Projected Art: Satire in L.A.

A discussion of the projected art of James Cui and Barbara Kruger and how their artistic expressions are protected under the First Amendment.

Recently a Los Angeles graphic designer made quite a stir by projecting a large sign on the side of the bell tower of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The sign read: Your Ad HERE. This lighted message only lasted a few hours and was created by James Cui who was so subtle as to also include his phone number in the projected faux advertisement.

A quote from Dave Keim, a local official with the Department of Building and Safety, is revealing. "What he put up is the equivalent to an advertising sign and not a work of art. To us, anything that attracts the attention of the public is a "sign" and you need a permit."

What Mr. Keim may not be aware of is that Mr. Cui's piece of art is protected as a First Amendment expression and also as satire. By projecting light onto the property of another, is Mr. Cui truly trespassing? Has he created merely an advertising sign?

The artwork is considered conceptual as it emphasizes message over medium. So, while you can't buy Mr. Cui's artwork and hang it over your sofa, you can admire and consider the concept. By creating and projecting a faux ad, Mr. Cui is making social commentary of the church, the Catholic Church, organized religion, advertising, and our perception of advertising.

Projecting images and using advertising to re-present ideas is nothing new. Barbara Kruger is a well-known practitioner of the phony advertising message meant to provoke thought. However, sometimes thought-provoking also can become provocative.

Cui tells a story of getting a warning from a sensitive California Highway Patrol officer who was offended by a projected film clip of a topless woman with a black censored bar across her eyes.

And if you have to ask, is Cui an artist or a self-promoter the only answer is...yes.

Source: http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1328840