Written by Max Wiener

Photo Edited by Lyz Rider

There’s always a good billboard that gets our attention when we’re driving. They have a catch, something that strikes the eye and aligns with the waves of our brain. It is truly one of the most stunning (and confusingly brilliant) pieces of marketing that exists in the world, and for some reason they resonate deep within us. But what if they weren’t just capitalistic ploys at attention? What if, through the right artistic lens, billboards became massive canvases for exploration? For Freedoms, an artistic coalition, uses beautifully crafted billboards to showcase a creative take on social commentary, whether it be satire or deep-cutting truth. These aren’t just pictures of Big Mac’s, in fact they’re far from it. Four artists: Ross McDonnell, Jeffrey Gibson, Kenneth Tam, and Nekisha Durrett, all collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma’s social justice organization Silkroad to create sublime pieces of art that align perfectly with our cultural zeitgeist. Their wonderful pieces of art will be on view in Los Angeles through the 27th of November.

The beauty of this series is the noticeable difference in each artist’s style. Some color choices are wonderfully kaleidoscopic (we have Gibson to thank for that) and some are more subdued. McDonnell’s billboard uses just one word, ‘Dream,’ to fully encapsulate the resonance of the presented theme. Each billboard is a masterpiece in their own right, but when placed together it feels like a symphony in four acts. You can almost hear the noise in each of the works; they harmonize with each other. There might exist a world in which these billboards exist on their own, but perhaps ours is better because we get all four to tell us the complex stories of our country’s unique culture.

Jeffrey Gibson, *The Spirits Are Laughing*, 2023

Jeffrey Gibson, by proxy, stands out the most, as his billboard is like an acid trip packed onto a canvas. There’s so much to look at: the colorful triangles serving as the billboard’s backdrop, or the intricate patchwork seemingly woven into the billboard itself. But his choice of words, “The Spirits are Laughing,” is so utterly haunting that one must sit down to fully process their weight. It connects the billboard with both the past and the present, and even the real and metaphysical. As viewers, it humbles us, bringing in much larger themes of existentialism into this powerful display of artistry. This, in tandem with the other three billboards, sits with us right in our stomachs and resonates deep within our souls.

If there is one thing a For Freedoms series will do, it’s that it will make us question our role in society. We all have something to say and contribute to this world. Ross McDonnell says we should “Dream.” Nekisha Durrett says that even our work clothes can be our “Power Suit.” Each person in this world has a voice that deserves to be heard. These billboards serve as reminders that we should be ourselves; the world will be a better place because of it.