If you've been following updates this week, you know that Shepard Fairey is in Sacramento for Wide Open Walls. Together with his crew they just completed a 15-story Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison mural, which is his largest mural in the state of California and his most technically ambitious mural ever.

The art is based on a photo by JimMarshallPhoto which Shepard used originally as part of his American Civic series. Shepard created this image on such a large scale as a tribute for the 50th anniversary of Cash’s Live at Folsom Prison album, and "I hope that this art will ignite a conversation around the need for incarceration reform. According to a recent in-depth study by the Prison Policy Initiative, America has the highest incarceration rate in the world with a shocking 2.3 million people currently imprisoned.
On top of that, our prisons are disproportionately filled with poor people of color, in fact, African Americans are 13% of the U.S. population, yet 40% of the prison population in this country. More African American men are under correctional control today than there were slaves in the 1850s according to a Huffington Post piece by writer and civil rights advocate Michelle Alexander. "

A portion of proceeds from the Johnny Cash print currently available through Toy Room Gallery, will benefit Cut 50.

This mural was organised in collaboration with Wide Open Walls and Branded Arts, with his crew of assistants, Dan Flores, Nic Bowers, Rob Zagula, and Luka Densmore.

Check out this amazing video by Zane Meyer of Chop'em Down Films. Curated by Warren Brand. (Additional clips by Derek Hackett & Jeremey Ramirez)

Here you can listen to Johnny Cash Folsom Prison Blues album

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15-story Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison mural

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