Laughing Squid Partner John Law Talks About His Mission to Make People Happy in a Crazy World

Filmmaker Gary Yost (previously) caught up with legendary San Francisco underground artist, prankster, Laughing Squid partner, author, and urban explorer John Law as he was preparing to present his show Signman at Pro Arts Gallery in Oakland, a three month long retrospective spanning 42 years of work. The show took place from June 7, 2019 through August 24, 2019.

Law also took Yost up to his office at the top of the Oakland Tribune Tower and talked about his incredibly creative career in the San Francisco Bay Area and then they went to Treasure Island, where he stores his iconic Doggie Diner Heads where Law talked about making people happy in a crazy world.

“Anything that brings that little bit of happiness for even a moment, to make someone smile… that’s f*cking gold.” John Law has been embedded in Oakland and San Francisco’s underground art, pranks and events world as a prime mover of culture jamming since 1977. A member of the legendary urban exploration Suicide Club, Law was instrumental in forming the later Cacophony Society and in turn co-founded the Burning Man festival and the Billboard Liberation Front.

John Law

submitted via Laughing Squid tips

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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