Do you know the guy behind the iconic Obama poster?

Shepard Fairey is his name.

TIME Magazine published a blurb about him on JULY 9, 2001, (VOL.158 NO.1)
"obey giant lives Ads Infinitum"
George Orwell taught us to beware of the sign on the wall reading:
"Obey." It's best to get used to the idea. Way back in 1989, a Rhode
Island School of Design graduate named Shepard Fairey started putting
obscure stickers on buildings to promote a skateboard gang. They got
attention and Fairey, inspired, kept slapping them up as a kind of mass
psychology test: What does the average person make of a public sign that
is, essentially, meaningless? The posters, stickers and spray-painted
designs often bear the image of the late World Wrestling Federation star
obey giant, and the San Diego-based artist encourages like-minded urban
guerrillas to join him in spreading a message with no message. The
result: "Obey" signs in cities almost everywhere, including Tokyo and
Hong Kong. Now, this global in-joke is becoming a lot less subversive
and probably more ubiquitous: Fairey has launched an Obey clothing line
and there's plenty of obey giant merchandise out there. Buyer's Obey!


My husband & I actually saw an obey logo on a brick wall in our Chicago
neighborhood a few years back. He immediately recognized it & explained
how this artist gets around. A few weeks later, the art was covered by a
fresh coat of paint. They had no idea what they had on their wall!

Check out this letter Shepard Fairey wrote to someone who bought his art
& sold it on ebay:
http://obeygiant.com/store/help.php?section=policy

I love that he sticks to his values instead of just making a lot of
money because he can. Mr. Fairey, you have my admiration and I do love
your art!

Now, can somebody please take a stand for concert tickets and sporting
events???

U Being U by Suzan-Lori Parks

Somebody passed this along to me today. It’s a write up about inaugural poetry 2009 from NPR. Here’s the link.

It’s written by Suzan-Lori Parks, who wrote Topdog/Underdog and the 365 Days/365 Plays series that had a huge festival here in Chicago (& several other cities) last year.

Pretty cool…

U Being U-by Suzan-Lori Parks

U Being U
Mr. President-Elect
Makes me wanna get MY stuff
correct
I feel like starting with something RADICAL
Like,
Love my Neighbor
Like share what I've got
Like think for myself
Like ask the hard questions
Like lean toward the good and help keep the peace
U being U
Makes me wanna do something new
Like Go Green, or at least try to.
You being you, Mr. President-Elect
Makes me want to look on others with respect
Makes me wanna
practice Radical Inclusion, you know,
Open my heart wide, especially in the presence of folks who
Are not like me, you know,
work to see my Brother
In the Other
You make me want to entertain all my far-out ideas
Make me wanna represent the race, as in the human race,
And know that, like You, I too am Prized.
And to those who say yr a Magic Negro,
I love them just the same
And my love helps us weave a United States.
Mr. President,
Heaven sent
Since heaven is just a place where possibility
becomes possible
And where hostility
holsters
its hostile,
I feel like picking up the trash in the park or on the beach
I think I'll teach, and learn, from all I meet
I think I'll apologize in person for all our faults
and try to make amends for our shortcomings
And also, I think,
I'll brag,
Just a little bit,
About how cool We The People are
Oh, I just had to sing you a little something
Because you,
Mr. President,
You are embarking with Us on an awesome and beautiful
And potentially perilous journey
And so I am giving you
All the Love
All the Love
All the Love
All the Love
Mr. President
That I've got
Because I believe
In the dream
And I am ready
To wake up
And live it.

Yo-Yo Ma , Itzhak Perlman , Anthony McGill & Gabriela Montero at the Obama Inauguration

A beautiful piece by John Williams, with brilliant musicians playing it. This was very moving when I watched it on TV, but I must point out that Yo-Yo Ma is just adorable while he is playing. His glances at Itzhak Perlman are so sweet. He looks genuinely happy to be there, playing for the new president. He really warms the heart. Just watch him…

Link here



I have to say that it was really wonderful to have music so celebrated in front of the nation and the entire world yesterday. Perhaps President Obama has a true appreciation for the arts? Perhaps he might even listen to Quincy Jones’ plea.

We can all sign the petition here.

Inauguration Day, 2009

It’s here!

My husband found this image featuring all of the American presidents, (produced by The Chicago Sun-Times,) and I thought it was pretty cool.

Unfortunately, I have to work during the inauguration ceremony, but I am looking forward to viewing footage at a party after work!

Cheers!