See ‘They Live’ Brought To Life In Downtown Los Angeles

Finding inspiration in They Live isn’t hard to do. There’s Roddy Piper’s words of wisdom, fighting for what’s right via a brawl with Keith David in an alleyway, and then there’s the need to question authority and the meaning behind what you’re told. It’s all there. That’s probably why photographer Stephen Zeigler and visual wiz Calder Greenwood took to the streets of LA with a live They Live inspired piece of guerilla art. From LA Taco:

Shepard Fairey credits the movie as a major source of inspiration: “They Live was… the basis for my use of the word ‘obey’. The movie has a very strong message about the power of commercialism and the way that people are manipulated by advertising.”

As a tribute to the film with some of the same messaging in mind, Zeigler/Greenwood’s guerrilla performance weirded out business people and security guards as they popped up in various locations.

This is certainly no They Live Naked, but it’s still pretty damn cool. You can see some of the photographs here, but check out the full deck over at LA Taco. Also be sure to stop by Greenwood’s site for a nice resume with some great visual effects attached, and Zeigler’s page for some great photographic work. And if you want to try something like this yourself in your hometown, pick up a They Live mask. It’s the perfect idea for getting neighbors to obey and let you borrow their lawnmower. That or a pipe to the head. Which one would you choose?

(Via Stephen Zeigler / Calder Greenwood / LA Taco)

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