Street Artist Urges NYC to VOTE

Street artist Clark Clark (fake name alert) has been urging New Yorkers to vote through his "VOTE" graffiti campaign. The design mimics that of Robert Indiana's famous LOVE sculpture circa the 1970s. The 25-year-old Clark told The Villager:

“I’ve hit four boroughs now,” Clark said, sitting in his Flatbush, Brooklyn, apartment, surrounded by his own work. “I still want to do Staten Island. I had wanted to go and do all of Vito Fossella’s walls, but he did the right thing and stepped down.”

He also notes that it's an homage to artist Indiana, not a parody -- and hopes to connect with the younger, urban voters by appealing to them through his nonpartisan campaign. He told the paper, however, that he thinks "the people who will respond to graffiti, demographics show, will probably vote for Obama over McCain."

Clark says he's done about 2,200 and 2,500 stencils since January, and has also given city folk some stencils and stickers of their own. Sound familar? Like Shepard Fairey, he's also been busted a few times, being written up four times in New York already, and spending one night in The Tombs. When he tried to hit up the swing states, however, he received even more severe punishment -- including a full four days in prison in Ohio.

Photo via Dietrich's Flickr.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on July 9, 2008 1:21 PM

Comments [rss]

tweettweet

girl, boy, or team...the message is great and I have seen it everywhere!

okfine

http://voteapparel.com/

lindsay1

Dear Everyone,

I think Clark could be a group of artists or maybe a girl.... I saw a girl spraying the Vote and the Nov4th in the lower east side last night.

Anyway This is my first election to vote in and i think any awareness of voting in any neighborhood is good.

And who ever said this "oh look how socially conscience I am brooklyn MFAer" is an arragant mofo clearly knows nothing about art and/or voting demographics

Hell- hand me some spray paint and stencil because this socially conscience Rhode Island BFAer will be right out there with ya.

hollatchagirl

YES!!! I Love this campaign! I need to get my hands on a tshirt or some stickers because people need to remember that just wanting someone in office doesn't get them there.

YOU HAVE TO VOTE!!!

To all the naysayers: Truth is that graffiti has street cred and communicates to a sect of society that might not exercise their right without a reminder!

To avoid arrest, perhaps the artist could continue with permissioned pieces or use spray chalk. Although I appreciate the permanent quality of spray paint.

okfine

I love the campaign and think it is harmless and fun. Come paint my wall!

books

Hate this arrogant mofo - pretty sure he's a brooklyn college MFA student - he spray painted his 'oh look how socially conscience I am' message on the wall of a Private house of a woman I know in ParkSlope - the woman, who incidently has lung cancer had to spend an afternoon cleaning this shit off her house. It aint art, or politics, he just an egotisical low life.

NannyState

This just shows how much better Robert Indiana looks than most street art.

Rach

There's like 60 of these on my building.

thefacts

Cuntry, read #12, #13 and #14 and maybe you will learn. But I doubt it.

Btw, are you from Missouri or Ohio? You seem very upset.

ides_of_march

Anyone who needs a crappy piece of pop art to convince them to vote is probably too dumb to vote.

starrygordon

So a non-voter is going to look at this tiresome cliche (variations on Indiana's painting have been ground out and flogged endlessly over the last several years by the dozens and hundreds) -- he's going to look at this and say "Oh, gee, I better go get registered and vote! That sign says so!"

Never mind vote for what. You some kind of subversive?

Pious mainstream graffiti. That's all we need.

eyekantspel

He told the paper, however, that he thinks "the people who will respond to graffiti, demographics show, will probably vote for Obama over McCain."

someone should tell this guy that he's in New York City. The demographics show that most people in this area will probably vote for Obama over McCain, regardless of graffiti.

We're not even in a swing state. Defacing property is not going to change a thing.

Dr Pigeon

Hope that Robert Indiana is getting some kind of kick-back for someone using his iconic LOVE piece without his permission.

eyekantspel

The artistic expression of the VOTE campaign is worthwhile and inspiring. Most young urban youths do not regularly visit museums but witness street art as a valid form of artistic expression, that has the power to transform landscape and also their minds.

lol, what a load of crap.

brooklynbs

I still have doubts about whether any of my votes in NYC have ever been counted. One year I swear they had me use a crayon to fill out a paper ballot.

okfine

Many artists, most famously, Keith Haring create political work in public spaces in New York. The artistic expression of the VOTE campaign is worthwhile and inspiring. Most young urban youths do not regularly visit museums but witness street art as a valid form of artistic expression, that has the power to transform landscape and also their minds.

cuntry

How is writing VOTE egomaniacal? Grafitti is always in NYC how does it matter that he came from Missouri to do it?

You're an animal.

thefacts

This jerk just came to NY from Missouri and feels free to vandalize our city with his egomaniacal nonsense?

He also spent time in Ohio.

Why does Gothamist give this clown space?

drewo

It's a sad commentary on our times if this is the kind of thing that's needed to remind people to exercise their right to vote. You would think that working people would question where the 1/3 of their paycheck that is excised each week from their pockets is actually spent - and whether it's spent in a way that benefits themselves.

I suspect more Americans vote on nonsense like American Idol than they do at elections. Maybe our citizens deserve an economic crash and a relegation to 2nd world status and an even lower standard of living.