A New Icon: Sandra Chevrier and Shepard Fairey Remember the Ladies
The writing is now officially on the wall. 100 years after American women gained the right to vote, renowned artists Sandra Chevrier and Shepard Fairey honouring the revolution have created a 12-story mural entitled, ‘The Beauty of Liberty and Equality.’ If you saw our post Counting Down to the Epic Shepard Fairey and Sandra Chevrier Collaboration, you know everybody here at Design-Hungry was dying to see the result. And we are head over heels in love with it. The powerful message of Austin’s Writing on the Wall was flawlessly executed and urgently needed.
The Beauty of Liberty and Equality. Photo: @jonathanfurlong
They say that behind every successful man there is a strong woman. The powerful reality of this was seen in 1776 when Abigail Adams told her husband to “remember the ladies.” As he was fighting for US independence from Britain, she reminded him that he wasn’t just fighting for the rights of the men in the country. The fight was for everyone.
What a powerful message to have a male and female artist come together nearly 250 years later to paint these same words. Hanging over the heads of every man, woman, and child in Austin, there is now a reminder that we are still fighting for equal rights and for our voices to be heard.
Sandra Chevrier. Photo: @station16gallery
From a design perspective, Writing on the Wall is a seamless collaboration that perfectly embodies the greatest strengths of each artist. Both powerful on their own, they came together to create a beautifully balanced and instantly iconic piece.
What some might not know, there was much more to the quote from Abigail Adams. She said, “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.” That’s to say: you might forget about us but not for long. As compelling and inspiring today as it was hundreds of years ago, Fairey and Chevrier capture the unapologetic but elegant voice of the generations of women who paved the path for all of us. This iconic piece encompasses the past, the present and, hopefully, our even brighter future.
It’s all too easy to take our rights for granted but together we can make a change. Austin’s Writing on the Wall is an undeniably powerful piece that reminds us to count our blessings and keep up the good fight.
Shepard Fairey. Photo: @sh._.y