Article

TRM Techno Renegade magazine

November 01, 2000

Australia, November 2000

“POST NO BILLS” by Timmy Everist

‘Pot’O’Gold’ is a new exhibition showcasing three of the biggest movers and shakers in the simultaneously subliminal, iconic and attractive world of street art.

San Diego’s Shepard Fairey is ‘the man’who made putting stickers and gluing posters in public places a credible art form. His parody of commercial propaganda, use of colours, guerilla deployment tactics and underlying message over the years has put Shepard in a league of his own.

Shepard’s work focuses on the exploitation of the now iconographic obey giant (Kids: Andre was a famous WWF wrestler from the 80s round the same time as a fresh faced Hulk Hogan.) Shepard has achieved what many street art-tiests only dream of. From placing the Obey Giant image on billboards to the collectable stickers that have been applied to the walls O’ the world, Shepard has transformed the image of one man’s not too pretty face into a seminal image, manipulating and fucking with it 1000 times over in the process.

Representing the locals, Misha Hollenbach’s (Perks) works are recognisable of the walls and welcome bathroom attendees of Melbourne’s Revolver, the images of fawns grazing quietly at the fashion conscious shop, Fat 272 and his contributions to many streetwear labels, including his own Pam which are worn the world over. and if that ain’t enough, you’d be hard pressed not to have seen some of his D.I.Y, wack up a B+W poster with splat o’ glue, on the streets of Melbourne.

Based in San francisco, Chris Johanson’s demonic scrawls and reflective comical portraiture are the olives in the ‘Pot’O’Gold’ salad. Much revered for his simplicity, he’ll be displaying works that he creates whilst staying in Melbourne.

Watch, consume, and Obey.