Poetics Country, 1997

This joint edition by Mike Kelley and Tony Oursler takes the form of a standard American crosswalk sign, overlaid with graffiti-like imagery drawn from the artists’ personal notebooks. The work references the graphic clarity of international signage – a visual language that strongly influenced the 'new wave' design aesthetics of the late 1970s. The addition of bullet holes anchors the piece in the local context of the Antelope Valley, where the artists' shared rehearsal space was located.