As a teen, punk rock changed my life because it provided a raucous soundtrack, but also a rebellious, creative eco-system that was an alternative to the bland mainstream. One of the English punk bands I discovered, along with the Sex Pistols and the Clash, was the Jam. Paul Weller as the frontman for The Jam and the main songwriter is somebody that I think contributed tremendously to punk rock, but also English music of the '70s and '80s in general. He's special in that his inspiration from The Kinks and The Who, founders of the mod movement, was a little bit of a different take both in his fashion sensibility and his songwriting than most of the other people from punk rock. I think if you look at The Jam's musical evolution from In The City, the first album which is a little bit raw, edgy, more punk through their evolution to the end of their time as the Jam, Paul's songwriting really progressed and diversified to include things that are incredibly beautiful and melancholic as well as things that are really high energy. I love all of it. I was honored to collaborate on this portrait of Paul with photographer Steve Rapport whose photography I've long admired and who has tons of fantastic photos of artists I love like Joe Strummer, GBH, Discharge, and Terry Hall. This print is titled "The Tranquility of Solitude" inspired by a lyric from the Jam's song "That's Entertainment" that is a favorite of Steve's and mine.
-Shepard
PRINT DETAILS: The Tranquility of Solitude (Paul Weller). 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on 80# cream Speckletone paper. Original illustration based on a photograph by Steve Rapport. Signed by Shepard Fairey and Steve Rapport. Numbered edition of 500. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $75.
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