

The Hollywood sign seen from

the street on New Year’s Day, 1976.



Danny Finegood’s first Hollywood California sign alteration was for a Cal State art project in 1976 (he got an A.) For Easter he changed the sign to read "Holywood." In 1987, he mocked Oliver North and made the sign read "Ollywood." He tried to make it read "Oil War" to protest the 1990 Gulf War, but park rangers removed his work before sunrise.



The Hollywood sign "au naturel"



Tightened security prevented him from making it "Hollyween" for Halloween, or altering it to look like it completely vanished for April Fool’s Day. Mr. Finegood was proud of his environmental art:

"We broke no laws and did no damage to the sign. An artist’s role throughout history has been to create representations of the culture he exists in. By hanging four relatively small pieces of fabric on the landmark, we were able to change people’s perception of the Hollywood sign."

Danny Finegood died of cancer at the age of 52 in 2007.

– Danny Finegood, 52, Serial Sign Defacer, The New York Sun>>

– Who Pood on the Hollywood Sign? A Preservationist Message Goes Down the Toilet [UPDATED] Fast Company>>

– Hollywood Sign, Wikipedia>>