October 29, 2009: Scenes From the NYC Street Advertising Takeover
Last Sunday was the second NYCSA, an event organized by the Public Art Campaign to oppose the proliferation of illegal advertising billboards around the city. I followed a team of whitewashers as they whited-out six billboards in SoHo- and later in the day, I photographed different teams of artists using the billboards as blank slates for their art. Most of the pieces didn't last long: the billboard company had teams out postering all day, and had taken back most of the spots within a couple of hours of the whitewashers hitting them. Personally, I prefer the billboards just painted white- I think they photograph better that way, and I don't like drawing an equivalency between illegal advertising and illegal art.
Comments
Interesting project. Thanks for the commentary to explain the efforts and your perspective.
Great project, I love the visual of whited out ads.
I just saw your documentary on YouTube. I was impressed. I'm a street photographer living in Seattle and Yokohama, Japan.
I was going to get involved with that with Paper Tiger Television but wasn't able to. Really like the pictures though. It's a important project.
hi jake am from syracuse ny but i work for chrysler near chicago now that my assy plant closed . i like to go into the city to take pics of people and buildings. you are an inspritation to me thanks . please take a look at some of my work on face book if you get a chance LARRY LEWIS . thanks larry
Ha, what are the odds you'd catch the moment in the first photo.
I agree with you. The blank white is much better.
Leave a comment