I have a set of personal landmarks. These are usually places that have special meaning to well, just me. In my college days these things distinctly defined SF as home: DJ bars like The Top, The Distillery in HMB, Club Townsend/King St Garage Wicked parties, The Henry Miller Library, 2am waiting on the side of Highway 1 for some weirdo with a flashlight to take me down to Esalen, XLR8R mag, well, you get the gist…
I’ll get to the point. I am ok with change for the most part -- it is life. But sometimes change makes me pause, even if it is something seemingly small, and that’s just what happened yesterday when I noticed Fairey’s Obey Giant has been painted over. That Andre painting has been there for as long as I can remember, at the old Sports Basement building on the corner of 16th St and De Haro.
Now it is gone, poof, finito. (Boo. Hiss.) I know it is a tad irrational to mourn the loss of street art. Sorry, can’t help it! It made me happy when I passed by on my bicycle.
Speaking of Fairey, there are a couple of posts you may want to check out if you are a believer in artistic freedom. The first post addresses the Obama Hope poster (you know the one) & the Associated Press who are suing him because he used one of their photos to make the campaign poster. See here. And here.
And, here is another NYT blog post which does not touch the lawsuit topic, but discusses his work overall which found interesting.
I'll miss that art as well. Maybe he will put up another to replace it.
ReplyDeleteBoo-Hiss is right! Today, in Chicago, the Violet Hour painted over a really large piece, and are now replacing it with a new street artist's piece. I guess it highlights the temporary nature of street art, but I know we hold it near and dear to our hearts, especially in SF and especially Shep Fairey work.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing ing!
Lisa