Photograph
by Michael Tighe.
The
Ali Foundation and Photographer Michael Tighe receive
a portion of the revenue from sales of this print.
Online
Release Date: May 13, 2010
Limit
1 Per Person/Household
Artist
Statement
“I’m
not a big fan of boxing, or organized sports in general,
but athletic competition can highlight an inspiring human
spirit to triumph over great odds. Muhammad Ali embodies
that spirit, and his dogged tenacity led him to three
heavyweight titles. He also has a charismatic personality
who influenced more than boxing. Ali was a conscientious
objector to the Vietnam War and his boastful wordplay
is considered a predecessor to rap. I wanted to do an
Ali portrait for years, but I was worried about legal
issues until I was conveniently commissioned to create
a portrait.”
- Shepard Fairey
Shepard
Fairey is a contemporary artist, graphic designer,
and illustrator. He first became known for his "André
the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which
he appropriated images from the comedic super market tabloid
Weekly World News. His work became more widely known in
the 2008 U.S. presidential election, specifically his
Barack Obama "HOPE" poster. The Institute of
Contemporary Art, Boston calls him one of today's best
known and most influential street artists. His work is
included in the collections at The Smithsonian, the Los
Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art
in New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Click here
to contact Mr. Fairey.