Just ran into Shepard Fairey this afternoon, the man behind the iconic images used in President Obama’s “Hope” campaign. He was coming back from his lunch break and shared a few thoughts on his latest work: the famous Bowery and Houston Street wall in the Lower East Side. This wall is symbolic in New York. In 1984, Keith Haring painted his original Day-Glo mural there. In 2008, using photographic documentation of the original work, his piece was recreated for what would have been Haring’s 50th Birthday. Last year, it was Brazilian graffiti artists, Os Gemeos’ turn to take over the wall. You can see the two pictures after the jump.
Fairey, 40, and his team of four worked really fast. I passed by yesterday morning and the wall was still white. The buzz surrounding the wall is major. Photographers, bloggers, passer-bys were all snapping pictures. The wall is a promotion for his new New York exhibition opening May 1st, called May Day. This whole block is tattooed with this artist lately. Right across the street, you can catch the film “Exit through the Gift Shop” at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema. The movie, directed by the über anonymous street artist Banksy features him. (You can watch the trailer here). Fairey told me the mural will be up for six months so hurry up if you want to frame it!
More pictures after the jump.
Keith Haring’s original wall was recreated in 2008.
Brazilian graffiti artists, Os Gemeos took over the wall in 2009.
Pictures and video Marie-Joelle Parent
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