birdsong

Photo by Becki Fuller

Instead of posting some photographs of the newest in new street art, I want to talk about Shepard Fairey. By now I am sure you all know that Shepard Fairey is the guy behind the oh so popular Obama “Hope” posters of last years campaign. And many of you probably also know that he is the guy behind the Obey stickers and wheat pastes plastered across the country.

Opinions on Fairey span the spectrum. On the one hand, a unique version of his Obama poster was acquired by the National Portrait Gallery last spring and remains the most popular piece on display there. Alternatively many people have been concerned that Shepard’s work is little more then plagiarism. (see lawsuit filed by the associated press). Now I am not writing to argue one way or the other, I just want to tell it the way I see it.

During the Spring a retrospective of Shepard’s work opened at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Initially I was not too interested in taking the Fung Wah bus 5 hours to Boston to see works which I have already seen plastered from Portland to Poughkeepsie. I had no intention of going until my Aunt in Boston invited my parents and I to visit and see the show. At first I was surprised. These are three people who, though well versed in the Wyeths and O’Keefes of the world, dont really know a thing about street art. But I realized that they were also three people attempting to relate to me. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that Obey bores me. If nothing else it was an excuse to see my parents and have some of my aunt’s sick Korean cooking. Besides, I found out the Bolt Bus has wifi! So I relented and made a brief sojourn in Boston a couple weeks ago.

Read the rest of this entry »