shepard fairey

I don't buy magazines that much anymore, but today I felt compelled to buy Time Out New York, both for the gorgeous cover art and the promise of having my next three months planned out for me. The cover art is by Shepard Fairey, the rock star urban artist who seems to always be in trouble with the law. He is best known for creating that contentious "HOPE" poster of Barack Obama. He seems to be everywhere these days, also appearing in Interview magazine, where he was actually interviewed by his long-time hero (and  subject), Iggy Pop. I'm bummed that I completely missed his May Day exhibit in New York. See the amazing pictures here. His style is distinctive and I like that he's got the balls to make his ideology known. It sucks for him though that he isn't anonymous like Banksy because he has to bear the brunt of the backlash.

I've been admiring his art since 2006 when I first saw his work. My friend Joel and I stood in line for four hours in the freezing November cold to see the urban art inside 11 Spring Street in Nolita before it was powerhosed and covered up in drywall, then made into the multimillion dollar condo that stands there today. That was an unforgettable experience that I treasure to this day. This article about 11 Spring Street in the New York Times still makes me nostalgic for what that building once was. Since that day, I've dreamt of owning a massive Shepard Fairey print. Here's what we saw inside 11 Spring Street:

He apparently also has a clothing line, Obey Clothing (OBEY being his tagline). I'm thinking of getting either this "Hope for Rwanda" t-shirt or a shirt benefitting Haiti.

And one of these days, I will order this print.

Ok enough time spent in front of the computer for today. It's a beautiful day in New York but I have to rest up and recover from my cold so I can run the Newport 10K tomorrow. Hopefully I don't tempt pneumonia in the process of working towards one of my 30 Before 30 goals. Have a great sniffle-free weekend!

empire state of mind

Someday, when I have an apartment big enough to fit a 6-meter wide print of New York, I'll totally invest in that epic piece by Stephen Wilshire. Wilshire is a British artist who draws incredibly detailed cityscapes from memory. He was diagnosed with autism at age three but soon exhibited stunning talent. In January 2006, he was named by Queen Elizabeth II as a Member of the British Empire, in recognition of his services to the Art world. Truly amazing.

Life has been a massive rollercoaster for me since moving to New York in 2006. I moved to New York wanting to live Carrie's life, and well, that seems to be what I'm getting (minus the shoes)—the apartment with a stoop, the phenomenal friends, the heart-pounding bliss of falling in love, and the gut-wrenching heartbreak of having it all fall apart. Life in New York has been a dizzying rollercoaster but through it all, one thing has remained constant: my unconditional love for this crazy beautiful city.

paper cuts

The last thing I'd want on a crazy workweek like this is a papercut ... unless it's Made by Julene.

You can get ready-made pieces from Julene's Etsy shop for $95 or commission a custom-made piece starting at £185. Just some pretty eyecandy to get us through the day!

keep calm and carry on

I've seen this poster numerous times in hip homes in magazines, and always liked the message. Lately though, it's been on my mind more because this store that I walk past everyday has about 5 of these posters displayed in the store window. It got me curious about where this poster came from. It turns out that the poster was commissioned by the British Government's Ministry of Information during World War II as propaganda to be posted throughout the country upon the outbreak of war. The poster was never officially issued and thus was not known to the public until it was rediscovered 50 years later at Barter Books, a second-hand bookshop in Alnwick, Northumberland. Crown Copyright expires on artistic works created by the UK government after 50 years so the image is now in the public domain. These days, the design appears not just on posters but also on t-shirts, mugs, rugs and even lounge chairs. This is a great source of products though I'm sure you could find stuff in Etsy as well. Right now, I have it as my computer's wallpaper, but I'm thinking of displaying a printout in my cube as well. It's a good phrase to latch on to on days when you're feeling utterly overwhelmed.

art i love

Even though I've done nothing but spruce up the new apartment for the last month, I somehow feel like it doesn't look like it's mine. It might have something to do with a certain someone piling pool trophies and giant checks everywhere, I don't know. But anyway, I feel like I have to reclaim this space! So I've been looking for art that's ... me. In my hunt, I came across the gorgeous work of Stina Persson. I'm dying to buy one of her prints, which are available at British online gallery Cosh. The print above is my favorite and would look so gorgeous in a boudoir, the one I'd have in my dreams. I also love the peaceful hippie chick vibe of the piece below:

Intricately detailed collar and runny mascara. This picture is SO me.


Out of all my faves though, this is the only one available on the Cosh website, and it's selling for £215. Maybe after I pay off my cc bills.


Alright, off to bed now to have some watercolor dreams.