I’m a big fan of public art, particularly when I’m in transit – literally in the case of the Canada Line.
But honestly, sometimes …
You’ll spot these posters in the regular advertising slots, usually in groupings of four, each with a heading – like ‘Acquire.’
In case you can’t read the words at the bottom – and they’re (deliberately?) tough to make out – they say: (Acquire) “a brand new personality and join the miserables.”‘
How subtle.
Having pounded out all the irony, what’s the point?
Or of this:
Thanks, Joe, like we needed to know.
The piece in the background left – a bound rider on horse – is altogether more evocative and disturbing. And yet more fitting.
Good poster art can be really amazing, but it takes a considerable amount of skill to create an image accompanied by text to be both engaging and thought-provoking.
I haven’t seen the poster but I’ve passed by the “Joe Sola” poster a few times with a shrug.
There’s something of a growing movement here in Vancouver of this ‘critical’ view of the city’s social ills by way of guerrilla street art.
Jerm IX over at beyondrobson.com writes extensively about it.
My personal feeling is that it’s mostly heavy-handed facsimile of the infamous Banksy, who’s work was just spotted in Toronto:
http://torontoist.com/2010/05/banksy_comes_to_toronto.php?gallery0Pic=3#gallery
It would be preferable if the stations were designed in a more interesting way.
Acquire would’ve been okay, although somewhat banal, if it stopped at, “A new personality…” but the “and join the miserables” was really tacky.