Shepard Fairey Kicks Ass!

I've been doing alot of research for the Obama project for Jewelry II, and having a hard time finding my angle in at first, until I really searched for Obama art.   Shepard Fairey is really on the main front of it with his Hope image and now on the same level as Murakami for me, which means he's AMAZING.   I LOVE his work, I seriously can't get enough!  The approach, the ideas, the message, the whole package.  From the street art graffiti, wheat-paste posters slapped across major cities, gigantic works popping up in galleries, and the infamous Obama images EVERYWHERE.  At first when I saw the Obama image I thought, "Ok, I get bored and do that to pictures in Photoshop all the time, and......."  But after delving into all of his work I'm just in love, and inspired beyond all belief.  I always love graphic line, very posterized images, with high contrast.   His subject matters are to my liking to, guns,  I have a huge fixation with the look of guns, and his pieces incorporate many weapons, and are extremely successful, all with a charged message direct to the world times.  I like his style of collage images, whenever I just sit and sketch things for my personal interest its always a mix of things.  I like how he creates hidden layers.  My mom just ran in my room a few minutes ago screaming "Channel 19 Shepard Fairey"  His motives and messages behind his work are great.  He went to a traditional art school, but said once he got out he turned to street art to get an immediate message and response out to the public.    He said the Obama image came out of something he wanted to do, asked them if it would be ok and then it caught like wildfire, prompting the Obama campaign to ask if he would create another one with a licensed photograph, and thats where the Hope image came from, its insane to think of how much of an impact that one picture has made.  That is going to be an icon for time to come.  He's just amazing and looking through his stuff sends my creative thinking through the roof.  I could go on forever, but I just want to draw more, if you haven't checked out his stuff you are missing out!!