Mandela Poster Project fundraiser is LIVE on Indiegogo!

January 24, 2014 at 1:44 am | Latest News, Robbie's Rants | No comment

OUR L.A. NELSON MANDELA TRIBUTE POSTERING BIG ADVENTURE: Featuring a nutty night of “WALKING” & “DANCING” at Canter’s Deli with 200 of our favorite guerrilla volunteers, and a “courtesy call” from LAPD!

First and foremost, thanks so much to all of you who came out on Friday, December 6th, to honor Nelson Mandela the night after his passing! Deb & I were quite overwhelmed by the massive turnout. Over 200 people memorialized the moment and celebrated Mandela’s life by going out plastering the streets of L.A. with two new Mandela posters, WALKING and DANCING. It was a beautiful moment in history, and we were happy to play a small part in it with all of you.

We were also witness to a crazy–even historic–turn of events that evening. In the 27 years I’ve been doing this (MEN WITH NO LIPS, Sept. 1986, was the first street poster we put up in L.A.), it’s the very first time the LAPD has decided to join the party at Canter’s, even before we hit the streets! And it was definitely the first time the LAPD has been quite so polite to me. Seems as if they’d finally read the “Guerrilla Etiquette & Postering Techniques” pages on my website and were following our rules by the book, so to speak.

Briefly, for those of you who weren’t there, and for all of you who were, but maybe couldn’t catch my conversation with Peace Officer Guerra, (who, by the way, is an excellent representative of Chief Charlie Beck’s new policing culture), and his two fellow officers. For a fantasizing moment, think of Officer Guerra as perhaps he might occasionally think of himself: as THOR the superhero, wielding his new weapon of choice—a “velvet hammer.” Taking the form of a polite, sotto voce threat, couched in concern for “the welfare of our citizenry,” he gently reminded me that postering on public property w/out a permit and on any private property w/out the owner’s permission is illegal. He also informed me that, “We’ve become aware of your project through the internet.” YIKES! We all might be wise to take a moment and process that one. However enthusiastic, let’s certainly make note of LAPD’s new awareness of our social network announcements of future art attacks, .

Officer Guerra continued, “We have extra units watching out for you all tonight,” And…wait for it. Here comes the red velvet cupcake in the palm of the velvet glove that wielded the velvet hammer: “Then there’s vandalism, you know. Willful destruction of city property is a serious offense.” As over 200 silent, respectful, guerrilla volunteers leaned in to hear better, he then casually mentioned municipal code violations, subject to a mandatory appearance before a municipal judge 30 days after the day/night of enforcement, and a possible fine of @ $250, equivalent to a traffic ticket these days. Talk about a chill factor! You could feel the temperature drop in the room!

Officer Guerra finished up his soliloquy with an imprecation to “be safe out there in this holiday season,” and, “please do not cause our citizenry any unnecessary trouble, nor get into any ourselves”. Good advice, which we can all certainly appreciate. So, basically, it was a courtesy call. Very well done. To tell you the truth, all this was refreshingly different from Chief Daryl Gates’ 1990’s policing culture: a 24-7 lightning-bolts-of-fear-and-intimidation onslaught! Over the years I’ve had too many go-rounds w/Chief Gates in the media, and his officers on the mean streets. Even though I’d much rather see our officers in blue out tackling bigger issues than littering, I’ll take LAPD’s new style over the old any day.

So, all those bright red and blue flashing lights in Canter’s parking lot were just LAPD’s contribution to the festive atmosphere of our Mandela postering tribute. Despite their potentially chilling presence at the deli that night, even they couldn’t quash the irrepressible spirit of joy and revelry everyone brought to the occasion. More than 800 posters, several dozen buckets of wheat paste, and as many brushes were distributed in less than 5 minutes to an excited crowd waiting in the parking lot. And as far as we know, no one was arrested nor even stopped, while putting up Mandela’s WALKING and DANCING posters that night! Even more amazing? Most of those 800 posters are still up on construction sites and traffic light switching boxes all over the city today, more than one month later! That’s a significant sign of respect in this crazy L.A. street culture, all due, I’m sure, to the incredible impact Mandela’s life–and death–have had upon us.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the Mandela posters and the event—getting together with all of you is always my favorite part of this whole public art making magilla! To that end, we’ll soon be launching a fundraising campaign through Indiegogo, with our collaborators from artaidsart.org. Our intent is to raise enough funds to print and distribute even more Mandela tribute posters across the country, and beyond. We’ve already sent 5,000 to be handed out for free in Capetown, South Africa. But we’d love to send them to cities around the US, and the world, or wherever they’re wanted or needed. When you get the Indiegogo email, please donate whatever feels comfortable. In return you’ll receive Mandela WALKING or DANCING stickers, signed posters, or limited edition prints, plus the knowledge that you’ve helped send Mandela posters as many places as they can possibly go!

Thanks again for all your good work and tremendous support. And Happy 2014!

~ Robbie Conal & Deb Ross

January 6, 2014 at 10:58 am | Latest News, Robbie's Rants | No comment