The Artists’ Tower of Protest, 1966, designed by Mark di Suvero. The Getty Research Insti­tute, 2005.M.11. Photo by Charles Brittin.

Dia­mond Tower, 2012, by Sur­vey West Col­lab­o­ra­tive, pho­to­copy col­lage on panel, 24″ x 24″

Artists’ Tower of Protest

Mark di Suvero

Orga­nized by LA><ART and the Getty Research Insti­tute for the Pacific Stan­dard Time Per­for­mance and Pub­lic Art Fes­ti­val  Curated by Cesar Gar­cia, LA><ART Senior Curator

Orig­i­nally con­ceived by the Los Ange­les Artists’ Protest Com­mit­tee and designed by sculp­tor Mark di Suvero, The Artists’ Tower of Protest was erected on a lot on Sun­set Blvd. and La Cienega in 1966 as a sym­bol of col­lec­tive dis­sent against the Viet­nam War. Sur­rounded by hun­dreds of artist-designed pan­els, The Artists’ Tower of Protest is restaged as a way to reflect on this impor­tant his­tor­i­cal moment in Los Ange­les and to open a dia­logue about the role of arts activism today.

Sur­vey West Col­lab­o­ra­tive joined in the con­struc­tion of the Artists’ Tower of Protest 2012 by mak­ing a panel to that expresses our optimism.