Aesthetics Under Siege

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Skee TV’s new office building in Hollywood features dummies on the roof, globs of paint streaking down the walls and a few graffiti tags for eye candy.

Scott Keeney – stage name: DJ Skee – is chief executive of Skee TV, and Keeney said that the building’s new exterior has stopped traffic, attracted camera-clicking tourists, and generated dozens of comments and e-mails about its unconventional décor.

Keeney, who had worked as a disc jockey at KIIS-FM (102.7) and a record producer, launched Skee TV as a music-oriented channel on YouTube in 2007. The company, which now has 15 employees, has tallied 200 million views since its debut. Skee TV makes money off ads on the videos.

Earlier this year, Skee TV rented the building at 1952 Cahuenga Blvd. East, just south of the Hollywood (101) Freeway, because the space fit its needs. Problem: The exterior was a textured-rock mosaic of a landscape scene that Keeney thought downright ugly.

When it proved cost-prohibitive to scrape the old mosaic off the building, Keeney commissioned Hollywood artist Aaron Alexrod to cover it up, a plan approved by the landlord.

Do people hate the crazy façade? Some complained about a mess during construction, but now Keeney reports nothing but praise. He routinely sees tourists taking pictures from the street and some stop in to offer compliments. While he was working as a DJ at a party in Las Vegas, several celebrities praised the look of the new digs.

“This wouldn’t fit on Rodeo Drive, but here everyone has supported it,” he said. “It’s the kind of building that could only exist in Hollywood.”

One of the graffiti on the façade reads “Greatness doesn’t ask permission,” a phrase that Keeney believes sums up the building’s message.

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