Easing into May and the ninth week of self-isolation, I am starting to find some acceptance with the new normal my daily routine brings, and this has included discovering different kinds of media channels to stay on top of emerging conversations in the art world, and to explore the state of street art in cities near and far. These two interest areas converged with an Instagram Live that Shepard Fairey hosted on May 4th as he sat down for an interview with the Keith Haring Foundation on the occasion of Haring’s birthday tribute (the full video can be found in my links below).

I loved the Instagram Live format for an artist interview! It is very neat to scroll back through and read the viewer’s comments— mine too are immortalized as you can see above. You can find this archived video at the @keithharingfoundation page.

I have an incredible amount of respect for Fairey and the way he has deftly navigated his move from the streets, to the gallery, to the wider public, and into the commercial arena, and above all, I appreciate his pragmatic and unapologetic belief in the masses to apprehend, appreciate, and be part of the art world. His roots are in punk, skateboard culture, and the later days of graffiti art as they manifested and evolved in New York through the mid to late 1980s. This is precisely where we can locate Fairey’s intersection and resonance with Haring—both artists took their social, political, and often difficult messages and art works directly to the people, bypassing and in many ways thumbing their noses at the art establishment. During the 25 minute interview, Fairey discussed a wide range of topics from Haring’s particular connection to his audience, the role artists can play at a time of national and global emergency, and how his own practice and message has evolved and expanded over the years.

The Instagram Live format was also incredibly cool for an artist interview—those attending live interacted with one another through chat, expressed their appreciation for certain well-made points with outpouring of hearts, and got to ask questions and/or leave comments that others can pursue later on. I cannot wait to check out more of these Lives in the future.

A Few More Things…. Before the Round Up

If you’ve read the Elena Ferrante coming of age Neapolitan Novels (and even if you haven’t, seriously, go and read these novels now!) you will know how beautifully descriptive and evocative the world of these books is. When I first heard the novels were being made into a film and then TV series, I was doubtful anyone could match Ferrante’s narrative, characters, and voice, but somehow the Italian-made (and HBO sponsored series) My Brilliant Friend is beyond EXCELLENT. Each episode is shot like a feature film and every element of the cinematography, acting, and screenplay are carefully measured to capture the conflicting emotions and worlds at play in the books.
A nice Instagram follow if you are in Vancouver or beyond is mural_hunter. The account has been doing a terrific job of locating and recording images of the street art and murals that are popping up around the Lower Mainland. Fairey talked a bit about the wave of street art we are seeing in the wake of Covid-19, and accounts like this are maintaining amazing archives of the often temporary works.
And finally, in honour of Mother’s Day and strong women mentoring other women everywhere, I am finally sitting down to watch Little Women once again. The 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel is one of many films that has been made of the book, but I enjoyed the clever self-referential twists of director Greta Gerwig’s version, and I adore Saoirse Ronan’s acting (if you haven’t seen Brooklyn (2015), add it to your list!)