I've done a few public art projects of my own devising over the years. Below you will find the San Francisco hand-painted billboard. For continuity sake, here is what Paul Krassner wrote about it in the Berkeley Barb 1975:
No one commissioned them. [Though the last ones in Times Square in 1999 were a proposal.] I returned from an extended stay in Europe in the late 90s. Everything streetwise appeared rather grey to me. I didn't have a permanent place to live at the time so I had to think big. Here is the proposal I wrote:
I then proceeded to obtain several permits. No one had ever heard of anyone doing a project in any way similar to this so as I approached one city office after another I was responded to with great curiosity and bewilderment. I wasn't even asking them for funds. They didn't know what to do. But one man, who I only recall since somehow over the years I managed to keep a detailed set of papers outlining the entire affair, was inspired by the idea. He was Frank Addeo. We had several fun conversations. Here are a few more letters and a letter or support from the Community Board.
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| This is the letter that granted permission. It's dated Dec 1998 and says permission was granted May 1998 |
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| A Letter to City Lore asking for help. I don't know if I received a response as I've no copy. |
A survey of the newsstand at Third Avenue & 14th Street.
I had spoken with the man who either owned it
or worked inside it several times. He is mentioned
in the newspaper article. He said he was going to
speak with the owner of the stand and put me in
touch with her or him. He never did. I had all the permissions I needed except that and he said it was all right with him. I'd been trying to get it passed with the various organizations for about a year. One day I
decided I would proceed no matter what. How could anyone mind; it was going to make the newsstand very visible and people would be flocking to it.
Here we are painting the newsstand on a spring day. I am horrified that I do not remember the name of the person helping me! It's difficult for me to imagine that I don't know his name. Joe keeps popping up in my head. I never saw him again. Where did he come from? I think he was going to the Shambhala Center and meditating but I'm not certain. Where/who is this person? The one person who came to help me and I can't remember. How very terrible. Perhaps this will be righted after publishing all these images and notes. Surely someone will recognize him.
I hope.
Somewhere around here the attendant of the newsstand came to open it for the day. He was in shock and made us stop immediately. No one ever got back to me to allow us to continue. His English language skills were very small and I never did find the actual owner of the stand. This is how it was left. Too bad we were almost finished!
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| JUDITH MALINA ARRIVED TO CHEER US ON! HANON REZNIKOFF TOO IS IN THE CAR. HOW WONDERFUL TO HAVE SUPPORT FROM YOUR FRIENDS. Now for the finale. |
Even though William Niederkorn meant well, the fact is I did have all the permissions I needed. The newsstand guy saw all the permits I did have since a year but I don't think he could read them and he never asked the person who owned the newsstand (Kash) as far as I could tell. The decision was not up to the manager and permission from the Consumer Affairs Department was not necessary. We don't know what kind of mind anyone has. But in my mind the colors were a great improvement. I went on to make more painted newsstands the following year. So all was not lost as it led to the next project with high school students. More on that another day. It's exhausting trying to document one's artistic doings. This was almost 20 years ago. I hope you enjoy the efforts put forth here. Now where's Joe?
And here's to vividness for its own sake.
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