Shepard Fairey

01 May - 31 December 2010

SHEPARD FAIREY
"May Day Mural"

May 01, 2010 — December 31, 2010
Houston Street and Bowery

Goldman Properties and Deitch Projects are pleased to present a mural by Shepard Fairey to coincide with his exhibition May Day. This project continues the collaboration on this site between Goldman Properties and Deitch Projects, who have previously presented a recreation of Keith Haring’s 1982 mural, and a mural by the Brazilian artists Os Gemeos.

Shepard Fairey’s May Day mural incorporates several of the images and themes that can be found in his most recent fine art and street art work. In this public piece, Fairey tackles an array of subjects including: the reclamation of the U.S. flag as a multi-dimensional symbol, global warming, health care, free speech, activism, and the dysfunction of the two-party system in Washington.

Shepard Fairey’s mural addresses contemporary political themes, but also pays tribute to some of the Pop artists who have influenced him. The American flag and the target reference the iconic paintings of Jasper Johns who is also the subject of a portrait in the May Day exhibition. The newspaper and the May Day megaphone advertisement pay tribute to Warhol's early painted renditions of common subject matter. The mural also weaves in many smaller images and decorative patterns which supplement the aesthetic and themes of the larger images.

The property on which the mural is located has been owned by Goldman Properties since 1984. Tony Goldman has given his enthusiastic support to this project.

www.deitch.com