December 2008-Boston

Thanks to Will for sending this Bostonian gem over the wire. Shepard Fairey’s got a lot going on right now. His solo exhibit at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art opens on February 6. The National Portrait Gallery invited him to hang his Obama campaign posters in their hallowed halls. In the midst of all this press, he still finds time to hit the streets. I like the concept for Shepard Fairey’s “Duality of Humanity” collection. Finding parallels between the Vietnam and Iraq wars, Fairey updated photographer Al Rockoff’s snapshots. The resulting images pack a powerful punch with a hint of “Obey” style. If you can’t wait to catch some Fairey in the gallery, find him on Brighton Ave. in Boston.

“When I lived in Allston, I used to see this mural every day. It was plastered on the side of a bike shop by my old apartment. Although it's not technically illicit, I feel like it really exemplifies the spirit of this Boston neighborhood named after the artist Washington Allston. That and the overabundance of hipsters.”  

Here's the original Al Rockoff that inspired Fairey.