Billboard Masterpieces: Showcasing Art on LA's Highways
Ever caught in rush hour traffic on the 405, mindlessly inching forward, and observed yourself captivated by a giant image? No, it wasn't a car accident (hopefully!). Perhaps it became a stunning portrait bathed in neon shades, a thought-frightening social remark, or a hilarious commercial that made you chuckle. Welcome to Billboards LA , wherein freeways end up with open-air artwork galleries. Los Angeles boasts the highest number of billboards in the United States, with over 27,000 grabbing the attention of drivers and pedestrians daily [Source: LA Times] . These aren't your average, paper-pasted advertisements; many California billboards are colossal works of art, some static and some digital, transforming our daily commutes into unexpected artistic experiences. From Humble Beginnings to Canvas on Concrete: A Brief History of Billboards LA The story of Billboards LA goes back to the early 20th century when painted signs started popping up along newly constructed highways.