The Innovation Blog

I was recently browsing a friend's Web site and came across a video he posted, highlighting the awe-inspiring work of this year's TED prize winner: JR.

Starting out on the streets of Paris, JR uses only his initials because of the illegal nature of his work. He considers himself a "photograffeur", flyposting large black-and-white photographic images in public locations; asserting his belief that the street is "the largest art gallery in the world."

JR's work combines art and action and deals with commitment, freedom, identity and limit. As the Tate Modern museum in London describes, "JR's work often challenges widely held preconceptions and the reductive images propagated by advertising and the media."

I was utterly fascinated with not only the ambitions of his project(s), but also the reactions of the people whose streets he had transformed. My expectations of anger and disgust were proven wrong as acceptance and appreciation of his work prevailed.

Meet JR:

If we each of us were brave enough to challenge the status quo and dedicate our life's work to breaking down the walls we've built out of fear and self-preservation, we might just see a whole new world of color beyond the black-and-white in which we live.

Posted by Amanda Hines, Associate Business Innovationist, @amandaehines