Momentous Times: Shepard Fairey
Monday, November 3, 2008
Happy Day of the Dead!
As someone who is involved in the cultural arts, I am deeply moved by Shepard Fairey’s work which best exemplifies the American melting pot. A contemporary graphic designer, he combines evocative imagery to create powerful new symbolism, a sort of free-thinking propaganda. You might have seen his big print of Maori-like faces in black and white in posters around town with the words “OBEY” written under them. It took some time before I was hipped to the fact that these faces were not depictions of some fierce cannibalistic wargods, but the stylized faces of Andre the Giant from Pro Wrestling and Tattoo, Hervé Villechaize from Fantasy Island. Not to bring this too far off our chartered path of fashion and felting, Shepard Fairey has a tremendous new clothing line too. You can visit his main website HERE.
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” -Chief Seattle
