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September 17, 2006
ACLU CRACK HAVEN
I think I kind of live here. The picture above was found on Art Blogging LA.
View from a Loft has this picture and these thoughts:
I agree in that it's well done, but also question the context. The signs are critical of social groups stating they are empowering drug dealing and it's rare that side of the fence is subject of artistic criticism. "LA CAN" is a grassroots organization from Skid Row and it's certain that LA CAN's supporters are the ones who took down that sign.
I agree, too. LA's downtown is a unique case, the zone's failures having (in the way of such things) a complicated array of fathers, but blaming advocacy organizations for the blight of drugs is not only backwards, but also encodes the right's false assumption that if those hard-working, overmatched folks weren't out there, there would by definition be less dealing, homelessness or addiction. That wishful thinking is unsupported by the history of drugs in major cities before the rise of modern advocacy, as well as by the drug problems in today's rural municipalities who have had nowhere near the same level of "rights"-centered advocacy that places like LA or NYC have had and yet are experiencing explosive growth in addiction and the like.
This is an arbitrary, generalizing swipe, but what I don't understand is why View from a Loft is surprised to see this kind of message from "artists." For every Gronk that has lived downtown for years, there are a dozen, skateboard-riding, post-graffiti, collectible-making, like, guys, whose politics strike me as being roughly aligned to those of the cast of Jackass. To those folks, black addicts are just the inevitable back-drop to the big, bad city, (required back-drop, even) and anyone working to make those folks' lives better is a bleeding rube, a maroon or a gay girl. So me, I'm not surprised by the signs at all.
Posted by ebogjonson in city of angels, on September 17, 2006 3:53 PM
Comments
Not "surprised." I stated that it's "rare" that advocacy groups are targeted.
Your points are sound and even your sweeping generalization has merit to it's theory. But I don't think that anyone who fits the demographic of "Jackass" viewers (or participants) would be patient enough to research typography standards, research installation sites, and keenly place it time for an Arts Walk that opens the new art exhibit season. It may be a frustrated resident artist who has decided to become a conservative when it comes to creating a safer home turf.
Posted by: e@v at September 18, 2006 12:29 AM
I stand corrected; you did say rare.
But I don't think you're giving the Jackass set their due. Those dude's work pretty hard at making being an asshole seem effortless and natural. ;)
Posted by: ebog at September 18, 2006 1:46 AM
Then I stand corrected. I'll give props to them as well, for giving them the effortless award.
Posted by: e@v at September 18, 2006 2:11 PM
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