Poster Boy and Aakash Nihalani rework Monet, Smells of Appropriation and Publicity Stunt
C/O Dan Gould
My initial reaction to the MoMA installation at Atlantic Ave. was mixed. I concede that people are inundated with advertising, and this was an opportunity to offer people something more cultured. Still, the motivation seemed a little suspect.
Seeing Poster Boy and Aakash Nihalani, however, remix the works made me very excited about the installation. While the public display makes the work vulnerable to vandalism, it also provides for the images to be appropriated and enter the larger cultural dialogue. It, therefore, brings a new life to the pieces and provides for more social commentary.
C/O Doug Jaeger
What I don't quite understand in this story is why Doug Jaeger, the advertising brains behind the original campaign, was photographed participating in the vandalism? The move reduces Poster Boy's street art to a publicity stunt. This makes the project seem calculated and doesn't bode well for the MoMA or Poster Boy.
Update: NY Mag has the scoop. MoMa denies authorizing the vandalism. CBS Outdoors believes otherwise.
Comments
Doesn't bode well? Legal or not, why would a member of the Poster Boy team turn down the opportunity to mash up posters?
Posted by: kskill | February 24, 2009 03:03 PM
doug jaeger is a attention whore, this is so typical
Posted by: arie candel | February 24, 2009 07:37 PM
Because it's sanctioned, Keith. When the CEO of the ad agency that helped put those ads up in the first place is there by your side, things suddenly seem a heck of a lot lamer. You have to admit that in boardrooms around this city, agencies pitching for large lifestyle brands like Coke or Converse continually say "and then we'll get poster boy to come and 'remix' them...". I hate to say it, but it cheapens the poser boy "brand". So the jokes on him/them/you.
Posted by: $ries | February 24, 2009 07:55 PM
If it was a Coke ad that "PB" mashed up I would agree, but it was art. The Museum of Modern Art. An organization funded by donations (not big business), who promotes the arts. That's a pretty big opportunity for a modern artist. It's as if MoMA offered PB an exhibit.
Just my 2 cents. I see where you're coming from, but I don't think PB's values were hurt on this particular project.
Posted by: kskill | February 25, 2009 01:57 PM