Illegal billboards serve as giant canvases for Southern California’s graffiti artists. Too Tall Jahmal, founder of 50mmlosangeles.com, a website dedicated to promoting global graffiti culture, says graffiti art can be a political statement. Augor, an artist profiled in the video, calls himself a “billboard liberation artist,” because much of his work involves painting over giant, pop culture billboards. But Augor’s creations are illegal and he’s forced to conceal his identity.
Check out the video to see why graffiti writers like Augor will climb to death defying heights, in the dark, and break the law in the name of artistic expression.
26 Comments
Man...Every time I see some art on the freeway bridge or some other obscure place, I'm always like..."HOW DID THEY GET UP THERE TO DO THAT!!?!?". I mean many props alone for just having the athletic ability to climb up and over some craziness and still keep a steady hand to spray!!! Awesome.
Climbing the billboard isnt that hard if you know how it's done. Staying hidden is the hard part.
it does not augor well for me to leave you here alone by yourself
what's this guy talkin' about?
Very cool!!!
Great piece. I'm waiting for someone to invent some sort of device, like a go-go-gadget spraycan that will let them reach all the way to the top of the billboard. That will be bliss.
(I work in advertising. Makes me dig this even more.)
"Billboards inspire graffiti" - Amazing concept! Great peak into a subculture I never really knew anything about. Yet it's encountered so often.
Oh, and THAT'S how they get up there!
There is a wall on 3rd and western. After 30 years they took down the building and exposed advertising that was pristine. A day later the graffiti went up with their own take.
One Korean grocery store Hankook Market on 1st and Western commissioned a graffiti artist to decorate its street side wall, subsequently other artists added their take.
Here are some images from that Wall and the walls in the area:http://www.flickr.com/photos/opheliachong/sets/72157594338849097/
Hi Ophelia - did u take these pix?
My fave is and always will be, "MOMO" on the 10 fwy. I look for it every time I drive past it, and breathe a sigh of relief when I see it's still there. It's been at least 3 years now.
I really liked this! Pretty neat concept and amazing video work. I always wondered how people got up there, too! Great job!
beautiful work!
very cool video - well produced!
beautiful
Aces! A Burly piece of cultural reportage!
truly inspiring.
This is great, thanks for making this. You got some crazy shots!
nice work,,
lets not forget Kaws though, he actually did inspire Captain Morgan's company to paint billboards in the way he was changing them. You know the whole captain was here, and red mustache over the peoples faces campane, that was a complete Kaws bite, used to then market, and possibly get the last laugh..
with that said Augors fresh..
it kind of goes both ways though...some of those billboards appeal to the masses. some of them look good as they are. and the murals getting put on top just make the landscape look worse because of the marriage. On the other hand, sometimes they look better-
I LOVE graffiti and think it has a place in society. For me it's about co-existing.
Great piece.
augor is my idol even if he is afro american go augs go augs badass
Even tho he's 'afro' american? wtf. hope the rest of your country thinks that way, it might do some good for the white house
Graffiti in its essence IS advertisement. a self advertisement. Only it doesn't sell anything. it just tells you about the author. its more pure.
Graffiti in its essence IS advertisement. a self advertisement. Only it doesn't sell anything. it just tells you about the author. its more pure.
excellent piece-beautifully shot. vivan las graffiti artists who reclaim public space and our constantly for rent eyeballs!
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calistar says :
This is awesome!