Shepard Fairey  •  May Day

Recap – Opening in NYC at Deitch Projects – May 1st, 2010

Shepard Fairey‘s current show at the Deitch Projects will be the last exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch‘s groundbeaking SoHo gallery.  After a decade of presenting art here, the doors will close on May 29th. Deitch has been appointed the directorship of L.A’s MoCA.  You should catch this show if you’re in NY before May 29th.

Shepard Fairey’s illustrious career is highlighted in this ambitious exhibition, a fitting New York finale for the Deitch Projects. An impressive body of work is shown here, prolific in intent, from the artist who’s iconic red, white, and blue Obama/Hope campaign has made Shepard Fairey a household name, and made his style a deliberate viral cultural brand upon the brain of society’s visual literacy. Pure genius!

The opening night of this event was an epic art mob scene. The lines to get in extended for blocks, stopping traffic on Wooster St. for hours.  Artists, collectors, fans, and excited hipsters were out in force in the hot and humid night looking to catch a glimpse of the magic that was in the air.   - JD

A couple posing across the street as enthusiastic gallery goers waited in line.

Street art was everywhere.

Lines of patient fans extended for blocks in the humid NY air.

Unusual Life correspondents Jo & Marlow played nice with the friendly crowd.

We got in before the mass assault, and scored a couple of the signed and numbered poster art pieces of the limited edition Shepard gave to the first 300 entering the exhibit.

Shep on His night, on His terms.

Artist Ron English and his wife, Tarssa Yazdani

Happy collector Selim Varol

Artists Gary Baseman and Eric White clowning around for the camera.

Jamie O’Shea holding a future art blogger.

The Deitch Projects consists of two very large adjoining exhibition spaces. Here, looking from the upper space to the lower as Russell Simmons climbs the stairs. The oversized garage type door opens up the space to the streets, while the crowd-barricades and security staff kept those entering the gallery at bay, letting in just a few at a time.

Russell Simmons is in the house !

Russell Simmons mugging with our pretty homegirl Marlow.

Yo Shep !

Artist, Shepard Fairey and Russell Simmons, Music Mogul and Def Jam Co-Founder

Kathy and Marlow

Shepard’s proud parents came out for the show.

Jacaeber Kastor and Marlow Harris

Jessica Pott !

Tyson Beckford and friend

Eric White, Jessica Pott, Tyson Beckford and friend.

Jeffrey Deitch, Shepard Fairey, and Salman Rushdie. Photo by Joe Russo via Arrested Motion.

Deborah Harry (Blondie) with Shepard and his portrait of her. A most excellent photo by Adam Wallacavage.

Marlow & Jo

Shepard and Jamie

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•  Here’s a video montage that I put together of this fun event  •

View FULL SCREEN for the HD Quality! –  jodavideo

Outside, as the evening progressed, we met Meatloaf, seen here in the KISS shirt and heavily bejeweled bling.  Meatloaf is the boss over at Rock Boy Choppers, and his biker posse brought in an impressive set of rides that they were anxious to show to Shepard. They convinced the gracious artist to leave his opening for a few minutes and get some street pics with them. These photos and my video below show what happened next.

• All photos and videos by Marlow Harris and JoDavid, with exception of the two photos above noted otherwise, and the two videos below which were posted to YouTube.

In this Rough Cuts video below, the hungry hipster urgency to surmount the velvet rope and enter the hallowed halls of street art cool is clearly evident.  While waiting outside with thousands of art fans, artist Mark Kostabi gives Shepard’s opening an award,

“Most Highly Attended Art Opening in Global History!”

Being a Gallery Owner is not always fun and games, and in this YouTube clip head honcho Jeffrey Deitch proves the point when things go sour after an avid gallery going art fan has trampled the bloodied Deitch to the pavement and given him a fat lip on opening night !