Jean Pinataro

In 1993, with the cooperation of the Downey Museum of Art and Gannett Outdoor Company of Southern California, my billboard titled "Integrity/Future" was posted in three cities; Downey, Paramount and Bell.

The subject of the billboards, Charles Keating Jr., convicted financier, began serving a ten year term for fraud, racketeering and conspiracy after investors of Lincoln Savings and Loan lost millions on high interest, uninsured bonds.

The Downey Museum installation of the large silkscreen prints and related information shown later in 1993, included the names of the five senators and six Ethics Committee members who were implicated. They were labeled the "Keating Eleven" by the New York Times. Also shown in this exhibition were Nancy Buchanan's computer generated graphics detailing Savings and Loan bailout costs to taxpayers.

When I put a new print together in February of 1998 for the Arroyo Arts Collective exhibition in the Lincoln Heights Jail, it was an opportunity to broaden public responses by asking the question "What/Who is responsible for Charles Keating type Savings and Loan fraud? Keating? The investor? Deregulation? Greed? Viewer were asked to write their opinions and responses on the poster. Written participation by the public was creative, thought provoking and informed.