Anthony Kiedis takes Ed Ruscha for a drive on Sunset Strip

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One more thing you probably don’t know about Anthony Kiedis, the unpredictable frontman for the Red Hot Chili Peppers: He’s a fan of artist Ed Ruscha.

Kiedis takes the driver’s seat in a new TBWA\Chiat\Day\LA ad, the first video in a major campaign to promote Pacific Standard Time, the museum-fest that officially kicks off Oct. 1 and is designed to celebrate pioneering local artists like Ruscha.

The L.A. singer takes the L.A. artist on a spin through their sprawling hometown as they talk about art (including one ‘If’ song by the Chili Peppers and one ‘So’ painting by Ruscha). Sections of the Sunset Strip, which Ruscha famously photographed in 1966, stream by in the background.

The Hollywood sign also looms large, and it’s not the only lettering you will see. The spot also shows snippets from their dialogue set against the city landscape in the style of Ruscha’s famous word paintings. Apparently Ruscha also has some fans at Chiat\Day who appreciate his attention to typeface as an art form. (Whether the artist considers this appreciation -- or more imitation -- would be interesting to know.)

A three-minute version of the video is featured on the new Pacific Standard Time website, which also has a map and calendar to help you plan your museum visits. A 30-second version, below, appears on youtube.com and will run in Laemmle Theatres starting in November.

Word is the next spot in the series will pair actor Jason Schwartzman and artist John Baldessari.

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-- Jori Finkel
www.twitter.com/jorifinkel