The Worst Sell-Outs

The term 'sell-out' is often bandied around when a underground group achieves commercial success. Its not just the new-found popularity that makes a sell-out, its earned when the group goes against its principles, whatever they may be.

Taking money for putting up corporate posters is one thing. But an artist taking money to instigate a corporate assault on other artists is cannibalistic, and the worst kind of selling out.

The ruin of the 'Beware Giant Robots' piece at the intersection of Sunset and La Brea is especially tragic. This piece had seemed to be one of the rare pieces that was embraced and accepted by the general public. It had ridden on the building for months on months without being buffed. It was a classic piece of Los Angeles street art. And now it has been ruined by other street artists getting corporate money. So wrong.

It is clear that Krooked wanted the poster campaign to be combative. By slapping the Sasha Grey Krooked advertisements over all types of artwork in town--even classic and handpainted pieces, Dethkills exhibited a dire lack of respect for other artists, and viewed as a whole, the Dethkills/Krooked campaign is an assault on street art.

Once again, it is cannibalistic and the worst kind of sell-out.






Artists tried to claim back the spot, but it has been cheapened, and infected, with crabs like Sterling Beauman.