Photo of the Day 10/28/10 - In the Shadow of Commerce

Sometimes, the best part of being a complete stranger in a place is that you don’t carry any baggage, any preconceived notions of what’s cool or important. Take this, for example. I took this because it had impact; it was interesting and stood out in that area; it was creative; and it contrasted with the sharply modern building that towered above it. The style was vaguely familiar, but street art often mocks, apes or flatters something more well know, so I thought nothing of it.

Now, home and searching around the web to jog my memory of where this was located (on East 5th and Cooper Square), it turns out this was sort of a big deal. Apparently, this is the work of Shepard Fairey, best know as the man behind the Obama campaign posters, and done as a way to raise awareness of the plight of Burmese Buddhist monks, currently persecuted in now-name Myanmar.

It’s a powerful piece of art, one that definitely spoke to me, but for all the right reasons. 

Larger version for viewing here: Photo of the Day 10/28/10 - In the Shadow of Commerce