Vandalism

Vandalism is a bit of a loaded term; people tend to think of the most brainless and ugly examples of the appropriated canvas and then extrapolate from there to condemn the entire genre. But vandalism can be beautiful, especially when what is being vandalized starts out ugly.

Creative Vandalism
You know those plant racks out in front of supermarkets? What if you showed up one day and found "Heinous Welsh Squash" and "Common Dickweed" for sale? Luther Blissett and Lester Green of San Luis Obispo, California conspired to invent some exotic plants and put them up for sale at the local Scolari's and Thrifty's.

Not satisfied, they also changed around the letters on a local feed store's marquee, making spendid anagrams like "Phone That Tip: Watch 14 Dog Rapes" out of more ordinary bargain announcements.

Vandalism can be used to make something ugly, but it can also be used to point out ugliness, or to replace it with art. The archetypical vandalism is the spraypainted graffiti, which at its best is very beautiful form of Art Sabotage indeed, and ought to be seen as a generous act of civic beautification when it occurs.

Billboard Liberation
Billboards are inherently ugly -- advertising supplements that drop into the very landscape like those post-paid cards that fall out of magazines. It's no surprise that vandals consider them fair game. Billboard Liberation as it's being called, is attracting dedicated practitioners. Reports here, here, and here highlight some good examples. And here's a Marine recruitment billboard that my buddy Luther Blissett altered.

Adbusters has put together a brief guide for the prospective billboard improver that they call "Adding the Blemish of Truth."

I'd be remiss not to include the beautiful Crop Circle phenomenon here somewhere. Here's art etched right on the heart of agriculture.

Check out our Art Forgery page for some related links.