Ever since President Bush’s inauguration, various media have kept themselves busy exploiting his figure, or covering every single move of his (I personally cannot live without Will Ferrell’s Bush in SNL).

© Rhonda Winter, Photo courtesy of New Image Art

In the article “The Art of Loving Bush” (from Coagula Art Journal #50, March 2001), Julien Nitzberg says, “…art is better under Republicans”. Of course, we have to admit that more has to do with this man’s charm, perhaps. Bush has literary become the idol of political propaganda. His various face expressions are just perfectly iconic. New Bush art is constantly found on the street and even making its way into galleries. These two pieces seen here are paintings by Winter, who also pursues photography and peformance art. Every time when come across President Bush’s article in a newspaper, I cannot resist a smile imagining the creative force being tickled somewhere out there.

This has been annoying many show window owners in the city. The new method yet spreading out fast, is more pain than spray paint. Originally retailed for glass-etching purposes, the makers of this chemical have been getting dozens of complaints. Seems like some smart kid who realized in art class that it can be applied to the street went out to prove it. Didn’t take long from there for the word to be spread. Some store windows with serious damage are forced to replace them with painful costs that could easily effect the business financially. Imagine a decorated glass. Would that beautiful design fade as you wash them? The answer is, “never”.

Advertising industry could not possibly remain blind while these happenings of street interaction. The impact and strength of the message have convinced them way far. For example, despite the failure before its appearance in LA (although the launching party took place anyways one night hosted by FLAUNT magazine just for the reason that the word was out and the money was already spent. It was a silly night, typical Hollywood party but completely lost in the purpose part.), MODO.NET has called in quite a bit of attention. Huge billboards that were thoughts provocative, reflecting stickers, and stenciling with pastel colored spray paint on the sidewalk. At least they got people talking about them.

Many record labels are too hitting the street upon their artists’ album release. For example when Radiohead came out with KID A, the street campaign added to the hype. Stickers and stencils of that twisted teddy-cat character, was not information friendly at all for those who didn’t know. While advertising is meant to inform people, KID A campaign was all about the code and were only addressed to the ones who can decode them. Radiohead’s new album AMNESIAC, which came out just couple days ago, is contributing to the cityscapes once again.

Street is an infinity space of unconsciousness, yet big part of people’s daily life. Just think of leaving your home to work. You just take the same route to get to the destination, which you discover is the fastest after several trials, nothing ever new to bother noticing. Or is there? For some people street is where things are constantly updated and provides the slight difference everyday. Nothing lasts forever on the street. It’s the closest from your reality space that you will end up linking with almost all the time. No intentions are required here while going to museums and galleries do.

LA in a way allows the streets to expand under its arms just really far. The presentation doesn’t have the kitsch-ness or chaotic charm that NY or SF might have yet the spaciousness automatically tasks the artists with sensibility and twist in placement of the art, which ends up in a big frame of the cityscape itself. Coming to realization that the everyday scene is full of meanings and codes, I barley can concentrate driving anymore.

Last but not least. Here I’d like to present the ultimate aesthetics of Shepard Fairey’s postering – BLK/MRKT’s Earthlink billboard with Andre the Giant face postered in the background (can you see him?). Beautiful collaboration of the commercial work and the street art.