Overpass Light Brigade (OLB) is an activist collaborative

public art Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...

project based in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, and organized by American artists

Lane Hall Lane Hall is a later 20th-century Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical building serving as the principal workplace and headquarters of the central administration of Bates College, located at 2 Andrews Road in Lewiston, Maine. It has been the ...

and Lisa Moline and photographer Joe Brusky. The artwork is an episodic

performance A performance is an act or process of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Performance has evolved glo ...

originally created as part of the

2011 Wisconsin protests The 2011 Wisconsin protests were a series of demonstrations in the state of Wisconsin in the United States beginning in February and involving as many as 100,000 protesters opposing the 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, also called the ''"Wisconsin Budge ...

to raise awareness about the campaign to recall Governor Scott Walker. OLB was co-founded by Hall and Moline. Brusky, a

community organizer Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other or share some common problem come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community buil ...

and co-founder of Occupy Riverwest, soon joined the project and facilitated its continued growth and social media presence.

Description

The artwork consists of a series of

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (corresp ...

-illuminated plastic panels, each of which displays one letter of the alphabet. Performers, known as "holders of the light," assemble in a line with each person holding one letter. OLB performances present timely messages or political slogans. The Overpass Light Brigade performs at night to increase visibility. Members typically make arrangements for performances and disseminate documentation via

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

platforms. Hall manufactures the panels in his shop. He describes his process on the ''

Daily Kos Daily Kos ( ) is a group blog and internet forum focused on the U.S. Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party and Modern liberalism in the United States, liberal American politics. The site publishes blog posts, polls, election and cam ...

'' blog to encourage others to use the group's tactics. Photographs taken by Brusky and collaboratively-produced videos are distributed by the group members and fans on the Internet. Brusky joined Hall and Moline in March 2012, to help with social media and the live-streaming of bridge actions. The Overpass Light Brigade often organizes its nighttime demonstrations on bridges and highway overpasses. It also mobilizes members to participate in political rallies and vigils. Actions have included collaboration with national labor advocates regarding Walmart's labor practices, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) strike, environmental advocacy with organizations such as 350.org and Global Climate Convergence, and social justice causes, including police violence, indigenous rights and related issues. Appearances have also included picketing with striking Palermo's Pizza workers, a pedestrian bridge to the

Milwaukee Art Museum The Milwaukee Art Museum (also referred to as MAM) is an art museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its collection of over 34,000 works of art and gallery spaces totaling 150,000 sq. ft. (13,900 m²) make it the largest art museum in the state of Wis ...

, an event with

Nuns on the Bus Nuns on the Bus is a Catholic advocacy group in the United States. Their name comes from the fact that they tour the country on a bus. Led by Sister Simone Campbell, they place emphasis on the Church's long-standing commitment to social justice. ...

, and vigils mourning the 2012 Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting and the Boston Marathon Bombing.

History

Hall and Moline developed the idea for the Overpass Light Brigade through their personal reactions to the movement to recall Governor Walker. They originally used a single panel and string of

Christmas lights Christmas lights (also known as fairy lights, festive lights or string lights) are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas, often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide. The custom ...

to create an illuminated "Recall Walker" sign, which they carried at a local rally. When images of the sign were circulated by

mainstream media In journalism, mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large Mass media, mass news media that influence many people and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.Noam Chomsky, Choms ...

outlets including ''

The Rachel Maddow Show ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' (also abbreviated ''TRMS'') is an American news television program that airs on MSNBC, running in the 9:00 pm ET time slot Monday evenings. It is hosted by Rachel Maddow, who gained a public profile via her freq ...

'' and

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

, Hall and Moline decided to continue their efforts. Their next step was to create six individual signs that spelled "RECALL". After attempting to install the signs on the chainlink fence covering a pedestrian bridge across the Interstate (I-43) and learning that doing so is illegal, Hall and Moline enlisted others to help carry the signs as a legal form of display. This participatory dimension to the work gives Overpass Light Brigade gatherings "the feel of a celebration, with scores of people gathering on the pedestrian overpasses," according to the ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...

''. For the artists, their work with the Overpass Light Brigade is a "demonstration of citizen engagement... a Situationist paradigm of performativity within the contested and liminal zones of public space" and a navigation of the tactics of visibility. They cite French

critical theorist Critical theory is a social, historical, and political school of thought and philosophical perspective which centers on analyzing and challenging systemic power relations in society, arguing that knowledge, truth, and social structures are fu ...

Guy Debord Guy-Ernest Debord (; ; 28 December 1931 – 30 November 1994) was a French Marxist theorist, philosopher, filmmaker, critic of work, member of the Letterist International, founder of a Letterist faction, and founding member of the Situat ...

's ''

The Society of the Spectacle ''The Society of the Spectacle'' () is a 1967 work of philosophy and Marxist critical theory by Guy Debord where he develops and presents the concept of the Spectacle (critical theory), Spectacle. The book is considered a seminal text for the Si ...

'' as an inspiration. Debord explored and explained how contemporary media creates spectacle that is essentially devoid of content. A founder of the artistic and political movement

Situationist International The Situationist International (SI) was an international organization of social revolutionaries made up of avant-garde artists, intellectuals, and political theorists. It was prominent in Europe from its formation in 1957 to its dissolution ...

, he sought, through the construction of "situations," to create multiple strategies for reclaiming an individual's self-determination from the sedative effects of ubiquitous spectacle. Hall and Moline had a history of making collaborative work, often about environmental issues and animal subjects, but rarely pushed beyond the boundaries of traditional art spaces. As a result of the Wisconsin protests, the artists became involved with activist work, in which the use of signs was pivotal. They also worked with other artists, activists, social scientists, and teachers to set up a short-lived

political action committee In the United States, a political action committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. The l ...

called the Playground Legends, and began working in some of Milwaukee's African American communities on voter education and

Get Out The Vote "Get out the vote" or "getting out the vote" (GOTV) describes efforts aimed at increasing the voter turnout in elections. In countries that do not have or enforce compulsory voting, voter turnout can be low, sometimes even below a third of the e ...

campaigns. The group, with the central notion that

public space A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public. Roads, pavements, public squares, parks, and beaches are typically considered public space. To a limited extent, government buildings which are open to the public, su ...

and

public discourse The public sphere () is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion, influence political action. A "Public" is "of or concerning the people as a whole." ...

were necessary for functional democracy, set up "parties in the parks" for neighborhood groups, and used these relational activities to help create cohesion around a political purpose. Brusky, a public school

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

and

union organizer A union organizer (or union organiser in Commonwealth spelling) is a specific type of trade union member (often elected) or an appointed union official. In some unions, the organizer's role is to recruit groups of workers under the organizing ...

, became an integral part of the OLB core after

live-streaming Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming of video or audio in real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as ''streaming'', the real-time nature of livestreaming differentiates it from other non- live ...

focused actions. He is credited with expanding the greater OLB community through his relationships with national Occupy networks. The OLB organization relies on a loose network of

volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

dedicated to "peaceful protest and artful activism."

Growth

Affiliated Light Brigade organizations have been established in cities across the United States and internationally, and have organized to form the Light Brigade Network. Hall emphasizes the importance for groups to consider how a collection of lighted letters can be recombined; to document the action through quality (night-time) photographs, videos, and blog posts; and to use social media to amplify the reach of the message. The Light Brigade Network includes 46 chapters in cities in 21 US states, and six chapters in

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, France, (Germany),

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, and the United Kingdom.

Light Brigade Network actions

Light Brigade groups organize actions around issues pertinent to their communities, and often collaborate on larger, national or international campaigns. Some noteworthy actions include: * On April 10, 2014, the PEN American Center organized an event protesting China's efforts to silence

Ai Weiwei Ai Weiwei ( ; , IPA: ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been ...

and other Chinese artists and writers. This event featured the NYC Light Brigade, holding lighted signs spelling "FREE EXPRESSION" in English and Chinese. * On January 7, 2015, after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack, what has become the Paris Light Brigade brought lights spelling "NOT AFRAID" to a vigil in Paris. * Throughout December 2015, homes and businesses in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn displayed signs as part of "Mi Casa Es No Su Casa: Illumination Against Gentrification.” This project was a collaboration between local activists, the Mayday Space and NYC Light Brigade. * The Chicago Light Brigade has been involved in numerous projectson their own and in collaboration with other groupsto promote social justice for communities of color. They participated in the Week of Action Against Incarcerating Youth (May 2014) with the "Locked Up and Out" Rally, and protested the police

murder of Laquan McDonald On October 20, 2014, in Chicago, Illinois, Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old boy, was murdered when he was fatally shot by Chicago Police Department, Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke. Police had initially reported that McDonald was behaving er ...

in December 2015 with the "Memorial Blockade" in downtown Chicago.

Films

The spectacle and "mediagenic quality" of OLB's actions have made it the subject of several film projects. ''Overpass Light Brigade'', a short documentary by filmmakers Matt Mullans and Dusan Harminc, was released in 2013 and was screened in over 25 venues, including Woods Hole Film Festival, Marfa Film Festival, and the PBS Online Film Festival. Also in 2013,

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization

, with 371 Productions and documentary filmmaker

Brad Lichtenstein Brad may refer to: * Brad (given name), a masculine given name Places * Brad, Hunedoara, a city in Hunedoara County, Romania * Brad, a village in Berești-Bistrița Commune, Bacău County, Romania * Brad, a village in Filipeni, Bacău, Romania * ...

, created the "Be Visible" campaign, with a video highlighting women's stories and featuring the Overpass Light Brigade.

Photographs of Overpass Light Brigade in action

File:Practice-peace.jpg, Vigil for the Sikh Temple shooting, Oak Creek, Wisconsin, August 2012. "Practice Peace". File:Police-state.jpg, Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin, November 2012. "In Solidarity with the Solidarity Singers". File:LAQUAN McDonald Chicago memorial from protestors.jpg, A memorial from protesters following the

, November 24, 2015 File:Occupy.jpg, Grant Park, Chicago, October 2012. "Occupy Your Homes" with Occupy Roger's Park. File:Idlenomore.jpg, Interstate-894, West Allis, Wisconsin, January 2013. "Idle No More & Indigenous Rights".

References

External links

*
OLBfilm.com documentary shortVideosFacebook page
{{MilwaukeePublicArt Culture of Milwaukee 2011 in art Politics of the United States 2011 establishments in Wisconsin Public art in the United States Bridge light displays