A Powderhorn Park lawn artist who has long clashed with City Hall will get tossed out of his home on Thursday as city officials move to condemn his property and end his practice of using his front yard as an open-air gallery for controversial sculptures.
A provocative, dark and somewhat jumbled creation, the artwork has existed in one form or another for at least 15 years at Andrew Moore's Bloomington Avenue S. home. For what Moore calls "reality art," he uses random bits of garbage to protest issues such as gentrification, racism and poverty.
"I really would hate to throw it away," Moore said as he looked over the yard last week.
He lost his home to condemnation on Monday after falling behind on utility bills. Moore made an 11th-hour deal with the We Buy Ugly Houses rehab outfit, and plans to sell the property before he's kicked out on Thursday. Most of the sale proceeds will go toward fees owed to City Hall for code violations. Moore said he'll walk away with $5,000.
The yard art has become a Powderhorn Park institution, said area resident Tony Balluff, who doesn't know Moore personally.
"It's right in the middle between art and protest," he said. Some people embrace it, but others tolerate it out of respect for Moore's freedom of speech, Balluff said.
"It's a huge installation, and it sometimes can be overwhelming," he said.
Moore traced the roots of his yard art to being fired from the Re-Use Center, a salvaged-goods organization that once had an outlet at the Hiawatha-Lake mall. He protested his firing with signs outside the Re-Use Center's front door and eventually moved the "reality art" to his house, where it took on other subjects.
