In 2013 PG&E declared their utility poles on Oakland “gnome-man’s land.

There was a time we might have assumed everyone knows about gnomes, the diminutive little storybook character who over time spun its’ way into countless peoples hearts and minds through boundless storytellers. Gnomes are a West Civilization character who have been around since the 16th century typically living underground. Their name appears to be derived from a Latin term that means earth-dweller. In various European countries they have their own special names: Nisse, Nains, Tontti, Gnom, Dudje,and Mano. They typically are small folk who wear caps. The men usually sport beards.

In modern times gnomes have pseudonyms in popular fantasy literature and movies. They are Nomes in Baum’s Oz series, the earthmen in The Chronicles of Narnia and the Noldor in Tolkien’s writings. In the 19th century they turned up in gardens looking quite kitsch. About 15 years ago in the quirky French movie Amelie, the main character takes photos of her father’s garden gnome visiting the wonders of the world. Click on the link to see those scenes in the movie.

So what does this have to do with street art? In 2012 gnomes began to mysteriously appear in Oakland and of course you can guess where. They can be found in their original dwelling, albeit in a more urban interpretation. They are close to the ground in the urban forest populated with wood utility pools and weeds. That urban forest ironically is close by Fairyland in Oakland.

During the first year of their appearance they made the news with their story picked up by national press, including the New York Times. The artist who created them started with a few to give joy back to his community. He painted gnomes on 6 inch wooden blocks and attached them to the bottom of PG&E pools. What started out as a few blocks scattered around his Lake Merritt neighborhood grew apparently to over 2,000 in various Oakland neighborhoods. As the gnome population grew so did their notoriety. It escalated to the point where PG&E became aware and concerned about the integrity of their equipment and considered having them all removed. After deliberation that included public feedback they stated they could remain and declared the poles “gnome-man’s land.

The gnomes have been around for a while now so we asked Graff Hunter to sniff them out armed with the knowledge that they were reported to be around Lake Merritt, Jack London Square, Haddon Hill, Adams Point and 24th. As one can suspect these creatures are not easy to spot. You have to be on the lookout. He found quite a few. They look slightly weathered. But they are still intact. A testament to the community’s love and respect for these little earth dwellers.

Find the child in you. Go out and seek the other 2,000 plus gnomes. Happy Landing.

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