Ron English brings “Abraham Obama” to Hollywood, and the cold heart of Seattle…

Supertouch’s own RON ENGLISH has been a very busy man in LA and Seattle this week following his stop in DC to celebrate BARACK OBAMA’s inauguration on Tuesday. Located at the corner of Pico & Fairfax in Hollywood, this newly “liberated” billboard features Ron’s iconic “Abraham Obama” hybrid portrait created for the Big O’s presidential campaign last year. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Barry McGee avoides detection in the tall weeds of OC…

In honor of the relocation of Supertouch homies RVCA to a massive new world HQ building in Costa Mesa, BARRY McGEE (aka: TWIST, Robert Pimple, Lydia Fong, etc.) made sure the building—also home to the brand-supported ANP QUARTERLY art magazine–was embellished in proper fashion.

Todd James’ hot pink war machine…

Melbourne’s uninvitingly named hotspot DON’T COME GALLERY is currently playing host to “Disaster & Double Disaster,” a show of new paintings by NYC’s resident cartoon agitator TODD JAMES (aka: REAS) that opened its doors to a dedicated crowd of fanboys and girls last weekend. Continuing his brightly-colored critique of the American corporate war machine, James has created an extended series of medium sized pieces starring his familiar array of tanks, girls, bombs, battleships, and fighter jets, all joyfully beating the crap out of one another with plenty of blood spilled to show for it. Hopefully, with Obama officially behind the desk, REAS’ days of wartime inspiration will be numbered, but in the meantime, he’s in like Halliburton, mining the current US-led aggression for all the visual inspiration its worth. While the show is nearly sold out, four beautifully executed limited-edition prints are available for sale from Don’t Come while they last. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Martha Cooper brings back the old days at Subliminal Projects…

Beginning in the 1970s, legendary NYC street photographer MARTHA COOPER captured some of the most indelible images of the vibrant upstart Hip Hop culture of pre-reconstruction Manhattan. Her massive body of color photographs documents the most crucial movers and innovators of the era, from the then-burgeoning realms of bombing, breaking, rapping, alongside everyday peeps straight-up bugging out on the block. Snapshots of what already seems like a long-bygone era when downtown was still a dirty word, rats had the right-of-way, and curb culture wasn’t yet a marketing tool are reminders of the true meaning of early Hip Hop and the power and innovation of youth culture the likes of which we might not see for some time. Currently on display at SHEPARD FAIREY’s Echo Park gallery, SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS is “Street Shots,” a must-see selection of some of Cooper’s greatest hits with visuals so vivid the sounds and smells of the era almost leap from the prints. And that’s a good thing. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

“Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.” —MLK

In honor of his historic induction into the Smithsonian Museum’s National Portrait Gallery on Saturday, today’s MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY homage comes from Supertouch’s own SHEPARD FAIREY. Being the global art phenomenon that he is, Shepard was also asked by the search engine gangsters at GOOGLE to design their MLK banner for today. Have a LOOK.

Shepard Fairey’s criminal record has been officially wiped clean…

As momentous an occasion in the world of underground art—albeit on a much smaller scale—as BARACK OBAMA’s victory on the national stage was the induction of presidential propagandist SHEPARD FAIREY’s portrait of our new leader into the NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY at the SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM on Saturday. The first official portrait of the president-to-be recognized in an American cultural institution, Shepard’s image shatters the barriers of acceptability of the so-called worlds of “underground” and “street” art to catapult one of its foremost talents to the hallowed halls of history, and forever brightening the school field trips of young museum goers in the process. It’s a brave new world out there people, art world 2.0 begins now. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Our boy, Supertouch’s own SHEPARD FAIREY made it…

Even at his peak ol’ Shep will be hard pressed to create a better Colbert portrait than this here…

If this doesn’t qualify as breaking the seventh seal of the apocalypse, we’re not sure what does. This Thursday, January 15th at 11:30 pm EST, underground art star and GQ Artist of the Year 2008/First Artist-elect SHEPARD FAIREY goes big on THE COLBERT REPORT to discuss the finer points of presidential portraiture, street cred, and breaking the law in the name of art. Of course, being fellow alumni of Charleston, South Carolina’s Porter-Gaud School, the two will no doubt have many a tale of high school debauchery to reminisce over. Fanboys and girls who hit the sack by 10pm can catch the replay this Friday at 10:30 am, 2:30 pm, and 8:30 pm EST. Don’t sleep…