Graffiti 1: VW bus Ocean Beach

July 25, 2013. Paint. Ocean Beach on Newport St.

It is no accident that this sixties inspired hand-painted VW wagon was parked in the heart of Ocean Beach, right off of Newport Street. Ocean Beach is the Berkeley of San Diego. With a hippie vibe, the culture revolves around peace and love. The artist took special care to paint every inch of the car to pay homage to the style and symbols of the era: psychedelic colors, rainbows, flowers, smiley faces, peace signs and a smiling sun, painted with a graphic pop art look. It brings a wave of happiness just to take it all in.

Volkswagens were the ‘wheels’ of the sixties counterculture and a part of our cultural history: “In the U.S. it was referred to by some as a hippie van or bus because it was used to transport groups of young people and their camping gear and other supplies to concerts and anti-war rallies. Some owners painted colorful murals on their buses and replaced the VW logo on the front with a peace symbol.” ("VW bus, icon of counterculture movement, goes into production")

The peace movement that arose during the Vietnam War spawned a counter-culture of draft-dodgers, flower children, earth day, free love, and an outpouring of art, music and creativity. Ironically, the VW is an icon of a ‘love not war’ movement in America, but the car was originally conceived by Adolph Hitler working with Ferdinand Porsche in 1930’s Germany. The vehicle that began as a mass-produced communist car evolved into an icon of liberal counter-culture and individualism in America. ("VW bus, icon of counterculture movement, goes into production")

Once a visual statement is made anonymously in public, it takes on a life of its own: it belongs to the public. The artistic styles of the sixties from face-painting and album art, to bright colors and drug-induced psychedelic posters and hand-embroidered gypsy clothes and jewelry have been adopted by corporate America. Expensive brands like Lucky Jeans and Free People are capitalizing on the styles of the sixties, without a nod to the serious anti-war atmosphere that generated those peace symbols.

The tension between the corporate world and the anti-consumer sub-culture is discussed in an article called “Street Cred” about Frank Shepard Fairey. They discuss that his Obey campaign was meant to open people’s eye about how manipulative advertising can be. Since then, Fairey’s Obey campaign has grown and Fairey has been criticized for turning his populist political statement into a corporation. Fairey’s Obey message journeyed from counterculture to mass-production, whereas the Volkswagen bus went from mass-production to counterculture symbol . The “Street Cred” article poses the question, “Does capitalist consumption erase critical thought by immediately incorporating it into the mainstream?” The ubiquitous Obey brand certainly gives support to that argument. Yet the hand-painted VW bus defies that view. The Volkswagen brand was mass produced in 1930’s Germany and sold for decades in various versions all over the world. But it will always remain a sixties flower child symbol of optimism and individuality. This iconic exuberantly painted VW van could not be more representative of Ocean Beach. Painted in bright colors with a wave swirling around the front, and LOVE painted for all to see, is a great moving artwork for the peace-loving area that is Ocean Beach.

Work Cited: 

Modern Painters , "Street Cred ." Last modified 2008. Accessed July 30, 2013.

This Day in History, "VW bus, icon of counterculture movement, goes into production." Accessed July 25, 2013. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/vw-bus-icon-of-counterculture-movement-goes-into-production.