Signman, A 42 Year Retrospective of Work by San Francisco Underground Artist and Prankster John Law

photo by John Beherens

Pro Arts Gallery in Oakland is presenting Signman, a three month long retrospective spanning 42 years of work by legendary San Francisco underground artist, prankster, Laughing Squid partner, author and urban explorer John Law. Curated by Natalia Ivanova Mount, this amazing show features many of Law’s creative projects, including his neon art, urban exploration, and bridge climbing. Also presented are his active involvement with such groups as the Suicide Club, Billboard Liberation Front, the Cacophony Society, Burning Man, Survival Research Labs, Laughing Squid and Dark Passage/Ars Subterranea.

The exhibition opens June 7, 2019 and runs through August 24, 2019.

John Law is an enigma. And if you ask him, he wants to stay that way. After forty-two years of artmaking, urban explorations, pranks, happenings and a multitude of essays, somehow, he remains largely unknown in the art establishment. …The exhibition, scheduled to open on June 7th, 2019, at Pro Arts Gallery will include rare documentation of events, pranks and explorations, neon art, and multi-media installations.

Throughout the retrospective, Law will be hosting talks with Mark Pauline (June 21), Don Herron (June 27), Julia Solis and Ron English (July 16), William Binzen (July 25) and Scott Beale (August 24).