20th
Shepard Fairey - “Supply and Demand” Coming to ICA Boston
Where mainstream meets rebellion, the first solo museum show for street art mogul Shepard Fairey, entitled “Supply and Demand,” will be opening in February at the Institute of Comtemporary Art in Boston. While Fairey has undoubtedly attained market success with his Obey label and Barak Obama posters, his work is met with harsh judgment from fellow street artists and art critics alike citing Fairey as a “sell out.” Due to the conflicting views of Fairey’s work, the success of his much anticipated show at the ICA is dependent on a number of lingering questions: will the work retain its invasive shock value once it is framed on a museum wall or, like so many street artist before him, will Fairey’s aesthetic fall flat once it’s taken out of its urban context? Will the prestigious exposure of Fairey’s socially charged motifs encite a public reflection on American culture or will it simply drive up the $40 price of posters on his website? Will viewers empathize with the artist’s appropriation of communist propaganda or will they simply see his subjects as a vehicle for self promotion?
Will you pay the $12 admission fee to become inspired or to witness something that is just “cool”? You can be the judge.
Supply and Demand
February 6 - August 16, 2009
The Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA 02210
t. 617.478.3103
