Sticker Shock: Artists' Stickers
January 16 - March 7, 1999 As works of art, stickers' self-adhesive decal images are uniquely accessible because of their low cost and their ubiquity in the public sphere (stuck on stop signs, buildings, car bumpers, etc.)Although the omnipresence of stickers mimics the image culture of advertising, stickers are ultimately idiosyncratic works that function outside the realm of profit. Stickers created by artists evoke both an adolescent playfulness and nuisance. Like graffiti, stickers can potentially deface public and private property. However, stickers represent more of a symbolic transgression than an actual threat to social order.
"Sticker Shock" included stickers in a variety of media by artists Astrid Bowlby, Shepard Fairey, Phil Frost, Barry McGee, Jeff Morris, Chris Negrette, Douglas Ruschhaupt, and Jim Winters.
Exhibition images > click to enlarge
The exhibition also featured works by Forrest Myers and Aaron Rose, who incorporate commercial stickers on refrigerators.
Curator: Alex Baker