“Abuse of Power” Is Doing Good
Sonny Ruscha Granade on Sexy Beast's Jenny Holzer x Virgil Abloh collaboration benefitting Planned Parenthood LA
You've seen it. The now iconic image of Lady Pink, the mural and graffiti artist, photographed in the streets of New York City, the city's constant motion creating a blur around her, wearing a white tank top that says ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE in bold, black letters. It is one of Jenny Holzer's quintessential works, part of her "Truism" series. Now, Sexy Beast, the LA-based organization that benefits women’s health and the right to choose, has released a t-shirt bearing that very same slogan, the result of a collaboration between Jenny Holzer and Virgil Abloh.
Sonny Ruscha Granade, the program director of Sexy Beast, spends her working time between private art dealing, development consulting, and doing lasting good in the world. A new mother, she has raised significant funds for art schools, cultural institutions and nonprofits while working closely with major private collections, acquiring and deaccessioning notable works on their behalf. Raised in Los Angeles, the daughter of painter Ed Ruscha, spoke with GARAGE about this collaboration, “We came up with the idea to invite a fine artist to design a limited-edition t-shirt. Obviously, Jenny Holzer was on the top of our list, and as a sponsor and supporter of our previous gala, she was the perfect person to approach since she was already familiar with the work we were doing.” That makes sense, but how did Abloh come in? Sonny continued, “By some grace of God, she enthusiastically agreed, and asked if we could approach her friend Virgil Abloh to collaborate with her to reissue her iconic Abuse of Power Comes As No Surprise especially for the occasion.”
Sexy Beast, a creative community-centric organization in Los Angeles, is engaging a new audience for Planned Parenthood’s work and making philanthropy sexy. Each year, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles provides 250,000 patient visits to the women, men and teens who rely on the organization for reproductive healthcare and education, life-saving cancer screenings and STI testing and access to the safe, caring, affordable healthcare services. Sexy Beast for PPLA (Planned Parenthood LA) began in 2014 as a biennial art world benefit and has since grown into a vital fundraising initiative raising over $1.5 million for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles through events, product collaborations, and social media. Leading a conversation about healthcare, empowerment and joyful resistance, Sexy Beast’s merging of art and women’s health has struck a chord with a network of global supporters. Join this, and grab a tee for good!
