms Gargulinski.
Was derogatory towards Ryn because of her ethnicity.
Howdy Lefty. Yup, in his usual underhanded hit and run way. I think he crossed the line. You and I have somewhat of a history of ‘goin’ at it’, but you always use humor and wit, real opinions. I always say, a clever insult is almost as much fun to get as give. Nothing but respect for you….nasty commie 🙂
I appreciate the compliment.
[…] last snappy or crappy, multicolored architecture, got mixed reviews, although many folks agreed that some Old Pueblo architecture is wholly on the […]