articles we love :: shepard fairey on invader

Articles We Love :: Shepard Fairey on Invader

Photo © Moni Pineda

Here’s an article I found from Fairey on Invader. My favorite line is where he deems the invaders to be “counterculture surveillance drones, reminding people that government and monolithic corporations aren’t the only ones watching.” This is just one paragraph so please read the full article. When you’re finished, watch our Invader video again through different eyes.

“Whether you call it public art, street art, or graffiti, Space Invader’s art is smart. I first saw Invader’s work in London, where he had skillfully integrated one of his mosaics into a pillar of a historical building. The mosaic didn’t seem out of place in that location, only the subject matter. I had played Space Invaders obsessively as a kid, so I immediately recognized that Space Invader had converted the game’s crude, square-pixel iconic characters into square tiles. I’ve always admired those who turn limitations into assets, and Space Invader’s translation of pixel/screen to tile/street is a perfect example of this. The decorative aspect of the tile mosaic lends itself perfectly to architecture. The installed invaders become counterculture surveillance drones, reminding people that government and monolithic corporations aren’t the only ones watching. What I like most about street art is that it’s a defiant act of expression circumventing bureaucracy. The street artist’s goal has always been to find spots that provide the ideal balance of visibility and longevity. As cities have become more vigilant and sophisticated in their graffiti removal, most street art is cleaned immediately. Space Invader’s mosaics are rarely removed, because they’re visible to the right people yet under the radar of the “wrong” people. Space Invader may not be dropping the biggest bombs in the most dramatic battle, but he is winning the war by not bringing the wrath of the authorities, while still reminding people that underground expression is alive.” – Shepard Fairey via Swindle Magazine / Read full article here.

Links:

space-invaders.com

Jonathan LeVine Gallery

INVADER, Artist :: Off The Wall

Invader Photos by Moni Pineda

articles we love :: shepard fairey on invader

art we love :: invader