So-called ‘guerrilla street artist’TMNKhasdefaced a billboardadvertising Grand Theft Auto IV to make some sort of point about black-on-black violence. According to the self-styled “Nobody,” this “art” speaks out about terrorism, black violence and how nobody cares. Or something. I don’t ever claim to “get” this kind of “fringe” stuff.
I have to hand it to TMNK. If anything is going to stop black people from shooting each other, a scrawling on a New York videogame billboard is going to do it. If only more billboards had been drawn on before now, Tupak wouldstill be alive.
Seriously, I’m not sure exactlywhatTMNK is trying to prove here, especially with his swipe at Rockstar, who are apparently advertisingGTA IV“regardless of the cost.” If someone canactuallytell me why this is intelligent and provocative, I’m all ears. Personally it seems unfocused and absurd to me, but then, most of what we call “art” these days seems that way.
As for the subject of street violence, I’m perfectly fine with it, especially gang crime. So long as gangs carry on keeping it amongst themselves, it’s pretty much just natural selection.
