Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Signage of the Timeage
1. Seen on two sides of a big three-sided street poster display: 3x4 matrixes of twelve 8x11 sheets of paper, each with a different color-printed photo of a slim blonde woman looking thoughtful or wistful or creative, with a small area of text at the bottom, which read:
“Would you like to take a social sculptor (conceptual, performative artist) to dinner?
“Media: Conversation, Laughter, Hope, Boredom, Chemistry, Flirtation, Desire, Anticipation, Obligation, Relationship, Discomfort, Hormones, Vulnerability, Romance, Personal History, Status (economic, cultural, etc).
“Date: In Progress.
“To be considered for a date with the artist, please contact...” And there she left her email address. These little handbills were up for several weeks, but after just a few days I noticed that several had been indelicately ripped down from the kiosk where they’d been individually glued in place. By whom, I wondered? An eager suitor? A jealous boyfriend? An outraged woman who hadn’t agreed to the publicity? I sort of wish I’d kept the email address, just to see how things went. Judging from the condition of the posters, though, I rather doubt that anybody got what he or she wanted.
2. Seen written in thick black letters on a cheerful orange posterboard tacked to a utility pole at 4th and California:
“Garage Sale! 4th and Calif, 10 to 3!”
Written atop that text, with a sputtering ballpoint pen:
“Dead; turnin into ghost; Im comin back from Dead; in a lot of pain a lot pain; am hurting a lot; Earth Ghost forever; people gang up on me torment me”
And so I wonder: How much were they asking for the Earth Ghost? And can you really get rid of one of those at a garage sale, anyway?
And furthermore: any good signs on your ride to work these days?
