Shepard Fairey: Think about it.

A few weeks ago I went to Boston for work and was fortunate enough to explore the city a bit while I was there. A coworker of mine told me about a Shepard Fairey exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Fairey is most recently known for his Obama "Hope" poster that made the presidential candidate a pop icon. But Fairey's more notable work is his street art - tagging street signs, highways, brick walls and any other urban spaces with his famous Andre the Giant image and "OBEY" tagline. Fairey's work reflects that of Andy Warhol or Keith Haring, overstepping the lines between political, iconic and popular images. Realizing how overcrowded outdoor space had become with advertising and marketing images or words, Fairey wanted to impact people beyond what they saw on the canvas. He wanted people to stop and think about what they were looking at. Think about what the image or images meant to them personally. What did they feel while looking at the image? The fact that the image may stir question or thought or rejection was Fairey's source of inspiration. Fairey looked to cross-cultural references, historical movements, political propaganda and musical influences to help create his line of work.

"Shepard Fairey: Supply and Demand traces the development of the artist's career, from the earliest Obey imagery through his latest efforts, and includes screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works on wood, metal, and canvas. The artist is also creating a new mural for the ICA and public art works at sites around Boston." (ICA, Boston website)

After viewing the exhibit I really gained a sense of appreciation and respect for this artist, this visionary person who uses his work to get people to think beyond what they are told or shown in everyday life. It is too often that we are inundated with images and words but what do they really mean? To us? Not what should it mean, but what is the story being told? What is the purpose beyond it? If there is even one at all? Fairey sometimes found it funny that people would try to explain everything about his images. Sometimes there is no explanation, it just is a result of what the artist felt that day. Nothing more, nothing less. To me, art is emotional, and not always logical. It is a method of expression.