Obey Giant Headlines

Kathy Grayson x The Hole NYC x Jeffery Deitch

A lot of people ask me what I think about the brouhaha around Jeffrey Deitch and LA MOCA. I think he has been treated unfairly and It puts me in an awkward position… I’ll be perceived as biased because Deitch has included me in commercial and museum projects and my design studio helps MOCA with graphic design(for very modest fees). I am biased in favor of Deitch, but not because of personal interest, but because I’m biased in favor of people who share my philosophies about art and culture. In my opinion, Pop Art eroded the perceived barriers between high and low art. Good art is good art, and something being called “high” or “low” is often based on elitism and where the art and artist reside on the ever changing curve of acceptance by cultural gatekeepers. I think Deitch tends to be ahead of the curve. It was refreshing to see this video interview with Kathy Grayson, director of The HOLE Gallery discussing Deitch. The beginning of the video is silly, but hang tight for Kathy’s commentary, I think she gets it right. Check it out.

-Shepard Fairey

http://blog.newyorkartdepartment.org/tagged/Jeffrey-Deitch

Gun Control

Our hearts go out to all the families and friends of the victims of Friday’s tragedy in Connecticut. I made an image a while ago about gun culture and I caught a lot of anger about it. I will reiterate that statistically, guns(certain kinds especially) are more likely to take lives than to save them. That’s all I care about…saving innocent lives. Doomsday paranoia and militia machismo shouldn’t be part of a rational conversation about the absurd volume of guns and the ease of acquiring them in this country.  My friend Aaron from Occupy made a Facebook page to put pressure on the NRA.  Check it out and also check out my original post about guns which includes compelling statistics – 2nd Amendment Solutions.
Thanks for caring.
-Shepard

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Celebration Day

This year I’ve been ridiculously fortunate to work with some of my favorite bands… the Black Keys, Bad Brains, and the mighty Led Zeppelin! After I did the Mothership package for Zeppelin they were happy enough with the art to ask me to give it another go for the package of their concert album “Celebration Day”. I have loved Zeppelin most of my life, so I figured I could pencil them in. At one point in high school I think Physical Graffiti was in my car tape deck for 3 months straight. Anyway, the band liked what I came up with, so BAM!, I have now done TWO album packages for one of the greatest rock groups of all time… which is surreal beyond explanation. I’m releasing an edition of 300 signed and numbered screen prints of the Celebration Day art. There will be an additional 50 prints signed by the band sold for charity at a later date, so if you are a big Zepp fan keep an eye out for that.

The concert sounds amazing and the DVD of the show looks amazing. Zeppelin’s power has not waned a bit since their prime in the 70’s, and I personally think that “Celebration Day” is better than “The Song Remains The Same” as a live record. Check it out for yourself.
-Shepard

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Let Fury Have The Hour Premiers this weekend!

LET FURY HAVE THE HOUR is a must see! I was lucky enough to be involved in this film on a couple levels. I worked on the art and titles, and I’m interviewed in the film alongside heroes like Chuck D, Wayne Kramer, Tom Morello, and Ian MacKaye. The film is about creative response to social issues as embodied by the Clash, spanning music, art, writing, and philosophy. The film asks “what kind of world do you want to live in?” and I’d answer… one where a lot of people see a film like this and get inspired to pursue their own form of creative activism. Get into it, get involved, go see the movie, shape the world!
-Shepard Fairey

Into the Future

Check out Bad Brains and Shepard signing the edition.  Into the Future drops TOMORROW at a RANDOM time between 10am and 12 noon (PST) !  Here’s the link to find it.  We hope that you enjoy this collaboration as much as we do!

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IT’S A BAD BRAINS CHRISTMAS

I think yule dig this. This video uses “Pay To Cum” the first Bad Brains song I ever heard in late 1983. The song rules and so does this Peanuts mash-up. This video provided more sheer joy than I’ve felt in a while. Now that I have kids who love Sponge Bob and The Ramones this kind of thing makes me very happy. Watch it and forget that you’re a cynical asshole for a minute or two(literally). Peace together, not a piece apart. Happy holidaze.

-Shepard Fairey

NEW BOHEMIA SIGNS: EAST ON SUNSET x SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS

Subliminal Projects is pleased to present New Bohemia Signs: East on Sunset. New Bohemia Signs (NBS) is a shop in San Francisco that has employed a collective of designers, artists, and sign makers to produce exclusively hand painted and gilded signs since 1992.  For this exhibition, members of NBS spent time on the Eastern edge of Sunset Boulevard that runs through Silverlake, Echo Park and into Downtown Los Angeles. They absorbed the visual layers of the neighborhood, local businesses and street signs to gain an understanding of the personalities that work, play and define this particular area of Los Angeles.

RECEPTION DATES:
Friday, December 7 • 8 PM – 11 PM

EXHIBITION DATES:
December 8 – January 12, 2013

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Bob Mould Kickstarter

“I was there for the show at the Disney Hall and Bob and his guests were all amazing.  Support this campaign so that more people can enjoy the show.”  Shepard Fairey

 

Wynwood Walls Mural Revisited x Shepard Fairey

The crew and I came out to Miami a little ahead of Art Basel to redo my Wynwood Walls mural as a tribute to Wynwwod Walls creator Tony Goldman, who recently passed away.  I spoke to Tony’s wife Janet and discussed his inspirations in art, music, and politics. Many of his heroes are my heroes too, so I created a mural to celebrate Tony and our mutual inspirations. That’s Tony with the cowboy hat in the center warmly greeting visitors as he always did. The Goldmans have been an incredible support not only to me, but to many artists. The Wynwood Walls have a ton of great murals. Check them out if you come to Miami.

The old mural was wheat-pasted, but the new mural is painted, so it should last! Legendary photographer Martha Cooper documented the process and the final piece, here are a few of her photos. Thanks Martha!

-Shepard Fairey

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DJ Shepard Fairey x Garage x Miami Art Basel

This just in! Miami DJ gig number two… The Garage grand opening. Stop by if you like good music and happen to be in Miami.
-Shepard

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