Last weekend, Shepard Fairey (featured) graced his hometown with an expansive exhibition at a converted Chinatown warehouse (1650 Naud Street), his first showing in Los Angeles in nearly 10 years. Presented by Library Street Collective, Damaged featured over 200 artworks created since 2015 ranging in technique and medium. Rounding out the body of work are sculptural pieces, an old school printing press with a special satirical newspaper made especially for this occasion, as well as repurposed objects like a phone booth. The imagery used speak to the political climate of today and at the issues that Shep takes to heart (i.e. equal rights for all, taking care of the environment) with some of the sales of going to benefit Black Lives Matter, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Amplifier.
Fairey further states – “DAMAGED is an honest diagnosis, but diagnosis is the first step to recognizing and solving problems. I definitely think that art can be part of the solution because it can inspire people to look at an issue they might otherwise ignore or reject.”
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