When a museum is worried that it looks too much like a Home Depot from the outside, even though it has Jeff Koons inside, you could question how they decided on an architect. How they chose an artist to adorn the facade is another question. Street Artist’s Skewville know how to twist clichés and axioms to reveal their reverse, so it occurred to them when looking at the place in this town north of New York City that it was a problem of perception. And they know how to turn a phrase for effect. These are the guys who once fashioned a lawn clipper with foam rollers to print “Keep On Grass” with green paint across street walls, after all.

Skewville “It’s What’s Outside That Counts” Fall 2012 (photo © Skewville)

So when The Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art (HVCCA) got their new Skewville this summer it wasn’t a surprise that the witty sentiment expressed with the broadside signage caused some confusion – and consternation. Says the artist, local businesses thought it violated signage zoning laws. They could have been a bit miffed because, “people were slowing down in their cars in front of the museum and causing traffic,” surmises Ad Deville, one half of Skewville.

Not unlike many skewed sentiments the brothers have rolled with bucket paint across the top of an abandoned factory building, these blasting words are definitely visible from a distance – and they make you crack a smile.  Skewville may have once again gotten somebody’s city officials twisted and hot under the collar, but this time it’s a twist of perception that ultimately allows this blocky text message to ride, says Ad, “The museum stated that this is not a sign – its art. And it’s going to run for a year”.

Skewville’s work is from their participation in Peekskill Project V.

From their web site: “Peekskill Project: A Citywide festival of Contemporary Art devoted to… bringing cutting edge contemporary art out of the museum and into the community. Using the city as a stage, Peekskill Project activates the urban environment and its inhabitants through site-specific art exhibitions, performances and screenings sited in multiple venues throughout Peekskill.

Peekskill Project V is a departure from previous installments of the project, which were limited to a single weekend of events and exhibitions. This year’s festival begins with an exciting opening weekend of free exhibitions and programming on September 29th & 30th, 2012, and continues in a series of monthly events through the end of July 2013. Peekskill Project V programming occurs on second & third Sundays, October 2012 – July 2013″

To learn more about Peekskill Project V and for full schedule of events click below:

http://www.hvcca.org/peekskill-project-5.html

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