Last night, round two of Gibson GuitarTown was unveiled during an invitation-only event at Hornburg's showroom on The Sunset Strip. The new round of guitars features work by renowned local and national artists, including Shepard Fairey, Tristan Eaton and fellow street artists DeeKay, Free Humanity and Smog City. The guitars celebrate a range of musicians who have influenced The Sunset Strip, including Buffalo Springfield, T-Rex, Jane's Addiction, Rage Against The Machine and Van Halen, among others.
The initial nine 10-foot tall art guitars will be on display along The Sunset Strip starting today through November. After their "tour" of The Strip, the guitars will be auctioned for charity. GuitarTown also plans to unveil an additional 15 guitars later this spring.
The GuitarTown unveiling also featured a check presentation by Slash and his wife Perla Hudson to the Los Angeles Youth Network, which was one of the charities selected to receive proceeds from the December 2011 auction featuring the previous round of guitars.
The full list of guitars included in the initial launch includes:
– Tristan Eaton, “Moms Not Bombs”: This painted guitar celebrates the artist’s mom, Gillian Eaton, an actress in the Royal Shakespeare Company. The guitar also references The Sunset Strip, which was the birthplace for the artist. (“Moms Not Bombs” will be located outside of The Standard, Hollywood.)
– Shepard Fairey, “Electric Warrior”: The painted guitar was inspired by Marc Bolan of T-Rex. Fairey illustrated Bolan as an iconic rock and roll archetype with a nod to vintage vinyl LP and stereo graphics. (“Electric Warrior” will be located outside of the Andaz hotel – formerly the “Riot Hyatt.”)
– Lana Gomez, “Freedom”: The expressionist work celebrates freedom and spontaneity as well as The Sunset Strip’s role in allowing musicians to blaze their own paths. (“Freedom” will be located outside of 9000 Sunset Boulevard.)
– Tsipi Mani, “Black Eyed Peas”: The bold, modern painted guitar celebrates the music of Los Angeles’ the Black Eyed Peas. (“Black Eyed Peas” will be located outside of BOA, 9200 Sunset Boulevard.)
– Juliana Martinez, “There’s Something Happening Here”: The mosaic, tiled guitar was inspired by the music and spirit of Buffalo Springfield. The guitar utilizes symbols that resonate with Buffalo Springfield: a peace sign and a flower border that is similar to the border on their second album, Buffalo Springfield Again. (“There’s Something Happening Here” will be located outside of Mel’s Drive-In – former home of Ben Franks in the 1960s.)
– Ryan McCann, “Nothing’s Shocking”: The painted guitar was inspired by Jane’s Addiction’s Nothing’s Shocking album as well as the band’s performance and self-titled album recorded live at The Roxy Theatre on Jan. 26, 1987. (“Nothing’s Shocking” will be located outside of Hornburg Los Angeles – former home of the Cock N’ Bull pub on Sunset.)
– Edgar Pasten, “People Of The Sun”: The painted and assemblage guitar was inspired by Rage Against The Machine’s song “People Of The Sun.” The guitar takes the lyrics and applies it to struggles immigrants have faced. (“People Of The Sun” will be located at 8755 Sunset Boulevard.)
– Stephen M. Taylor, “The Music Machine”: The abstract, painted guitar pays homage to Van Halen by utilizing the red, black and white colors of Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar. (“The Music Machine” will be located outside of the Whisky A Go-Go.)
– Free Humanity, Smog City, DeeKay, Bod Bod, 2wenty, Snyder, Gregory Siff, KH no. 7, Smear, Desire Obtain Cherish, CYRCLE. & DD$, Leba, Homo Riot, Andy Appleton, “Collaborative Street Art Guitar @ Maximillian Gallery”: This painted guitar was created at Maximillian Gallery at the Sunset Marquis hotel. The piece was a collaborative effort celebrating the contributions of street art on the Los Angeles landscape and featured contributions from 15 prominent street artists. (“Collaborative Street Art Guitar” will be located outside of The Roxy Theatre.)
GuitarTown on The Sunset Strip was originally launched in August 2010. The public art display is presented by Gibson in conjunction with the Sunset Strip Business Association. The exhibit provides a unique walking tour of the boulevard while celebrating The Sunset Strip's rich musical legacy. The 2010/11 round of guitars raised more than $54,000 in proceeds for charities the Los Angeles Youth Network, which provides services for homeless adolescents; West Hollywood Arts & Cultural Affairs Commission, to further enhance and encourage public art on The Sunset Strip; and the West Hollywood Library. Hornburg Land Rover on The Sunset Strip, City of West Hollywood and West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau are proud supporters of GuitarTown. Special thanks to Hornburg, Krutz Family Winery, House Band Wine, IZZE and Icelandic Glaciel.
Tour the boulevard yourself! Download a free copy of the 2012 GuitarTown map, which includes each guitar's location, photos and brief description.
Photos: Gibson GuitarTown 2012 unveiling at Hornburg on The Sunset Strip. Photos courtesy of Genie Sanchez.
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