Monomania L.A.: Carol Wells and the Politics of Postering

Through a series of short films and articles, Monomania L.A. profiles five L.A. as Subject collectors who have turned a monomaniacal obsession with a particular aspect of Southern California history into a public resource.

When Carol Wells started collecting, the art establishment shunned political posters. Even today most artists intend them to be ephemeral rather than enduring works. A bullet hole scars one of Wells' posters. Graffiti on another disagrees with the message. Some she's salvaged from dumpsters. But Wells believes that her vast archive testifies to the power of posters to effect social change by interrupting our daily routines with their bold graphics, strong colors, and provocative slogans.