In this time when billionaire-philanthropists call for “radical transparency,” I think I sense an increasing need for anonymity as an antidote. At least that’s what I get from the above, one of hundreds, if not thousands of brilliant and funny art strategies created by Adál Maldonado. Perhaps most famous for having nurtured the idea of El Puerto Rican Embassy with seminal Nuyorican poet Pedro Pietri, Maldonado has long been a master of putting into focus the out-of-focus Spirit Republic of Nuyo-Puerto Rico.

Want to become a member of United Secret Artists? Adál wants you all to know that what you can do is write the best essay you can, waxing philosophically on why you want to be anonymous and send it to adal_maldonado@hotmail.com, and you may just get a membership.

As for me, I can’t wait for the next cashier at the local big box drug store/electronics store/Marshall’s to ask me for my zip code as I’m swiping my GPS-jamming debit card to buy some toothpaste/bluRay disc player/Ed Hardy T-shirt. I’ll just pull out my United Secret Artists membership card, with my vanishing-ink signature clearly invisible and say, “that’s between me and who I appear to be.”