Obey release Shepard Fairey / Martha Cooper collaboration pieces in selected UK stores this weekend.
'I first became familiar with Martha Cooper's photography at 15 or so years of age, like many graffiti fans, through the book SUBWAY ART. SUBWAY ART which contains Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant's graffiti photos was first published in 1984, and is generally credited as the book that spread graffiti around the globe. I eventually met Martha as part of an art panel in 2003 and I found her to be a very genuine and positive person. I was humbled and flattered when she showed some photos of my street work she had documented in NYC. About a year later I attended the LA release party for Martha's HIP HOP FILES book. I loved the book because it contained intimate documentation of Hip Hop culture in its creative infancy. The photo's included breakdancing, graffiti, DJ's and MC's.... a crucial look at the 'do it yourself' creativity of a vibrant urban culture. Apparently, Martha's introduction to the graffiti world happened in the late 70's while she was photographing NYC street kids. Martha's photographs from this era show NYC life in economically depressed neighborhoods where people found ways to entertain themselves despite of a lack of financial and material resources. The sentiment behind these photos resonates deeply with me and I'm grateful Martha has generously opened up her archive of photos from the 70's for an Obey collaboration. I am honored to be able to collaborate with Martha Cooper.'
Shepard Fairey
Keep an eye open for Shepard and Martha's collaboration artwork T-Shirt - The 'Leap Of Faith' available online from The Consortium Store.
