Spread some hope.

I just got emailed these pictures from someone who wheatpasted blown-up versions of the Emma and Zapata posters near a standard Obama mural in DC by the Convention Center. I think it turned out very well! This is a good reminder that not just the well-funded can produce compelling visual rhetoric - we have the tools and skill to compete on the political landscape as equals, if we simply deign to stand up.

In a sense, it's also a reminder of the conclusion that many left of center artists and activists have come to: Shepard Fairey hasn't truly contributed to the scene in a very long time. These days we see simple repackaging of graffiti and stencil culture, without the meaning, immediacy, or intelligence of his source material.

So we've taken Fairey's illustration and injected some actually interesting and provocative politics into it. You're welcome, Shepard!

Pics after the jump!

Emma Goldman:

Emiliano Zapata