Fairey's "Peace Goddess" Casts Her Gaze over the Arts District
Ed Fuentes
Street artist Shepard Fairey stands in front of "Peace Goddess," new work installed in the Arts District as part of the LA Freewall project.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Last fall, street artist Shepard Fairey's posters showing Barack Obama became a symbol of a campaign and then a symbol of controversy, as Fairey and the Associated Press squared off in lawsuits over photo rights. The famous work was first produced out of Fairey's former warehouse studio at 6th and Alameda, and posted around the Arts District.
Tuesday, Fairey was back in his old neighborhood completing the installation of the 24-foot-tall "Peace Goddess," overlooking the intersection of Traction and E. 3rd. The work is the second in curator Daniel Lahoda's LA Freewall project.
Lahoda believes street art can put the Arts District on the map. "Everything is going to be here in Downtown," he said Tuesday as he watched the installation. "We have all the square footage set aside, particular in this neighborhood."
Each location has the permission of the building owner, and Lahoda surveys tenants to make sure they don't object.
"It's a long term project, and by filling the entire neighborhood with street art, hopefully we can turn this area into the largest outdoor art gallery."
First up was a work by London-based street artist "D*Face," who last week placed works at 7th and Mateo and on the east wall of the building that now hosts "Peace Goddess."
Lahoda is documenting these and other street works on his Jetset Graffiti website.
Justin Sullivan on November 11, 2009, at 05:57PM – #1
That thing looks awesome.
Controversy aside, Shepard is a street art legend and has done more than any single person to legitimize it. So nice to see him continuing to contribute to the community here in LA and worldwide.
Jorgie on November 12, 2009, at 07:36AM – #2
Hey Shepard, we have plenty more (ugly) walls down here for you! Come on down and make our neighborhoods pretty! I love 6th & Mateo, how can we get more!!!!
Butch McSnutch on November 12, 2009, at 09:48AM – #3
Daniel Lahoda is one of the biggest scam artists in the industry.
Joe on November 12, 2009, at 04:46PM – #4
Street art and legitimization are mutually exclusive. The catalyst for making street art is a defiance of legitimization.
Fairey: art thief and not just a liar, but a lair who formulated a counter lawsuit based on a lie.
Yeah, keep on feting a documented liar, corporate-minded art thief.
peeneee on November 12, 2009, at 06:10PM – #5
this is actually the first time i have seen his photo. pretty cool, hot stuff.
henry on November 12, 2009, at 10:08PM – #6
Thanks to Fairey for this beautiful new mural in the neighborhood. Wasnt he going to do a mural on Main or Spring? I hope he still does. All art is remix to some degree, Fairey understands this, acknowledges his influences, and transforms them into some greater. Keep up the outstanding work.
loveandhatela on November 13, 2009, at 04:10PM – #7
Art is subjective and therefore open to interpretation.
I like Mr. Fairey's art and as a fellow artist i will give him the benefit of the doubt. :)
Joe on November 14, 2009, at 12:04PM – #8
Lying and theft are not subjective.
http://animalnewyork.com/2009/10/shepard-fairey-admits-he-lied-in-ap-case/
Guest on September 20, 2010, at 11:57AM – #9
Beware of Daniel Lahoda. He is a confirmed thief:
http://forum.thegiant.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=14192&p=318376#p318376
Sonji Mariposa on November 25, 2011, at 09:19PM – #10
my question is "since when did a wheat paste become a mural?"
as a muralist that has spend countless hrs in front of a wall with a brush..i think that calling a wheat paste a mural really under minds the work that myself and countless of other painters do...
sheppard fairy is not an artist...he is a man that copies and pastes other peoples images and then blows them up and then hires others to paste it up on the wall for him..that does not make him a muralist...!!!! or even an artist!!!
William Crandell on November 25, 2011, at 09:57PM – #11
Yup: a mind sure is a beautiful thing to waste.