Big Corporate Lou Reed All Over The Valencia Street Art Wall

This is the first time I’ve seen advertising on the Valencia Street Art Wall. I’m torn, because it’s pretty badass.

Okay, okay, so Supreme is a big multinational brand. But look at Lou’s arms! And I mean, Lou Reed is basically a big multinational brand too, and we all love him, right?

Where do we stand, y’all? What is art? If I drink too much tonight and make some art all over my shoes and no one is there to brand it, is it still art?

Click pic to view Lou’s arms HUGE.

Update: TriniDad says

And you can even buy a t-shirt of the same image: http://tinyurl.com/bdghkf. How very meta!

28 Responses to “Big Corporate Lou Reed All Over The Valencia Street Art Wall”

  1. mamiel says:

    It IS badass. It stays.

  2. zinzin says:

    i agree. lou can do whatever the fuck he wants.

    he is daddy to us all.

  3. johnny0 says:

    Hey zinzin, aren’t you supposed to be taking a week off, commenting to yourself in the woods?

    Let’s start a rumour that Supreme is going to take over American Apparel’s lease.

  4. johnny0 says:

    I’ve always seen that wall as commentary — so what is Lou saying?

    Commercials can be art, and art can be commercial. But there are places for company’s posters other than the VSAW (Telstar Logistics being an obvious exception).

    At they were good enough not to cover up Hazelip’s Buffalo Bomber.

  5. Sam says:

    Don’t know why anyone would fret over this. Someone will plaster over him soon enough.

    I hope Lou stays for awhile though.

  6. Glenparker says:

    Just another sell-out to the almighty dollar.
    When Neil Young goes that’s it.

  7. the lou sucks torta. me vale verga ese guey. this has been straight up jose.

  8. zinzin says:

    @johnny0 – well, i really can’t keep my mouth shut. sorry. y’all are stuck with me. (that said, “intolerant”? am i? really?)

    i think even when selling out (i don’t think this is his first sponsorship), lou is daddy to us all. the ultimate proto-hipster. coolest of the cool. downest of the down.

    also, ya think folks would have revolted against a supreme store on valencia? one wonders.

  9. Crowder says:

    wow, so a so-called big corporate monster like American Apparel would ruin the integrity of the neighborhood, but plastering up big advertisements like that are fine because Lou Reed passes some unspecified cool test? What a joke this neighborhood has become/is becoming.

  10. Allan Hough says:

    Get with it, man. THE WORLD is one big unspecified cool test.

  11. andy says:

    NO corporate brands on the Valencia art wall! If a local indie band has an artistic poster for a show i can deal with that on the art wall. but fuck supreme. no fucking way.

  12. jimbeam says:

    i love this pomo “commercials can be art” bs.

    i also love the fact that simply because it’s lou reed it’s cool.

    i know it’s sad to admit that lou reed likes money, too.

  13. Allan Hough says:

    Why is it sad to admit that? Everyone likes money. That’s why they call it money.

  14. TriniDad says:

    And you can even buy a t-shirt of the same image: http://tinyurl.com/bdghkf. How very meta!

  15. I agree with Allen; the world is an endless cool test, and everyone likes money.

    also, i liked the supreme ads with kermit.

  16. zinzin says:

    i personally like money and lou. and kermit.

  17. stax says:

    How many dollars?
    How many sales?
    How many liars?
    How many tales?
    How many insults must you take in this one life?

    -Lou Reed

  18. Frederick says:

    I thinks it’s completely ludicrous to attempt to regulate this kind of public art wall.

    Anything can be on it — that’s the whole point!

    But remember when there was a hissy fit because someone painted the whole wall orange as a protest to the Bush regime’s torture policies? Some of the gatekeepers were not too happy about that paint job.

  19. kiya says:

    These comments are hilarious…
    You guys should seriously go read up about what Supreme represents and what they’ve done in the past, THEN come back and talk about it.

    For the record, they have ONE STORE IN AMERICA.
    One. It’s on La Brea in LA. Some of the comments are acting like this is some huge chain across the country.
    The NYC store closed down last year for a bit, probably opening back up shortly.

  20. @kiya, what does supreme represent now? there just not that hot- in fact “streetwear” is just real tired right now. i dunno, I mean, i’m not sure they exactly ever rose above being an expensive sk8 brand- like spitfire for the park avenue set.

  21. zinzin says:

    seems to me supreme “represents” exactly the same thing as american apparel, or the gap, or abercrombie & fitch, or rag & bone, or band of outsiders, or jil sander, or fucking wilkes bashford, or any other rag trade retailer: some people trying to make money selling clothes. no more, no less.

  22. [...] Arms Remain The Same Lou defaced.  Literally.  Guess the Supreme store won’t be sub-leasing the American Apparel [...]

  23. Chris says:

    It sucks. It’s all over L.A. too, at first it was cool to see Lou, now it just reminds me of his days pimping scooters for Honda in the 80′s. I think I’ll crank call him again…

  24. wab says:

    geez if someone wants to take those posters down, be my guest but let me warn you that you will receive one hell of an ass beating courtesy of Lou Reed.

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  26. Stan Heller says:

    Because it is an art wall, Lou is perfect fodder for whatever folks want to put OVER it. Lou in pink panties. Lou with an apple in his mouth served up for Thanksgiving.

    Remember that art is an opportunity based enterprise. Someone puts Lou up on the art wall- Lou becomes fair game.

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