Graffiti has always existed as a form of expression amongst the people. Humor is often able to connect communities, sometimes even without the use of written language; who doesn’t like to laugh? Together, these tools can be used to tell subtle stories or express commonalities between individuals.
Highly visible, largely weatherproof, standardized, and easily interpretable canvases, such as road signs often find themselves vandalized in comical or political ways.
This road sign specifically references a trope which is probably nearly as old as the conception of aliens themselves: a cow being abducted by a UFO. Without the use of language, artists and designers must rely on symbolism and iconography. This is true for both the designer of the road sign, who tried to convey the idea that wandering cows might be in the immediate area, and the graffiti artist, who wanted to bring humor to the sign by adding a UFO and a googly eye.
