man is five: fairey tales

7 inches tall, 520 lb.

entranced on his prey. a demonic brow shadows two piercing eyes like the mask of a bandit, then falls into his wide flat pan nose. deep cuts from the center of his face suggest what little you can see of his "giant" jowls. if you were not familiar with this "giant", you might

mistake darkness for two tips of a sinister mustache. the only word..."OBEY", evocative, implying some level of persuasion or brainwashing. what does it want me to do? the image is so simple in design my eye races over his face, then goes back to the beginning. i read the word "OBEY" over and over. there's so little to the message, it's repetitive only because i react to it again, and again, and again. an adolescent memory begins to well. a memory of being told what to do...being told to "OBEY". but i am an adult now. you can't tell me. i don't want to "OBEY". i make my own choices, right?

at the same time, the image is nonsensical. why this guy's face? why "OBEY"? why obey the screen print? if you know who's face it is, the image becomes a joke. i can hear the "giant" command, "OBEY", and it makes me laugh. it's alert, it's playful, like a toy...that i gotta have.

i gotta have this sticker. it's clever and witty. how can i have this sticker. it's amusing and intelligent. i gotta have this sticker to put on my car. i gotta have this sticker to make people think. i gotta have this sticker to make people laugh. i gotta have this sticker to annoy people. i gotta have this sticker to give to my friends. i gotta have this sticker. i gotta have this sticker so everyone knows i'm in and i get it.

i gotta "OBEY"

kate and i went to the boston institute of contemporary art on thursday for my birthday (thursdays are free by the way). they're exhibiting

the work of shepard fairey, notorious street artist who went viral with his andre the giant "OBEY" stickers back in the late eighties. more recently he has gained fame for designing the obama "HOPE" poster for the 2008 u.s. presidential election. his work is talented and provocative. if you have a chance, it's a really inspiring show, go check it out..."OBEY"

here are a few shots of street art in asheville, nc. even though street art does not go through the usual channels of exhibit, it still evolves from the same purpose...to make YOU react. these artist have just taken it to the streets to deliver right to your front door...sometimes literally.

so go out and enjoy...