Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Commercials imitating art?

Am I the only one who thinks that the current AT&T commercial where they wrap up everything (buildings, beaches, etc.) in orangey material is a direct rip off of the whole Christo art legacy?



Remember when Mickey D's ripped off former DC artist Thomas Edwards?

5 comments:

  1. Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Good call

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  2. I saw this just last night and wondered if Christo is getting paid. Better be! Perhaps they will finance his next wrapping? (Just wishing.)

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  3. Absolutely an homage!
    I hope Christo is getting his fair share...

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  4. I'd question WHO Christo owes for HIS inspiration.

    Some of us from New Orleans believe he might have found his inspiration with Termite Tents.

    Prior Katrina, the 2nd Battle of New Orleans was being waged against the notorious Formosan subterranean termite. The scientific concensus is that this deadly enemy that has ravaged historic homes all over New Orleans was brought to U.S. shores by U.S. forces returning from China and Japan after the end of World War II. The theory is that the wooden boxes, crates and pallets were teaming with these creatures. Once unloaded in New Orleans, they found a perfect home.

    A fascinating article about this story can be read @ http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct98/term1098.htm

    A way to eradict home infestations of existing colonies of Drywood termites is through a fumigation procedure that using a Termite Tent.

    The arrival of the Formosan subterrean termite only compounded the existing problem at the time that New Orleans was experiencing with Drywood termites. By the 1960s the problems associated with the Formosan subterrean termite were really beginning to be felt and seen.

    I've talked with older New Orleanians who clearly remember crude versions of Termite tents being used on homes in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

    Late on, especially in New Orleans, a place that's all about colorful expression, these Termite Tents took on more colorful forms as well.

    You can see a typical example of a Termite Tent @ http://whatisawridingmybikearoundtoday.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/termite-tenting-on-prytania/

    Was Christo aware of the early versions of Termite Tents from New Orleans?

    I don't know. But some of us from the Big Easy believe he might have been.

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  5. yes, I thought that was a rather obvious borrowing from Christo's work

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