Shepard Fairey Has A Posse

"Shepard Fairey is a sellout..."

I've seen, read, and heard this or something like it over the last couple months, and it saddens me...

Comments like these stem from Hipsters, Skaters, self-proclaimed Street Artists, and the occasional "suit" who overheard some kids having a conversation in Downtown Crossing. Oh and i forgot to mention the disgruntled blogger looking for more hits*.

*By the way if you read this article, you're probably one of 2 (not including the contributors) who actually came across my blog.

What constitutes being a sellout?
Is it:
- creating a clothing line based off your original artwork
- selling that clothing online and in boutiques
- creating an iconic piece of political art that will resonate for generations to come
- being interviewed by a multitude of media organizations (the majority being of the independent type)
- selling books of your work
- having your work in galleries and museums
- seeing pictures of your work posted on blogs, flickr, and facebook accounts

You're right, what a fucking sellout...

I mean what artist dead or alive would want their artwork critiqued by millions of people? What artist would want to be publicly recognized for their contribution to Arts and it's community by a national figure like the President of the United States?

Just because someone becomes famous for what they've achieved DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE A SELLOUT. Besides Andy Warhol I don't think I can recall another living artist achieving such "celebratory" status. What's even more interesting is that Shepard achieved this by completely avoiding the "elitist" channels (i.e. galleries and museums). His work is more prominent on a street corner than in a Guggenheim, and that is the true nature of his work.

If you watch any interview, or read any blurb from Shepard you will notice that he almost always stresses the point that his art is interactive.

I believe that his work is for the masses, and his themes are direct representation of that. Rather than going to see the art, the art is brought to you. His ability to interact with society at such a "grass roots" level defies the common laws of art, and challenges the viewer to react to what they see. Whether that person enjoys what is actually contained within the piece should not be the point. It is the fact that they stopped and took time to actually engage it.

The question should not be what, but why.

------------

sell·out
Pronunciation:
\ˈsel-ˌau̇t\
Function:
noun
Origin:
1855–60, Americanism; n. use of v. phrase sell out

1. an act or instance of selling out.
2. an entertainment, as a show or athletic event, for which all the seats are sold.
3. Informal. a person who betrays a cause, organization, or the like; traitor.
4. Informal. a person who compromises his or her personal values, integrity, talent, or the like, for money or personal advancement.


If Shepard Fairey is truly a sellout, please enlighten me on what cause, organization he has betrayed. Or better yet what personal values, integrity, talent he has compromised for money or personal advancement.

...chumps

Inauguration 09 - Comments, Pictures and Videos

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Notorious! - Interview w/ Jamal "Gravy" Woolson

Check out this great video of Rapper/Actor Jamal "Gravy" Woolson as he talks about his role as Notorious B.I.G. in the upcoming biopic about the late rapper.

Holding Barack Accountable

The elections are long gone. The excitement from it was quickly subdued (mainly thanks to the big Wall Street mess).

Santa is having to buy a lot of over-priced coal this year.

Obama is making his selections for his cabinet. Many voters are blindly agreeing with his decisions, and on the other end of the spectrum there are already some heavy critics.

Me? I am right smack in the middle, unsure of what the future will actually bring.

I want to believe Barack is making the right choices already, but I also want to make sure he's held accountable for everything he promised. That is to say, I don't believe he will fix everything in his first term (hopefully a second term will see some progress).

The Phoenix has begun a great little project called "Take Back Barack", a blog written by Jeff Inglis.

Here's the rundown straight from the site:

"So, what can you do? And what's this blog all about?

First, check out our story - "Take Back Barack" is its name. Also, see the stuff I've tagged as related in some way or other, using Google Reader. (The link is also an RSS feed, if you want to get updates on the stuff I tag in the future.) Then, post comments here on this blog, saying what you want Barack to do, and what you think of his choices so far."

Please check it out!

P.S. I designed the Header for the Blog!!

Hero Dog "Saves" Best Buddy

!!CAUTION!!
The footage may be upsetting to some...

I am calling Bullshit that Scrappy here saved his buddies life...maybe saved him the humiliation of being scraped of the road, but I am pretty sure he is a gonner...

See the video

Graffiti Wars

Would you like your city spent about $250,000 a year cleaning up graffiti in your neighborhoods?

Some would argue that this is money well spent because Graffiti is a damper on our society.

Other have the opinion that it's artistic expression.

I'm of the opinion that as long as Graffiti is done in it's most elaborate form (masterpieces or pieces): burners, rollers, etc. should be respected and left up for the public to enjoy, comment, and critique. Places like heaven spots (high-up places like rooftops or sides of buildings) and slams (highly dangerous locations) should also be given some respect due to the extreme danger the artists put themselves in to accomplish their piece. Simple Throw-ups or tags are a thing of the past, because of their simplistic and careless nature. Long gone are the days when bombing a street or neighborhood got you respect, now it's about how creative you can be.

Public places are becoming more popular with shops, stores, schools, and neighborhood rec centers giving up a space or wall for local artists to show off their talents.

This Phoenix article discusses the great lengths which Massachusetts authorities have undergone to disrupt and prosecute Graffiti artists.

Make a Scanner Camera

Pretty fun little project, reminds me of the old camera obscura.