"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:
Just in time to celebrate President-Elect BARACK OBAMA's upcoming inauguration on January 20th, the SHEPARD FAIREY-organized MANIFEST HOPE DC art show (in collaboration with MoveOn.org) has opened its doors to the public in the nation's capitol. An extension of the original "Manifest Hope" show last year at the Democratic National Convention, this year's installment enjoys the distinction of celebrating a hard-won change instead of stating the case for it. Featuring original artwork by a diverse array of artists including Shepard Fairey, Tim Biskup, Tristan Eaton, Ron English, David Choe, Maya Hayuk, Andy Howell, Chris Pastras, HAZE, Travis Millard, House Industries, HVW8, Zoltron, JK5, Justin Hampton, Robbie Conal, and Sam Flores, the inclusive show is intended to reflect the grassroots movement that helped propel Obama to unheard of stratospheric heights. HAVE A LOOK:
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...
Today the NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY at the SMITHSONIAN announced it has officially acquired SHEPARD FAIREY's large-scale fine art portrait of President Elect BARACK OBAMA as part of its permanent collection. Shepard's massive mixed media image based on the artist's ubiquitous campaign iconography was created for display at 2008's DNC and the institution's acquisition of the work makes it the first official portrait of the president-to-be, an incredibly historical moment in the realm of underground art. In an announcement today, National Portrait Gallery director Martin E. Sullivan declared that the Obama portrait was “an emblem of a significant election, as well as a new presidency.” Fittingly, the artwork is slated to go on display on January 20th, Inauguration Day. Speaking of Inauguration Day, Fairey was personally tapped by Obama to create a new poster commemorating the forthcoming occasion which officially released for sale today HERE. We're not sure if buying an Obama poster officially counts as "economic stimulus" but it's probably a good way to start.
Shepard's Obama portrait on display at the DNC in 2008...
The First Artist-to-be with wifie Amanda and the Big O...
Shep's Obama "Person of the Year" update...
It's been a massive year for Supertouch's own SHEPARD FAIREY who proved—incredibly—that a street artist with a lengthy arrest record could indeed brand the most revolutionary presidential campaign of modern times with iconic imagery born of the underground. Now, against seemingly even greater odds (and we mean bigger odds than being named one of GQ Magazine's "Men of the Year"), Shep's created the cover art for TIME MAGAZINE's new PERSON OF THE YEAR issue featuring President Elect BARACK OBAMA that also features a hilarious & long-lost photo shoot with the Big O during his college years in the '80s. In the words of Time: "Our cover portrait is by the street artist Shepard Fairey, whose roots are in the skateboarding world and whose early poster of then Senator Obama became the great populist image of the campaign. With this cover, Fairey has now created a new iconic image of the President-elect — a rich, multilayered poster that echoes but then expands on his original." Click HERE to read the interview.
Barry O's '80s moment...
Guns on the streets in Miami...
Artistic comrades-in-arms and emissaries of Franco-American relations SHEPARD FAIREY & WK INTERACT were literally some of the busiest artists on the streets in Miami last week at ART BASEL. While both were represented by galleries at several fairs, the pair also managed to get extremely busy in the streets, posting up large-scale pieces throughout the Wynwood district with Shepard's installations featuring political imagery from his recent Shooting Gallery SF show, while Frenchman WK illustrated a monochromatic futuristic-cops-and robbers scenario gone wrong. HAVE A LOOK: Read More
"Yo, just don't forget about that 'First Artist' cabinet appointment you promised me!"
You can stop rubbing your eyes now, you read that headline correctly. That's right, miraculous as it may seem, Supertouch's own SHEPARD FAIREY was named one of GQ MAGAZINE's "Men of the Year." Selected for his Obama campaign artwork that helped push the Big O to the finish line the grimy wheatpaste street rat is now rubbing elbows with other men of the year Barack Obama, Leo DiCaprio, Micahel Phelps, and Sean Penn. Looks like Shep's gonna have to step up his couture game and fast. Don't think those Ramones shirts are gonna cut it anymore, buddy...
From GQ:
