Artwork Description
The Lonesome Crowded West Apt Block Modest Mouse Silkscreen Print by Shepard Fairey- OBEY Hand-Pulled 5-Color on Cream Speckletone Fine Art Paper Limited Edition Artwork Obey Pop Culture Artist.
2022 Signed & Numbered Limited Edition of 825 Artwork Size 18x24 Silkscreen Print Apartment Block Urban City Building Stylized.
"I’m really happy that Modest Mouse asked me to create some limited edition posters for their tour commemorating the 25th anniversary of their 1997 album The Lonesome Crowded West. I first heard Modest Mouse in 1998. I borrowed a friend’s copy of the album The Lonesome Crowded West, which had come out the year before, and it grew on me quickly to become a favorite. The whole album is great, very multi-dimensional ranging from aggressive and dissonant on songs like “Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine” to folky, jangly, and intimate on “Trailer Trash.” My two favorite songs on The Lonesome Crowded West are “Doin’ the Cockroach,” which builds steadily into an exhilarating staccato guitar frenzy, and the song that follows it, “Cowboy Dan,” which is full of tension, struggle, anger, and beauty. Lyrically, the band’s singer and primary songwriter, Isaac Brock, comes across as an empathetic world-weary sage. I rarely call someone a poet, but Isaac wrote with such depth for someone only 23 years old that I think poet is the only title that properly conveys his elevated craft as a lyricist. I got to do Modest Mouse’s 2000 Black Glass tour poster, which was a huge deal for me." -Shepard Fairey- OBEY
In the pantheon of street art, few names are as synonymous with the movement's thrust into mainstream culture as Shepard Fairey. His collaboration with the band Modest Mouse for their tour poster celebrates a milestone—the 25th anniversary of their seminal album, "The Lonesome Crowded West." In true Fairey fashion, he interprets the album's ethos with a limited edition silkscreen print, meticulously hand-pulled with five colors on Cream Speckletone fine art paper. This process ensures each of the 825 pieces is imbued with the artist's personal touch. Measuring 18x24 inches, this signed and numbered print presents an apartment block—an urban icon that exemplifies the crowded isolation in the album's title. Fairey's stylized depiction of the apartment block resonates with the band’s exploration of the paradoxical loneliness of urban existence, embodying the spirit of Modest Mouse's music through visual art. His work is not merely an artistic rendition but a narrative of city life's juxtapositions—connectivity and isolation, sound and silence. This collaboration is particularly significant for Fairey, who has been a fan of Modest Mouse since 1998. The album left an indelible mark on him, with its tonal shifts from the raucous "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine" to the more subdued "Trailer Trash." Fairey extols Isaac Brock's songwriting, acknowledging the profound depth and poetic nature of his lyrics, especially considering Brock's youth. The two tracks that stood out to Fairey, "Doin' the Cockroach" and "Cowboy Dan," exemplify the album's range and Brock's lyrical prowess. Fairey's history with Modest Mouse dates back to the 2000 "Black Glass" tour poster, reinforcing his long-standing connection with the band. This print is another chapter in that narrative, solidifying the kinship between his visual art and their musical expression. The artwork is a tangible piece of pop culture history, intertwining the legacy of Fairey's street art with Modest Mouse's contribution to music. Collectors of Fairey’s work and fans of the band alike cherish this print as a symbol of the enduring relevance of "The Lonesome Crowded West" and the power of art to transcend mediums, capturing the essence of an era.
