Jan. 17, 2009 --The National
Portrait Gallery received Shepard Fairey's iconic image of Barack Obama
and installed the work in its New Arrivals section just in time for the
Inaugural. Fairey created the mixed media stenciled collage
almost a year ago and, as Martin E. Sullivan, director of the Gallery,
noted in a statement, "Shepard Fairey's instantly recognizable image
was integral to the Obama campaign." Heather and Tony Podesta
donated the piece. Curator Wendy Wick Reaves described the work
as a convergence
of a popular culture phenomenon, a political graphic, and a work of
fine art. It has elements of the propaganda aesthetic including
the large face, heroic pose, primary colors, and honed down, simplified
design and makes "a very bold graphic statement," she said.
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