If you woke up in Los Angeles, or anywhere else in the world, on New Yearโs Day this year, you may have noticed a curious sight: the iconic Hollywood sign transformed into โHollyweed.โ It was a welcome act of rebellion after one of the most fucked up years in history. From some social media posts, it looked like a Photoshop job โ a meme to celebrate the new California law legalizing the recreational consumption of marijuana. As news of the stunt spread, it was obvious that someone had actually altered the Hollywood sign. How it was altered, and the extent of the damage, wasnโt apparent upon first examination, but as the helicopters buzzing overhead started zooming in, it was clear that there was no damage at all โ just white and black sheets to change the double Oโs into double Eโs. It was brilliant. But it wasnโt the first time someone had pulled the same stunt. In 1976, Daniel Finegood, an art student at Cal State Northridge changed the Hollywood sign to read the same thing on the same day that possession of an ounce of weed was downgraded to a misdemeanor, and then again during the Persian Gulf War to read 'Oil War.' This time around, the prankster turned out to be Los Angeles based artist Zach Fernandez, otherwise known as Jesus Hands. After the stunt, he skipped town, but after the LAPD turned up the heat, he surrendered. We got a chance to catch up with Fernandez at his Downtown studio to smoke a joint and discuss his intentions behind peacefully altering one of the most iconic city landmarks.
AUTRE: Are you from Los Angeles?
ZACH FERNANDEZ: Not from Los Angeles per se. I grew up in Southern California. I lived in the Inland Empire till I was eight or nine and then I lived by the beach, Pismo Beach for the remainder. I went back and forth between here and SoCal and then Iโve lived in Pomona most recently. Iโve kind of just been all over, a bit nomadic I guess.
AUTRE: So, a lot of people are probably trying to talk to you about this project right now.
FERNANDEZ: Yeah, these last two weeks. The first week was the equivalent of a year or twoโs life span. I had no idea what the deal was, it was so crazy.
AUTRE: People didnโt know it was you untilโฆ?
FERNANDEZ: Until a couple days later. And even still people are coming up like โthat was you?โ and Iโm like โyeah, were you living under a rock?โ
AUTRE: I read something about Tommy Chong calling you about it.
FERNANDEZ: Yeah it was really special. We had a good moment and he gave some solid advice. I didnโt know what to expect, you know, itโs Tommy Chong. You can expect a million different things and be way off. I was on the train, just trying to get out of town, and he direct messaged me on Instagram and said โletโs talk.โ It wasnโt his PR guy or something, it was him. I was just like, โholy crap what is happening.โ
AUTRE: So what did he want to talk to you about?
FERNANDEZ: Honestly, it was very simple, it was just โhey that put a huge smile on my face, thank you for that.โ And then I asked for some advice. He said, โlook, you chose to become famous and now thereโs no going back. Really think about that.โ
AUTRE: So he knew that after this project, that was it.
FERNANDEZ: He knew. The synchronicity that I live by, itโs my motto.
AUTRE: Is all the attention youโre getting intimidating or is it slightly exciting?
FERNANDEZ: Itโs both, itโs definitely both. Itโs just figuring out what to do from here. This is just the beginning, for the world, working out this type of stuff.
AUTRE: Have you done anything on this scale?
FERNANDEZ: Not this scale. But thereโs something bigger to come. Art for me is almost an adrenaline rush, itโs the weirdest thing. I donโt think Iโve ever looked at it like that but I find that it makes me so excited, that I obsess over it, and lose sleep over itโthereโs this burning and driving. Every artist knows that feeling, everyone can relate. And then thereโs the times when itโs gone and thatโs the scary part. Itโs like, fuck what is this? But then it comes back. Itโs the flow. Once you realize thereโs this ebb and flow to life, things come and go, everything else works out.
AUTRE: When did you put the plan into motion?
FERNANDEZ: It originally was just a seed. Iโve kind of regurgitated this a little bit in the media but I basically just put out this shout out on Facebook: โhey Iโm looking to do an art install in the LA area everybody should message me.โ I got like three messages. It was funny to see. I was like, โthis is my idea, Iโm committed.โ I had some people who were like โOh yeahโ and then would disappear and I didnโt want to go out and track them down.
AUTRE: Did they know initially? Or did you tell them as things unfolded?
FERNANDEZ: Some people knew and then other people had to say yes and then I would tell them about the plan.
AUTRE: The materials you used were tarp, right?
FERNANDEZ: People say tarps but they were actually sheets. It was a very resourceful project considering our circumstances. We did it for like $35 in total: limited paint from Home Depot was like seven bucks.
AUTRE: Wait so the blacked out part was paint?
FERNANDEZ: A black sheet.
AUTRE: What did you use the paint for?
FERNANDEZ: I painted on the sheet, on the black part. It was hard to see. It flipped one way and kind of hung around the side. It was very hard to make out so I hesitated to do it but decided even if people couldnโt see it I was going to do it anyways. Itโs a tribute. My buddy posted a photo of the original โHollyweedโ and I was like, โwhat, somebody has done this before?โ
AUTRE: So you had the idea and then you saw that somebody had done the same thing?
FERNANDEZ: Yeah. I was like โwhoa, okay hold on a minute letโs see what this guy did.โ So I figured out some of the details and his background and played on that. I didnโt just want to be this person regurgitating ideas but sometimes history has to repeat itself to learn something new. Thatโs what life's all about. We learn, we fail, we learn, we fail. And the climate was perfect. So I was like, this guy is channeling his energy through me; I didnโt even know heโd died of cancer. I saw an interview of his wife about my project being like โoh, my heart.โ
AUTRE: Oh amazing, did she reach out to you directly?
FERNANDEZ: Her family has and said some really deep stuff and Iโm like โholy crap, this is so sacred to me.โ I havenโt been able to meet them physically.
AUTRE: Thatโs heavy. Funny, you did it for thirty-five bucks? I think he did it for fifty. Accounting for inflation you still dropped the priceโฆ
FERNANDEZ: I know, I guess it costs more in the risk is what it came down to. But I had no fear about the whole project. I mean I had doubts, but zero fear. I had my intentions. I said thatโs gonna be done and Iโm gonna walk away.
AUTRE: And it really didnโt seem to be about vandalism. People immediately thought that maybe you vandalized the sign or you knocked out part of the white or something like that.
FERNANDEZ: Totally. They thought I messed up the letters.
AUTRE: Immediately upon looking at it, they were like โOh, shit! Someone fucked up the Hollywood signโ which would have been a massive act of vandalism, but looking at it closer, you realize itโs not that. Your work is not about desecration at all.
FERNANDEZ: No, itโs all about finding a way to, I donโt want to say manipulate the system, but a way to peacefully, respectfully maybe not work against, but work with the system. You get your messages out without this unnecessary punishment.
AUTRE: Thereโs nothing hostile about it.
FERNANDEZ: Exactly.
AUTRE: So you knew that maybe you would get in trouble for it, because of the trespassing?
FERNANDEZ: I did the research on the trespassing and the vandalism. Looked at the law for what vandalism really is.
AUTRE: They couldnโt get you on vandalism, but theyโre trying to get you for the trespassing. So the day afterwards, you head out of town and when did you decide to turn yourself in?
FERNANDEZ: I got out of town, talked to my attorneys, came back down here and then I started feeling a little bit paranoid. Because the detectives started laying on the heat a little bit. A lotta bit. Itโs a long story. Iโm not at will to say right now, but after all this blows over, let me tell you how the LAPD works. Itโs very, very scary.
AUTRE: They got tough?
FERNANDEZ: Very tough. Real fast. And itโs fine. Like I said, I had good intentions all the way. I had no idea about how the world would respond to this. I had no fucking clue. So I got done and I just stood there calmly for like two minutes and took it in and was just like, โWhoa. I did it.โ
AUTRE: I mean from far away, you could really see it. It looked seamless. Completely seamless.
FERNANDEZ: We studied it and honestly there were no schematics except for the height. We got the height and then I looked at a ladder on the side. The ladder rungs have like a foot space in between each one and then I just got the letter and measured it off of that picture. I was able to get it pretty precise.
AUTRE: You had helicopters up there. You had people from all over the place. You know youโve done something big when someoneโs up there with a helicopter.
[laughs]
FERNANDEZ: I saw that the next morning. You know Sarah woke me up and she was like, โItโs everywhere.โ And I was like โWhat? I donโt even understand what youโre talking about. Last nightโs a dream to me. I have no idea what just happened.โ Her eyes got so big.
AUTRE: And now itโs a meme.
[laughs]
FERNANDEZ: It is a meme. People were like saying they lived so close to the Hollywood sign and they were like, โUgh I was in Vegas. I could have gotten my drone up there.โ Itโs so good. The letters do look like they went all the way around. Itโs weird.
AUTRE: You can barely tell. The only time people can tell that it was a sheet is when they really zoomed in with those creepy paparazzi zooms.
FERNANDEZ: The best part was seeing the little firemen after. Seeing how little they were compared to the letters. It took them like thirteen hours to get it all down. It took me three hours to get it up but like ten guys to get it down. I donโt understand.
AUTRE: It seemed like there were not a lot of people around. You were able to pretty much do whatever you wanted.
FERNANDEZ: The day I went and hiked up there it was like two weeks prior just to survey it and see how it was. I got up there around 7:30 in the morning and there was a guy putting an American flag on top of the hill and zip tying it to the post. Itโs still fucking there. So I saw it, took a picture. I leave. I saw that there was trash everywhere. If anybody gave a shit about this sign, there wouldnโt be trash everywhere. So that was my ticket and I was just like okay go: do it. Anyway, long story short, that guy ended up direct messaging me with a picture at the fucking sign like, โIโve been down there, too!โ I mean there have probably been hundreds of people who have jumped that gate, taken pictures at the sign, and thatโs it.
AUTRE: That original artist, he actually did a few things with the Hollywood sign. I think he did Ollywood during the Oliver North hearings and then he did something during the Gulf War
FERNANDEZ: Exactly, yep. He did โOil Warโ and it ended up getting taken down so fast.
AUTRE: So, you donโt have plans to do more with the Hollywood sign? Youโre done?
FERNANDEZ: With the Hollywood sign, Iโm done. But, definitely worldly. Iโve got some huge things coming up. So Iโm super excited. Iโm not sure how soon, but soon.