Ron English is an artist and an activist, and the work he produces ignores those boundaries. Although he maintains a respectable career as a fine art, English is inspired by the daily bombardment of advertising art to use the medium against itself. His culture-jamming antics involve the hijacking of public billboards and the co-optation of their message. He subverts the billboards and other outdoor marketing by using familiar words and images to alter their function and turn them into critiques of American consumer society. McDonald’s is a frequent target with Ennglish’s campaigns for “Phat Food,” and English may be a familiar figure due to his appearance in Super Size Me. Carvajal’s documentary is a fascinating portrait of the billboard bandit, complete with how-to pointers and a wealth of imagery and ideas that also includes art by Shepard Fairey, Anthony Ausgang, and Cicada, and music by the Dandy Warhols, Daniel Johnston (with whom English has collaborated), Tripping Daisy, and more. In conjunction with the screening English’s paintings will be on display at The Space (next to I Luv Video on Airport Blvd.) May 26-28.
This article appears in May 13 • 2005.