Voice of Art - Street Art vs. Illegal Billboards, Pt. 1

Many PublicAdCampaign readers are aware of the fact that LA has been battling its billboard epidemic for some years now, grappling with the proliferation of illegal signage, digital signage, and the supergraphics which overwhelm its skyline. Once the mural capitol of the world, LA's artistic legacy was challenged by the OOH industry when it claimed that by allowing the widespread proliferation of artistic content and not commercial content, that the city was unconstitutionally infringing on the industries free speech rights. The result has been a change in the city's zoning code which now consider's artistic murals in the same way it does commercial billboards. The result has been the removal of artistic murals which have not sought out permits and the wholesale arrest of artists and public individuals. This while somehow the OOH industry continues to proliferate its illegal content. Cops go after the artists and the 3 city buildings inspectors do their best to keep up with an army of an industry intent on overrunning the city of LA with messages for conspicuous consumption at the cost of public free speech and the publics freedom to visually curate its shared environment.