CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Newly converted fine art addict Swizz Beatz hits the studio with M.I.A. and shows off his Sotheby's Auction House gallery approved tattoo sleeves while "Ms. Vickileekx" swoons and tokes on some boom for 4/20. It's cool. Something light for a Thursday night ... lol. Good shit!
CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: The Bolshevik brilliance of contemporary artist par excellence, Shepard Fairey, continues to conquer the world and further spread his "WORLDWIDE PROPAGANDA DELIVERY" campaign to new unsuspecting victims. Not that any of us should complain - this design flu would be a welcome pandemic. Shepard Fairey's latest method of transmission comes via the much ballyhooed Obey x Levi’s® Capsule Collection.
This cut and sew collaboration between the artist and the grand daddy of all denim looks to be a marvelous material mash-up featuring Levi’s® timeless jeans and t-shirts exquisitely detailed with the kind of pop-culture insurrectionist illustrations that Mr. Fairey has become world famous for.
On the real, Shepard Fairey is the fuckin' man for keeping the price point reasonable for this limited edition release (The most expensive piece in the range tops out @ a staggering $148.00!!!!) AND for, additionally, creating a very special public, live art installation on the outside facade of the Levi’s® flagship store in New York City's Times Square to commemorate the October 29th launch of the collection. Power To The (Fly) People! LOL. Good shit.
"It's never too early to get excited about anything related to Shepard Fairey, and so we're pleased to bring you word that come February, the man who made the world obedient to his mesmerizing Andre the Giant stencil will get his first solo museum exhibition—and at no less a venue than Boston's shimmering new Institute of Contemporary Art, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The exhibition, "Shepard Fairey: Supply and Demand," is slated to run from February 6 through April 19 of next year and will include everything from early stenciled stickers and screenprints to works on wood and metal and fresh-from-the-studio pieces on paper and canvas. This all bodes very well for sales at the ICA gift shop.
If you've yet to experience the artist behind the bold, propaganda-flavored creations, here's an excerpt from Fairey's presentation at last fall's QBN Sessions event in which he explained the origin of the Andre stencil and "the Rorschach test facet" of his entire project."
CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: As mentioned here in an earlier post, I have been a fan of Shepard Fairey's work long before I ever recognized his subversive symbolisms stuck on stickers as anything even remotely close to mainstream "art". Throughout New York City in the mid 1990's, whenever I spotted any of his stenciled stamps trumpeting Andre The Giant and his "Posse", all that I saw was graffiti; albeit in a very revolutionary way. I peeled his faded ass stickers off of filthy, industrial silver matte painted lamp posts and the back of crosswalk signs alike, all the while unaware that what I was collecting was indeed art.
In retrospect, what I (and anybody else that paid attention to this sort of thing) was witnessing was the convergence of "graff" and graphic arts school. Shepard Fairey made his name the old fashioned way: branding via bombing. Today, every record label's street team owes this man a "Thank You" card, signed "Sincerely Yours, The Marketing Department". True story. This should be a great exhibit. Y.O.U. already know.
I kind of grew up on the MTA in New York City. I mean, I was always travelling with my mother and, when I got old enough to run on my own, I would dip onto the trains with my boys during the Summer months just to soak up some AC and explore my ever expanding world.
Anyway, I really got to know Manhattan once I went to my 1st high school out there. It was on those streets that I got introduced to alot of things, 1 of which was the artwork of Shepard Fairey via his "Andre The Giant Has A Posse/Obey" campaign. The stickers were everywhere son and they just caught my eye. The image was familiar, but was definitely NOT WWF approved. He also borrowed slogans from 1 of my favorite movies, "They Live!". How cool is that? Back then I used to peel dirty stickers off of crosswalk signs and lamposts ... I have quite a collection of vintage stickers ... lol. I've still got some exclusives.
Today, Shepard is a world reknowned artist and clothing designer (the "Obey" brand is his) and he's the guy responsible for the super cool Soviet Bolshivek Era propaganda inspired Obama posters (pictured below) that everybody now regenerates copies of with pictures of themselves and what not. Homie and his experiment in "phenomenology" set off all of that guerilla marketing shit that Hip Hop labels and streetwear/skateboard brands swear by kid. See, it all starts with the streets! Never forget that.
I'm the last money in and I'm the 1st money out in any situation. I am a Brooklyn born and bred MC with a keen sense of self and I appreciate forward thinking with regard to any endeavor. I am NOT your average rapper. I'm a hood socialite. The following will give you true insight to me as a man, my music and my unique LIVESTYLE. I does this for real homie!
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