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Over the weekend the Public Ad Campaign organized a massive takeover of some billboard space around Manhattan, where only one whitewashing team was arrested. While the new non-commercial public canvases looked vibrant throughout the day, by the next they were reclaimed by The Man. Luckily it was all well documented. You can check out further images at AnimalNY, Wooster Collective, cronicasbarbaras and Flickr.
To recap, the overall goal was to target the over 500 NPA outdoor street level billboards, spread out throughout the city and varying in size. Allegedly all of those advertising structures are illegal according to the NYC Department of Buildings, who have no permits for the NPA outdoor structures. The purpose of this project was to shed light on the illegal nature of the ad structures and generate a discussion on how they can better be used. Do you think the temporary works were effective in making a statement?
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Would rather look at some of the illegal and often poorly executed ads than that lame "Williamsburg" piece.
A plus for overall project effort (and resulting press)
D minus for that lame ass W'Burg piece
This was a self righteous exercise. I'm sure all of these "artists" have their own health insurance and don't need some big-bad Freelancers Union to make sure their teeth don't rot out of their heads.
I also heard that music if it's played anywhere other than your friends loft is "too commercial" and thus unworthy material to be viewed on our sacred streets. Rather than make snide remarks about which band id playing at which venue I would much rather look at a naked guy sitting on a toilet holding his nutsack.
While the postings may be "illegal" aren't there better uses of your time? I mean the landlord or business owners must also get a piece of this pie, otherwise I can't imagine why they would allow these posters on their private property.
RECLAIMED?! RECLAIMED?! At what point did these spaces belong to these trust fund punks for them to be able to "reclaim" them? Did you ask the small-time building owners who rely on billboard rent to pay their bills what they thought of this? These paint-huffers are self-absorbed jerks who think everybody is just aching to see their copy/paste "art." Stop promoting this garbage and try to show some small bit of respect for the people who really LIVE here, and not just those who are here for a few years to use the city as a giant playpen.
YAY ART IS AWESOME!
The haters above have something in common with those billboards before they were overtaken: Both are a public nuisance that serve little benefit to our cultural landscape.
OH HEY I MADE A METAPHOR LOL
I don't like billboards. I do like art. I think this project is cool.
props.
Excellent! When you'll buy your own building, you can install a billboard and let anyone you want paint on it.
Until then your sense of aesthetic will have to suffer.
The word 'alleged' is the key here. Did anyone involved in this 'action' take the time to check the permits and/or violations for these buildings. This information - both permits and violation history - is available for free at nyc.gov. For example, if any boards on Lafayette Street in Manhattan were painted over, they were done so erroneaously because Lafayette Street is zoned M-1, which is all good for advertising. Much of SoHo and Chelsea are legal advertising neighborhoods due to zoning as well; while 'permits' may not have been obtained in all cases, the 'legality' of these spaces in M-1 and many neighborhoods with Commercial zoning is not in question.
This far, this 'group' proves itself to be an unworthy opponent, unwilling to exert the effort to fully educate itself on its main issue.
Don't know much about Art but living in a society under constant bombardment to buy,buy,buy is discouraging. A bit of unexpected delight is always welcome! I particularly enjoyed the light boxes, the wabbit momma and the live,love, laugh lady bustle. Keep on swishing ya'll make City life a bit more like a City of Dreams.
If you're so weak-minded that every ad makes you want to buy something, you shouldn't be living in NYC. Real NYers know how to tune out ads from an early age. I can enjoy some beautiful images in some ads, but ask me five minutes later and I couldn't tell you what they were advertising.
ok, I participated in this project, and had a great time doing it, everyone who saw me and friends making art were thrilled, people smiled when they saw what we were working on ... and i am a NATIVE NEW YORKER, not a trust-fund kid, son of immigrants , who work hard .. this was not graffiti or destruction of any property beyond the ILLEGALLY placed ads. We are making a statement about public space, yeah i know, its self-righteous to organize hundreds of good people from all walks of life to peacefully create something just plain nice ... relax nerd patrol, get out of your cubicle and go make something..
I hope you didn't do that gay "Williamsburg" piece.
Huffy, whatever is bothering you about Williamsburg, you need to get over. You are pathetic!
Pathetic, is that "art" featuring the word Williamsburg.
Frankly, I like the ads alot better than whitewash...The Outdoor company will make you guys pay large ducats for that stunt, IMO...
Ken with 3 n's
You are NOT the NYC Department of Buildings!
It's not your job to tell a property owner what he/she can do with his/her building!
How would YOU like it if some random person were to come into your apartment and repaint it, because he/she didn't like your home decor?
That's basically what you did to those people's buildings!
anyone see the *huge* Banksy rat obscuring a Fox ad on Houston & Macdougal a few months ago?...
That was @kennn
Hooray, I'm an artist and I feel like painting on the walls so I'll say that the purpose of these "art" is "to shed light on the illegal nature of the ad structures and generate a discussion on how they can better be used", so I don't have to actually answer or offer any solutions while I get to do whatever I want since I'm actually to dumb to offer anything in the first place.
I'm confused by the ferocity of the pro-ad comments. It's as if alt.usenet.landlords stuck their members in boxes with hungry rats and then directed them to this article.
Most New Yorkers are able to tune out advertisements and don't consider them a big deal. But even if you hated the pieces that went up in the ads' places, you are having a reaction, feeling a human emotion because of the presence of art (or "art") instead of an advertisement.
I'd rather feel than ignore, even if the feelings are weird and make me want to yell about trust funds or whatever.
I, for one, feel something InternetHandle
(wait for it...)
I feel terrible looking at that Williamsburg painting.
Oh, and since this IS a Williamsburg Hipster story - was Keri Ferrell involved?
Did she offer to give a 'handjob with her mouth' to any of the 'artists' who defaced those billboards?
Or did she let them toss their 'hotdogs' down her 'hallway?
FREE KOREAN ABDUL-JABBAR!
- ANOTHER COMMUNIQUE FROM THE K.F.L.F. [Keri Ferrell Liberation Front!]