One of my least favorite things in the world are obnoxious billboards, the worst of which are those advertising injury or divorce attorneys and “gentlemen’s clubs.” When Paul and I went on our Midwest summer road trip this year we joked that we could tour the United States by following the signs for “adult entertainment.” Who frequents those places in the middle of nowhere? I don’t even really want to contemplate it, but they are ubiquitous and the billboards are trashy and just plain ugly. But can you imagine if billboards showcased paintings instead of advertisements? French artist Etienne Lavie did and the results are breathtaking.
Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People
Fragonard’s Rinaldo in the Garden of the Palace of Armida
Boldini’s Mathe de Florian
See the full project at http://etiennelavie.fr
Update: I just discovered that London actually has replaced advertising space with a project called Art Everywhere. Check it out at http://arteverywhere.org.uk. How is London SO cool?
PS – WordPress tells me that some viewers may see an ad beneath this post. A post about replacing ads with fine art… The irony is not lost on me. But to be fair, I don’t dislike all advertising. I don’t necessarily like constantly being told what to buy, but I do think that marketing and branding that is well designed can be beautiful.
a sort of poetry 
There is an arteverywhereus, too. I saw a billboard in town just yesterday, it would be such a pleasure to see more. I just discovered the wind in the willows this summer and loved it passionately. Had no idea how I missed reading it until now. I share your affinity for children’s literature!
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Oh that’s really cool that they brought it to the US! I hope I get to see one. 🙂
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