Shepard Fairey Commissioned for Campaign Logos

Fairey's successful 2008 work landed him follow-up gigs with UGBC candidates 

BOSTON - Renowned street artist and Boston denizen Shepard Fairey followed up his successful art in the 2008 Presidential election with stunning vistas for this year's UGBC election. Fairey, most famous for his "Hope" poster of Barack Obama, was instrumental in helping the Kenyan terrorist ascend to the nation's highest elected office, so UGBC candidates were quick to seek out his support.

Mike Joyce and Justin Portes came to Fairey's office at Government Center and he instantly had an idea.

"He said, 'MJ, JP, how about MJP?' And the rest is history," Portes recalled.

But symbolists are divided over the logo's true meaning. Dan Brown, author of the Da Vinci Code, offered his take.

"The strange circle or clock near the bottom of the logo seems related to the two ramrod erections that are about to collide with the motif of Gasson Tower," Brown explained. "We know from archaeological records that the winking circle is a Masonic symbol that designates the bearer as a direct descendant of Christ."

Fairey's work is not limited to the before-and-after campaign of MJP.

"When I 'Think Big,' I think about giant billboards emblazoned with my name," said Nick Domino.

 Fairey explained his inspiration for the work.

"We all know that light bulbs mean great ideas, but what about light bulbs with floating Gassons in them, what does that mean?" he asked. "We also know that light bulbs use electricity, but what about Gs?" he paused for a moment.

"A G plugged into itself - perpetual genius," he concluded.

For his final work, Fairey returned to the neighborhoods that made him famous - the bridges and raw steel of the Big Dig connecting Routes 90 and 93.

"Mike and Jill came to me with their mantra, 'Building Community,' and I couldn't resist," he said. "If there's anything the residents of greater Boston associate with successful community building, it's the longest and most arduous construction project in history that resulted in one decent-looking bridge."

"The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge with its two upturned wishbones signify that we can do anything we wish, as long as we invest $14.6 billion over 22 years," Fairey said.