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This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Arts & Entertainment

TrustoCorp's Guerrilla Street Sign Improvements Come to Gallery1988

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"ATTENTION: SHIT COULD BE WORSE"

"YOU LOOK LOVELY TODAY"

"YOU ARE NOT COOL"

These may be the kinds of phrases you mumble while driving around Los Angeles wishing the few open parking spots weren't so far away and didn't have $4/hr (incl. Sunday) meters. But what if those six-part, multiple-infraction, day-and-time sensitive parking signs in Hollywood were replaced with something more sensible?

Last spring, NYC-based artist(s) TrustoCorp did exactly that, posting street signs with phrases such as "BROKE is the new BLACK" on downtown Manhattan streets (summarized by this brilliant middle-finger map).

TrustoCorp decked out Gallery1988 last weekend with a wall of signs as well as an installation of collages and mock-brands subvertised for the helplessly vain, paranoid, and foreclosed-upon American consumer. TrustoCorp skipped town early Monday but left behind prints available for purchase at Gallery1988. And who knows... keep an eye out for copycats (and send in pics to our photo pool)!

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

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