OBEY GIANT VACUUMS

Much like 12 year old Kyle Krichbaum, no collection of Los Angeles street art can be complete without Obey’s Shepard Fairy among the ranks.

Although Fairy is considered a “sell out” by some, he continues to straddle the line between street artist and corporate giant. He has essentially written the book on how one can comodify their art, capitalize on that, and subsequently take over the world.

This wheat paste in downtown continues his “Peace” series consisting of men in gas masks, desert scapes, and young women wielding heavy artillery. Although the underlying theme running through out seems a bit easy and hackneyed at times; war images juxtaposed with imagery of peace boiling conflict down to basic ideas of right and wrong. I still like the large scale of this wheat paste, not to mention the thick outlines that seem to channel mid century propaganda posters (another motif that runs through out most of his work).

So next time you are looking for the right vacuum, just remember that Kyle never gave up and neither should you!

Location: On the SW corner of 3rd and Central in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles