Public Ad Campaign’s Jordan Seiler is much happier now that NPA has largely abandoned their illegal billboard bombing since it means for space for artists to takeover, like this recent site specific piece done by French artist OX in the East Village. Seiler also encouraged artists to take advantage of the new street levels canvasses, offering this bit of advice:

On another note, I have noticed that work placed on the white NPA street level signs stays up for quite a while as the company is not taking care of them anymore. I highly suggest anyone with something to say go out and use these messaging boards for public communications of any kind.

|Public Ad Campaign|

Despite a conspicuous absence from voter guides, Monty Burns hasn’t given up his mayoral aspirations. The campaign is still hitting the streets, plastering their propaganda over illegal NPA ads in their quest to defeat Mayor Bloomberg’s third-term bid. Being a fabulously wealthy power plant owner, Burns doesn’t have to worry about the $500k illegal poster fines that beleaguer other politicians.

Photo by Will Sherman/ANIMALnewyork

NPA City Outdoor continues flouting rarely enforced laws, stepping up their illegal advertising assault in the Meatpacking District. Luna Park points out the corner of West 13th Street and Washington Street where the unlawful outdoor ad company recently installed one of their newest illegal billboards. The building at 437 West 13th Street has no permits for the illegal ad display. Considering NPA also covered up a mural by Conor Harrington, the location is a good candidate for a street advertising takeover.

Photos by laverrue and Amolho4

Posterchild was in town recently, mocking NPA’s dubious attempts to make their illegal street advertising appear more legal. The Toronto-based street artist replaced one of their advertisements to win some ad posters with his own sign hyping the coming onslaught of “illegal ads and other bullshit you didn’t ask for.” |Public Ad Campaign|

Photo via Public Ad Campaign

Somewhat surprisingly, the Museum of Modern Art backed a recent takeover of illegal outdoor advertising. Jordan Seiler of Public Ad Campaign spotted a group of teenagers with the MoMA Red Studio summer program pasting their artwork over illegal NPA ads on a construction shed in Manhattan. The takeover was conducted with the landlord’s permission, but it’s still shocking since MoMA doesn’t like people messing with public ads, at least not their own. Earlier this year, the museum fired its creative agency, The Happy Corp, after CEO Doug Jaeger hired Posterboy to remix their Atlantic-Pacific Avenue subway station campaign. Still, it’s a great lesson in public space policy for the kids. But MoMA shouldn’t be surprised if the fledgling ad activists take aim at their own use of the marketing medium, especially their wildpostings of questionable legality.

Photos by Public Ad Campaign

Photo by Jordan Seiler

Photo by Carly Sullivan/NYCDOB

The photos of last month’s New York Street Advertising Takeover do offer some interesting perspectives, but this interactive map really helps convey the project’s scale. Included on the newly public map are photos of the more than 120 illegal billboards that were whitewashed, photos of the artists’ work, some of their stories, and links to video footage. Besides adding to the creative dimension of the project, the map also helps show how rampant illegal and un-permitted NPA billboards are. Even after painting out 19,000 square feet of illegal ads, there were still dozens of illegal ad spots that were untouched. |Public Ad Campaign|

In addition to the one artist that was arrested during the New York Street Advertising Takeover, several other participants were taken into custody: 2 whitewashers and one videographer. Jordan Seiler of Public Ad Campaign writes:

The whitewashers were picked up at 3:00pm in the Lower East Side and spent a heroic 40 hrs in central booking. After being charged with criminal mischief the DA reduced that charge to disorderly conduct. . . . The artist was arraigned around 8pm on the 26th after having spent approximately 25hrs in jail. He was let off with an ACD and 2 days community service. The videographer doing timelapse of the artist at work did not fair so well and is still being brought up on charges.

It’s ironic that out of all four people, the videographer is stuck in jail the longest. While there could be any number of reasons, including general slowness and inefficiency, we have to wonder whether it has something to do with the new police guidelines for not arresting photographers and videographers on made-up charges.

A volunteer for the Municipal Landscape Control Committee whitewashes illegal advertisements for Belvedere’s hallucination-inducing vodka. Photo by Will Sherman/ANIMALnewyork.com