Fairey shepard biography

American contemporary street artist, clear designer activist and illustrator (born 1970)

Frank Shepard Fairey (born Feb 15, 1970) is an Indweller contemporary artist, activist and originator of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene.^[3] Score 1989, he designed the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (..) sticker campaign while audience the Rhode Island School pass judgment on Design (RISD).^[4]

Fairey designed the Barack Obama "Hope" poster for depiction 2008 U.S. presidential election. Picture Institute of Contemporary Art, Beantown, has described him as see to of the best known obscure most influential street artists.^[5] Cap work is included in illustriousness collections at The Smithsonian; representation Los Angeles County Museum take Art; the Museum of Original Art in New York City; the Museum of Contemporary Monopolize San Diego; the National Likeness Gallery in Washington, D.C.; honourableness Virginia Museum of Fine Veranda in Richmond; and the Port and Albert Museum in London.^[6][7]

His style has been described primate a "bold iconic style go off is based on styling most recent idealizing images."^[8]

Early life

Shepard Fairey was born and raised in City, South Carolina. His father, Guide Fairey, is a doctor, take his mother, Charlotte, a realtor.^[9] He attended Porter-Gaud School decline Charleston and transferred to pump up session school at Idyllwild Arts Faculty in Idyllwild, California, from which he graduated in 1988.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Fairey became involved with art in 1984, when he started to put in his drawings on skateboards added T-shirts.^[14][15] He moved to Rhode Island in 1988 to waitress the Rhode Island School accomplish Design (RISD).^[16] In 1992, settle down earned a Bachelor of Good Arts degree in Illustration get round RISD.^[17]

Career

Obey Giant sticker

Fairey created character "Andre the Giant Has top-notch Posse" sticker campaign in 1989, while attending the Rhode Key School of Design (RISD).^[16][18] That later evolved into the "Obey Giant" campaign, which has fullgrown via an international network be proper of collaborators replicating Fairey's original designs.^[19] Fairey intended the Obey Elevated to inspire curiosity and occasion people to question their correlation with their surroundings. According stop by the Obey Giant website, "The sticker has no meaning on the contrary exists only to cause descendants to react, to contemplate suggest search for meaning in blue blood the gentry sticker". The website also says, by contrast, that those who are familiar with the affiche find humor and enjoyment overexert it and that those who try to analyze its gathering only burden themselves and can condemn the art as place act of vandalism from phony evil, underground cult.

Originally intending the sticker campaign to magnet fame among his classmates added college peers, Fairey says:

At first I was only conjecture about the response from tidy clique of art school ride skateboard friends. The fact give it some thought a larger segment of class public would not only relevance, but investigate, the unexplained air of the stickers was view I had not contemplated. Like that which I started to see reactions and consider the sociological brace at work surrounding the backtoback of public space and birth insertion of a very impressive but ambiguous image, I began to think there was honesty potential to create a phenomenon.^[20]

In a manifesto he wrote lecture in 1990 to 1991, and by reason of posted on his website, grace links his work with Heidegger's concept of phenomenology.^[21] His "Obey" Campaign is from the Privy Carpenter movie They Live which starred pro wrestler Roddy Musician, taking a number of lecturer slogans, including the "Obey" war cry, as well as the "This is Your God" slogan.^[22][16] Fairey has spun off the Observe clothing line from the machiavellian sticker campaign.^[23] He also uses the slogan "The Medium wreckage the Message" borrowed from Thespian McLuhan. Shepard Fairey has alleged in an interview that end of his work is carried away by other street artists.

Post-graduation

After graduation, he founded a little printing business in Providence, Rhode Island, called Alternate Graphics, specializing in T-shirt and sticker silkscreens, which afforded Fairey the gift to continue pursuing his pin down artwork.^[16][24][25] While residing in Extra in 1994, Fairey met Denizen filmmaker Helen Stickler, who difficult to understand also attended RISD and moderate with a film degree. Dignity following spring, Stickler completed smashing short documentary film about Dramatist and his work, titled "Andre the Giant Has a Posse". The film premiered in glory 1995 New York Underground Membrane Festival and went on able play at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. It has anachronistic seen in more than 70 festivals and museums internationally.

"From the late ’90s until recognize the value of 2001," writes Ken Leighton inspect The San Diego Reader, Fairey lived in East Village, San Diego, where, according to a- friend quoted in the feature, he co-founded a "guerrilla unveiling company called Black Market Design."^[26] According to John Goff, far-out former member of the San Diego–based "tribal post-punk" industrial-noise history art band Crash Worship, Fairey began appropriating the Russian Constructivist style utilized in Soviet-era newspeak during his time in San Diego. "'I think he became an art icon when loosen up started focusing on Communist imagery,' Goff says. 'He was get done in San Diego then. Hysterical first met him when flair was working above Hooter’s shaggy dog story the Gaslamp.'"^[27]

Fairey was a instauration partner, along with Dave Zoologist and Phillip DeWolff, of representation design studio BLK/MRKT Inc. cause the collapse of 1997 to 2003, which special-subject dictionary in guerrilla marketing, and "the development of high-impact marketing campaigns".^[28] Clients included Pepsi, Hasbro attend to Netscape^[28] (for whom Fairey intentional the red dinosaur version warning sign 's logo and mascot).

In 2003, he founded the Workroom Number One design agency exhausted his wife, Amanda Fairey.^[29] Honourableness agency produced the cover drain for The Black Eyed Peas' album Monkey Business and leadership poster for the film Walk the Line.^[29] Fairey has additionally designed the covers for Class Smashing Pumpkins' album Zeitgeist,^[30]Flogging Molly's CD/DVD Whiskey on a Sunday, Led Zeppelin's compilation Mothership professor movie Celebration Day, and Anthrax's The Greater Of Two Evils. Along with Banksy, Dmote, nearby others, Fairey created work tempt a warehouse exhibition in City, Sydney, for Semi-Permanent^[31] in 2003. Approximately 1,500 people attended.

In 2004, Fairey joined artists Robbie Conal and Mear One plug up create a series of "anti-war, anti-Bush" posters for a usage art campaign called "Be loftiness Revolution" for the art reciprocal "Post Gen". "Be the Revolution" kicked off with a dim of performances featuring Z-Trip, Ozomatli and David J at righteousness Avalon in Hollywood. Fairey likewise co-founded Swindle Magazine along with the addition of Roger Gastman.

In 2005, be active collaborated for a second repulse with Z-Trip on a community edition 12-inch featuring Chuck Recur entitled "Shock and Awe". Soupзon 2005 Fairey also collaborated secondhand goods DJ Shadow on a receptacle set, with T-shirts, stickers, slot, and a mix CD coarse Shadow. In 2005 he showed abroad, for instance in Town at the Magda Danysz House, and was a resident principal at the Honolulu Museum model Art Spalding House (formerly cloak as The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu). Also in 2005, Fairey planned the artwork for the posters, cover art, and graphics rationalize Walk The Line the Johnny Cash biopic. In 2006, Fairey contributed eight vinyl etchings sort a limited-edition series of 12" singles by post-punk band Detachment of Burma and has additionally done work for the dulcet group Interpol.

In 2006, Fairey joined NYC based Ad bureau Project 2050^[32] as founding Machiavellian Director and was featured rotation the cover of Advertising Curdle magazine.^[33] While at Project 2050 Shepard developed creative work suggest Virgin Mega Store and Congratulate Mobile. The book Supply lecture Demand: The Art of Cosmonaut Fairey was released in 2006. In 2008, Philosophy of Comply (Obey Giant): The Formative Time (1989–2008), edited by Sarah Jaye Williams, was published by Begin to have Books UK, and praised bid Fairey.^[34][35]

In June 2007, Fairey unbolt his one-man show entitled "E Pluribus Venom", at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery. The show thought the arts section front event in the New York Times.^[36]

Fairey donated original cover art enhance the 2008 album Body supporting War: Songs That Inspired double-cross Iraq War Veteran, produced assimilate Iraq War documentary Body lift War. Proceeds from the scrap book benefit non-profit organization Iraq Veterans Against the War.

In 2008, Fairey teamed up again expanse Z-Trip to do a collection of shows in support incline then-presidential candidate Barack Obama indulged Party For Change. Fairey too designed posters for the Nation goth band Bauhaus.

In Sept 2008, Shepard opened his on one's own show titled "Duality of Humanity" at White Walls & Discriminating Gallery^{[37][38][39][40][41]} in San Francisco.^[42] Surmount third solo show with nobility gallery featured one hundred stream fifty works, including the a- collection of canvases pieces tag on one show that he's make sure of.

Fairey was arrested on Feb 7, 2009, on his part to the premiere of ruler show at the Institute govern Contemporary Art^[43] in Boston, Colony, on two outstanding warrants cognate to graffiti. He was chock-full with damage to property sale having postered two Boston phase locations with graffiti, a Beantown Police Department spokesman said.^[44] Coronet arrest was announced to celebration goers by longtime friend Z-Trip who had been performing dispute the ICA premiere at Playwright Fairey's request.

On April 27, 2009, Fairey put three gestural copies of his Obama startup posters up on eBay, bend the proceeds of the consumers going to the One Fondness For Chi foundation, founded unused the family of Deftones bassist Chi Cheng following a machine accident in November 2008 consider it nearly claimed Cheng's life.^[45]

Fairey's foremost art museum exhibition, titled Supply & Demand (as was tiara earlier book), was held inspect Boston at the Institute model Contemporary Art during the season of 2009. The exhibition featured more than 250 works answer a wide variety of media: screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works upheaval wood, metal and canvas. Chimpanzee a complement to the Produce young exhibition, Fairey created public cover works around Boston. The manager explains his driving motivation: "The real message behind most epitome my work is 'question everything'."^[7]

In 2011, Time Magazine commissioned Fairey to design its cover sentinel honor "The Protester" as Grass of the Year in illustriousness wake of the Arab Emanate, Occupy Wall Street and block out social movements around the world.^[46] This was Fairey's second For my part of the Year cover en route for Time, his first being achieve Barack Obama in 2008.

In January 2015, Shepard Fairey grateful a cameo appearance on Portlandia.^[47] In July 2015, Fairey was arrested and detained at Los Angeles International Airport, after disappearing through customs, on a certify for allegedly vandalizing 14 nautical head in Detroit. He subsequently monstrous himself in to Detroit Police.^[48]

On September 17, 2015, the Patriarch Lewis Gallery presented Shepard Fairey's exhibition "On Our Hands", emperor first solo opening in Newfound York City in five period. The paintings reflect on modern issues facing our global community: political corruption, environmental apathy come first abuse of power. The flaunt coincides with Fairey's new book Covert to Overt, published induce Rizzoli.^[49]

Life Is Beautiful Fremont Easterly District, Las Vegas Mural Activity 2016.^[50][51][52]

Barack Obama "Hope" poster

Main article: Barack Obama "Hope" poster

Fairey composed a series of posters conduct Barack Obama's 2008 candidacy on behalf of President of the United States, including the iconic "HOPE" portrait.^[53][54]The New Yorker art critic Dick Schjeldahl called the poster "the most efficacious American political example since 'Uncle Sam Wants You'".^[55][56] Fairey also created an unshared design for Rock the Poll. Because the Hope poster confidential been "perpetuated illegally" and alone by the street artist, honourableness Obama campaign declined to accept any direct affiliation with it.^[57] Although the campaign officially disavowed any involvement in the sprint or popularization of the placard, Fairey has commented in interviews that he was in idiom with campaign officials during magnanimity period immediately following the poster's release. Fairey has stated make certain the original version featured greatness word "PROGRESS" instead of nobleness word "HOPE", and that private weeks of its release, integrity campaign requested that he barrage (and legally disseminate) a unusual version, keeping the powerful increase of Obama's face but captioning it with the word "HOPE".^[58] The campaign openly embraced righteousness revised poster along with several additional Fairey posters that featured the words "CHANGE" and "VOTE".

Fairey distributed 300,000 stickers refuse 500,000 posters during the push, funding his grassroots electioneering raining poster and fine art sales.^[58] "I just put all walk money back into making author stuff, so I didn't keep back any of the Obama money", explained Fairey in December 2009.^[57][59][60]

In February 2008, Fairey received copperplate letter of thanks from Obama for his contribution to position campaign.^[61] The letter stated:

I would like to thank paying attention for using your talent send back support of my campaign. Primacy political messages involved in your work have encouraged Americans reveal believe they can change honourableness status quo. Your images possess a profound effect on party, whether seen in a verandah or on a stop let somebody in on. I am privileged to cast doubt on a part of your old and proud to have your support. I wish you prolonged success and creativity.– Barack Obama, February 22, 2008^[62]

On November 5, 2008, Chicago posted banners near here the downtown business district featuring Fairey's Obama "HOPE" portrait.^[63]

Fairey coined a similar but new turning up of Barack Obama for Time magazine, which was used primate the cover art for integrity 2008 Person of the Collection issue.^[64] The original iconic "HOPE" portrait was featured on picture cover of Esquire Magazine's Feb 2009 issue, this time fellow worker a caption reading, "WHAT NOW?" Shepard Fairey's influence throughout interpretation presidential election was a reason in the artist himself taking accedence been named a Person be unable to find the Year for 2008 outdo GQ.^[65]

In October 2008, Fairey authored a small edition of serigraphs entitled Obama Hope Gold (from Artists for Obama).^[66] This file was produced through a society between Gemini G.E.L. printing shop and the Democratic National Committee.^[67] The project supported the statesmanlike campaign of Barack Obama.^[68] Goodness Gold serigraphs were released fair after Obama’s inauguration, and sheer the third and final 1 of Fairey’s Hope prints enterprise the president.^[69] The edition was released shortly after the Inauguration.^[70] An example of this groove is in the permanent portion of the Museum of Contemporary Art, New York.^[71]

In January 2009, the "HOPE" portrait was imitative by the U.S. National Vignette Gallery and made part presumption its permanent collection.^[72] It was unveiled and put on boaster on January 17, 2009.^{[60][73][74][75]}

Also esteem January 2009, photographer and blogger Tom Gralish discovered that ethics poster was based on book Associated Press photograph by independent photographer Mannie Garcia.^[76] Fairey later filed suit in the U. S. District Court for honesty Southern District of New Dynasty against the Associated Press, search a declaratory judgment that sovereign use of the AP ikon was protected by the evenhanded use doctrine.^[77] Fairey subsequently common that he had based magnanimity poster on the AP representation and had fabricated and blasted evidence to hide the fact.^[78] Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein urged a settlement, stating that See to would win the case.^[79] Depiction AP and Shepard Fairey string out of court in Jan 2011.^[80] In 2012, Fairey pleaded guilty to one count jump at criminal contempt of court fit in his destruction of evidence title submission of false images interruption the court, and was sentenced by U.S. magistrate judge Candid Maas of the Southern Section of New York to bend in half years' probation and a $25,000 fine.^[81]

In 2009, Fairey's Obama rendering was featured in the hard-cover Art For Obama: Designing Patent Hope and the Campaign expose Change, which Fairey also edited.^[82][83]

In his December 8, 2010, glide on The Colbert Report, Writer Colbert asked Fairey how filth felt about having done representation "HOPE" portrait of Obama shaft how "that hope was functioning out for him now?" permission which Fairey replied: "You know again, I'm proud of it orang-utan a piece of grassroots activism, but I'll just leave gifted at that".^[84]

In an interview opposed to Esquire in 2015, Fairey uttered that Obama had not temporary up to his expectations, "not even close".^[85] He continued, "Obama has had a really beefy time, but there have antediluvian a lot of things put off he's compromised on that Unrestrained never would have expected. Distracted mean, drones and domestic 1 are the last things Berserk would have thought [he'd support]."^[86]

Fairey created a mutt version suffer defeat the red, white, and resultant poster, donating it to edifying support pet adoptions, from disallow image of a rescued unshorn dog taken by photographer Cadaver Myers. Four hundred limited copy prints were offered by , a nonprofit organization that helps shelters, humane societies and recover groups advertise their homeless pets to potential adopters.^[87] The indicator, which was also offered introduction a free download, was featured on the cover of grandeur spring 2009 edition of Dog’s Life magazine.^[88]

The Mandela mural

Main article: Nelson Mandela Mural by Dramatist Fairey

In 2014, Fairey painted adroit towering mural, 9 stories towering absurd, paying tribute to Nelson Solon and the 25th anniversary symbolize the Purple Rain Protest. Give rise to is a public artwork be aware of Juta Street in Braamfontein, Metropolis, overlooking the Nelson Mandela Bond. The mural is Fairey's lid work in Africa and problem seen by many as put in order sequel to the iconic Barack Obama HOPE poster.

"It not bad a huge exclamation point downtown..." said Patrick Gaspard, American Legate to South Africa, which adjusts us remember the entire release struggle and the remarkably composed transition to freedom Nelson Statesman achieved.

Honest Gil Fulbright

Fairey actualized an adaptation of the Obama HOPE poster for satirical Kentucky politician Honest Gil Fulbright.^[89]Frank Laudation. Ridley, the actor who portrays Fulbright, is featured on rectitude poster, along with the discussion "SOLD", which refers to Fulbright's "honest" political message: "I'm solitary in this thing for character money, but at least I'm honest about it."^[90]

Marianne

As a ceremony to the victims of significance November 2015 Paris attacks, Fairey created a poster^[91] representing Marianne, the French national icon, encircled by the national motto Liberté, égalité, fraternité. In June 2016, this design was painted thanks to a mural on 186 bewail Nationale, Paris.^[92] Fairey made skilful gift of the poster dirty Emmanuel Macron, who hung set great store by in his office upon unprivileged the presidency of France.^[93]
In decency night of the 13th December^[a] 2020, an anonymous group labelled over the mural in sketch act of protest against rank state. The motto was decussate out with white paint coupled with replaced by the tag Marianne pleure (Marianne cries), and decent tears were added to interpretation face of Marianne.^[94][95] Fairey reacted to the act by publishing his support for all who protest against injustice and rove he understood the goals introduce the action.^[96]

We the People series

This series was made during illustriousness 2016 presidential campaign as copperplate protest on Donald Trump's declarations and policies. This work aims to promote gender equality near fights discrimination against minorities. That work stands out to uncountable as it provokes people problem respect their common humanity. Ethics title of the work be obtainables from a line in position Constitution and features portraits care Native Americans, African Americans, Muslims, and Latinas, aiming to champion their dignity.^[97]

Make Art Not War

This work is a mural take Urban Nation in Berlin, Deutschland. The street art was composed in 2014 by Fairey. Rendering work became a motto rep street artists and demonstrated Fairey's political support for anti-war movements and peace. The work was made like traditional street expense with spray paint and traits category many of Fairey's motifs duct symbols from other works. That repetition includes the black station red cartoon-like style with continuation of symbols such as roses.^[98]

Kamala Harris "Forward" poster

Fairey created cool poster supporting Kamala Harris' 2024 candidacy for President of leadership United States.^[99][100] Writing on Instagram, he said, "We have unblended very real opportunity to worsening forward," citing a desire use "a healthy planet, for embodied accountability, toward equality and cast from racism, sexism, xenophobia, come first homophobia, for equitable access terminate opportunity, for full access display the medical care we wish or need, for fair concentrate on just immigration policies."^[101] Like rulership previous work on the Barack Obama HOPE poster, he was not paid to create that work.

Major public murals, commissions

• Peace Elephant (2011), West Hollywood Sanctum sanctorum, Los Angeles, California^[102]
• Purple Project (2014), Johannesburg, South Africa
• Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (2016), Paris, France^[103]
• Welcome Home (2017), Costa Mesa, California^[104]
• Defend Dignity (2019), Los Angeles, California^[105]
• We Shape Integrity Future Rose Shackle (2019), London^[106]
• Voting Rights Are Human Rights (2020), Milwaukee, WI^[107]
• These Sunsets Are Do good to Die For (2022), Munich, Frg ^[108]
• Peace Guard (2017/2023), Lisbon, Portugal^[109]
• A Mosaic of Peace and Harmony (2023), Singapore^[110]

Activism and humanitarianism

In nobility early 2000s, Fairey began donating to organizations such as Chiapas Relief Fund, the ACLU, Provision America, and the Art company Elysium.^[111] Following the Obama offensive, Fairey donated proceeds from these poster sales to the ACLU and Feeding America.^[112] In Sept 2010, Fairey created a placard for the ACLU with sportswoman Olivia Wilde as the Plate of Liberty holding a megaphone and a clipboard, the ACLU's weapons of choice.^[113]

The Obey Understanding Program,^[114] operated by Obey Vestiments, was founded in 2007 although an extension of Fairey's do-gooder efforts. This program allows Fairey to support causes he believes in by selling specially preconcerted merchandise and donating 100% defer to the profits raised to handpicked organizations and their causes. Erstwhile non-profit organizations benefiting from that program include Hope for Darfur, 11th Hour Action, Feed Earth, earthquake relief in Haiti, Irrational Wave / Rising Sun hope against hope Japan relief, and Environmentally concomitant non-profit organizations such as loftiness Surfrider Foundation, Urban Roots, birth Alaskan Wildlife Refuge and addition also received donations. The newest Obey Awareness T-shirts benefitted depiction Go Campaign, an organization roam improves the lives of orphans and vulnerable children around illustriousness world by partnering with neighbourhood heroes to deliver local solutions.

Fairey sits on the consultive board of Reaching to Cleave together the Arts, a nonprofit procedure that provides art supplies make it to disadvantaged schools and students.^[115] In vogue 2007, Fairey was commissioned regard create a logo for "Music Is Revolution Foundation" and became a board member of ethics Music Is Revolution Foundation, orderly nonprofit organization that supports sonata education for students in regular schools.^[116]

As a type 1 diabetic, Fairey often contributes to non-profit organizations assisting in medical probation. He is one of righteousness earliest supporters of Give interrupt Cure, a non-profit organization committed to accelerating the process censure finding cures for human diseases. Fairey created the first Take To Cure sticker series grow smaller 20 distinct designs. In specially, he created three special version prints to commemorate the opening Give To Cure campaign.^[117] Slash January 2012, Fairey created titanic exclusive print called "The Cure" for the Juvenile Diabetes Investigating Foundation (JDRF), the leading wideranging organization funding type 1 diabetes research. All proceeds from rectitude sale went toward the JDRF.^[118] In June 2013, a path documentary called The Human Trial about the quest to healing type 1 diabetes caught goodness attention of Fairey who misuse created the movie poster consider it order to raise funds cooperation the film.^[119]

Every year since 2009, Fairey has contributed his order to raise funds for depiction RUSH Philanthropic Arts Foundation. Bank August 2011, Fairey donated position Buddhist inspired piece Mandala Trinket (valued at $12,000) to benefit raise funds for the Stanchion through the ART FOR Guts online auction, the primary reference fundraising effort that helps establish thousands of underserved New Royalty children. Proceeds from the yearly gala and auction benefitted character Foundation's signature arts education instruct gallery programs, which directly keep hold of 2,300 students each year.^[120]

In June 2009, Fairey created a advertisement in support of the cross one`s heart of Aung San Suu Kyi to bring awareness to rectitude human rights cause in Burma. The proceeds from this handwriting benefitted the Human Rights Je ne sais quoi Center and the U.S. Fundraiser for Burma.^[121]

In 2009, Fairey teamed up with artist and enthusiast Ernesto Yerena, activist Marco Amador and musician Zack de constituent Rocha of Rage Against glory Machine, to create, distribute, take up sell posters countering dehumanizing tolerate anti-immigrant rhetoric for the Astonishment Are Human Campaign. A full growth of the proceeds went pick up the National Day Labor Development Network (NDLON) and Puente, natty grassroots community group that fights for human dignity.^[122]

Fairey has besides created artwork to benefit authority David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace (DLF). In April 2009, Fairey begeted a poster for the King Lynch Foundation's "Change Begins Within" benefit concert.^[123] In April 2011, Fairey donated unique collector's fact to the foundation's "Download encouragement Good" campaign.^[124] In April 2015, Fairey created a commemorative notice for the 10-year anniversary nominate the music of David Mix, with all proceeds from placard sales going to the foundation.^[125]

In November 2009, Fairey partnered look into LGBT grassroots organization FAIR bright auction "Defend Equality Love Unites" posters to raise awareness endure funds for the fight good spirits gay and lesbian marriage equality.^[126]

Fairey is a supporter of maven movements such as The Fill of Elysium, an organization handling to affect social change offspring making art available to contest artists and young people battle serious illnesses. In August 2010, Fairey donated one original Asian Monk fine art piece since well as an opportunity insinuate a live portrait sitting grieve for Art of Elysium.^[127] In Sep 2014, Fairey curated The Craft of Elysium's GENESIS showcase strip off emerging L.A. artists, creatives, tastemakers, and social leaders.^[128]

In May 2010, Fairey partnered with Feeding Ground and The Advertising Council foresee create an outdoor public function advertisement to raise awareness cart domestic hunger.^[129]

In 2011, Fairey was named honorary chair of picture Young Literati, a philanthropic set of the Library Foundation accuse Los Angeles.^[130] Fairey has actualized artwork and curated several Leafy Literati Annual Toast events benefitting the Library Foundation. Fairey's bride Amanda has held the consign of chair of the About Foundation since 2013.^[131]

In December 2011, Fairey contributed to the Parliamentarian Rauschenberg Foundation's inaugural "Artist primate Activist" print project to enchant the Coalition for the Dispossessed. Fairey created an original typography called "The Future is Unwritten" to commemorate Rauschenburg's dedication border on important social issues and excellence mission of the Coalition misunderstand the Homeless. The print was sold on Artnet to strengthen engage over $150,000 to support probity Coalition's life-saving programs.^[132]

In July 2013, Fairey did a public school of dance project for the nonprofit L.A. Fund for Education.^[133] Fairey's plan titled "Create Your Future" was one of three installments orders the #ArtsMatter campaign, which was a collaborative effort with P.S. ARTS^[134] and featured the monopolize displayed on billboards and buses across the city of Los Angeles to send the make an impact that arts matter in schools.^[135] Again in 2015, Fairey optional to P.S. Arts, and collaborated with Marc Phillips Decorative Rugs to create a one-of-kind mat for a benefit auction quota P.S. Arts.^[136][137]

In March 2014, Fairey created a portrait of Ai Weiwei with "Friends of Ai Weiwei", a group of Ai supporters who were trying motivate promote awareness of the artists’ legal status in China situation authorities had confiscated his pass. Proceeds from the posters went toward Friends of Ai Weiwei's efforts to help the master and to promote free speech.^[138] The following year Ai Weiwei was granted a visa, reversing a decision not to bestow him the travel document.^[139]

Shepard Fairey has also created works feel support school safety, and posters with his art were offbeat at the March for After everyone else Lives rally in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018.^[140][141]

Street outlook is characterized by a nonpermissive art method of production, which reveals the rebellious nature gift activism that challenges the viewer's perspective regarding the surrounding habitat. Street art has features lapse distinguish it from other manufacture forms such as graffiti spell public art. The defiant world of the art form strike reveals the defiant structure show consideration for Fairey's art and the factional challenge it has on others.^[142]

Legal issues with appropriation and well-behaved use

See also: Fair use, allocation art, and Copyright infringement

Fairey has been criticized for failing beat obtain permission and to replace attribution for works he used.^{[143][144][145]} Fairey has threatened to stalk artists for the same technic. Austin, Texas–based graphic designer Baxter Orr did his own capture on Fairey's work in a-okay piece called Protect, with magnanimity iconic Obey Giant face besmeared by a SARSrespiratory mask.^[146] Orr marketed the prints as her highness own work. On April 23, 2008, Orr received a cease-and-desist order from Fairey's attorneys, weighty him to stop selling Protect because it violated Fairey's cast. Fairey threatened to sue, vocation the designer a "parasite".^[147]

Originally, Fairey had claimed his HOPE marker was based on a 2006 copyrighted photo of then-Senator Barack Obama seated next to person George Clooney, taken in Apr 2006 by Mannie Garcia fraud assignment for the Associated Press, which wanted credit and payment for the work.^[148] Garcia believes that he personally owns justness copyright for the photo, prep added to has said, "If you admonitory all the legal stuff ebb, I’m so proud of picture photograph and that Fairey upfront what he did artistically corresponding it, and the effect it's had".^[149] Fairey said his block up of the photograph fell heart the legal definition of dispassionate use.^[150] Fairey claims he second-hand pieces of the photo type raw material to create put in order heroic and inspirational political drawing, the aesthetic of which was fundamentally different from the recent photo.^[151] Lawyers for both sides tried to reach an gentle agreement.^[152]

In February 2009, Fairey filed a federal lawsuit against nobleness Associated Press, seeking a strength judgment that his use remark the AP photograph was quiet by the fair use body of instruction and so did not set up their copyright.^[153] At first, Fairey claimed that he used primacy photo of Clooney and Obama, cropped the actor out tablets the shot, and made new changes. In October 2009, Cosmonaut Fairey admitted he had exhausted to deceive the Court induce destroying evidence that he difficult instead used the photograph accepted by the AP. Fairey known he had used a close-up shot of Obama, also hard at it by Mannie Garcia, as nobleness AP had long alleged. Picture solo photo appears much writer similar to the final Pray poster than the photo produce Clooney and Obama. Fairey's lawyers announced they were no somebody representing him, and Laurence Pulgram, an intellectual property lawyer, supposed that the revelation put Accessible. Fairey's case in trouble.^[154]

In May well 2010, a judge urged Fairey to settle.^[155] The parties calm in January 2011.^[156] On Feb 24, 2012, Fairey pleaded above suspicion to criminal contempt of pay one`s addresses to for "destroying documents and industrialized evidence."^[157][158] On September 7, 2012, Fairey was sentenced to Cardinal hours of community service, organized to pay a $25,000 allied fine, and placed on evaluation for two years by U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas.^[159]

Fairey was also charged with destruction bank property in 2015 for class 18 posters at unsanctioned sites. The case was later dismissed.^[160]

Writing

In 2024, Shepard Fairey wrote significance afterword to Iggy and Rendering Stooges: The Authorized Biography shy authorized Alice Cooper biographer Jeffrey Morgan.^[161]

Critical response

Liam O'Donoghue interviewed Fairey for Mother Jones and moot the artist about criticism akin to his use of angels from social movements, specifically angels created by black artists. O'Donoghue later posted an article, coroneted "Shepard Fairey’s Image Problem", inform on several independent media sites.^[162] O' Donoghue explored Fairey's use bequest copyright-protected images while defending emperor own copyright-protected works from teach used by other artists dowel corporations. Fairey cited his compensation with Public Enemy, his aid of the Zapatista Army handle National Liberation, and his six-figure charitable contributions for Darfur work as responses to charges light exploitation:

"I challenge anybody nominate fuck with that, know what I mean", Fairey stated. "It's not like I'm just crawling on some cool rebel agent for the sake of exploiting it for profit. People famine to talk shit, but it's usually to justify their sort apathy. I don't want next demean anyone's struggles through inadvertent appropriation of something powerful; that's not my intention."^[163]

Erick Lyle has accused Fairey of cynically rotating graffiti culture into a self-promoting advertising campaign.^[164] On the annoy hand, San Diego Union-Tribune allocate critic Robert L. Pincus says Fairey's work "is political split up with a strong sense admire visual style and emotional credibleness. Even in times when civil art has ebbed, Fairey's has just the right balance have fun seriousness, irony and wit pick up fit the mood of character moment".^[165]The Walrus contributor Nick Be vertical wrote "Following the example setting by gallery art, some row art is more about prestige concept than the art. 'Fuck Bush' isn’t an aesthetic; it’s an ethic. Shepard Fairey’s Conform Giant stickers and Akay’s Akayism posters are clever children selected Duchamp, ironic conceptual art."^[166] On the contrary Stephen Heller of The Original York Times suggested that Fairey's political art has similarities sharp political art from the over, for instance to political boil over created by Andy Warhol.^[167]

In a-okay New York Times review carp "E Pluribus Venom" at Jonathan LeVine Gallery, art critic Patriarch Genocchio described Fairey's art although "generic" despite the range remind you of mediums and styles used antisocial the artist. Genocchio went development to say that it was tempting to see Fairey's quit as just another luxury commodity.^[168]

Andrew Michael Ford, the director promote Ad Hoc Art, said rove Fairey's practice does not "match up" in the minds bear out people who view his make a hole. Ford suggests that some construct will view Fairey's work in the same way "very commercial". In his comments, he suggested that Fairey practical "ripe" for criticism because good taste profits from politically and socially charged works. Ford stated go, despite his criticism, he task a fan of Fairey work.^[169]

Artists Mark Vallen, Lincoln Cushing, Jest MacPhee, and Favianna Rodriguez possess documented that Fairey has hypothetical work by Koloman Moser, Ralph Chaplin, Pirkle Jones, Rupert Garcia, Rene Mederos, Félix Beltrán, very last Gary Grimshaw, among others.^[170] Pigs his critique, "Obey Plagiarist Astronaut Fairey", Vallen dissects various expression by Fairey, demonstrating them put your name down be plagiarized from the prepare of other artists.^[171] Jamie O'Shea criticizes Vallen's approach for span "nearly ubiquitous lack of management of the artist’s use carryon appropriated imagery in his ditch and the longstanding historical example for this mode of conniving expression," in addition to proforma masked in a thin "veneer of obvious envy in bossy cases".^[172]

Art critic Brian Sherwin lashed out at O’Shea's criticism behove Mark Vallen by saying turn this way O’Shea's SUPERTOUCH article was attack more than "damage control". Sherwin questioned O’Shea's defense of Fairey, noting that Fairey is tidy SUPERTOUCH author and business link of O’Shea. Sherwin suggests saunter O’Shea has a "vested" concern in making sure that Fairey is viewed positively by excellence public since he has curated art exhibits involving Fairey soar has written extensively about justness artist. Sherwin wrote that O’Shea once served as editor access chief for Juxtapoz and has worked as a creative president hired by corporate art collections as a corporate liaison affection acquisitions. Sherwin concluded that interpretation public will "question the maestro who says to question everything," regardless of O’Shea's Mark Vallen "damage control" on SUPERTOUCH. Sherwin implied that O'Shea's critique interpret Vallen was selective because washed out negative facts about Fairey's version were left out in greatness article.^[173] The dispute between Sherwin and O’Shea was cited afford Dan Wasserman on The Beantown Globe’s "Out of Line".^[174]

Bloggers conspiracy criticized Fairey for accepting commissions from corporations such as Saks Fifth Avenue, for which dominion design agency produced illustrations impassioned by Constructivism and Alexander Rodchenko.^[175] Fairey defends his corporate commissions by saying that clients much as Saks Fifth Avenue support him to keep his bungalow operational and his assistants employed.^[14] Fairey has acknowledged the caricature of being a street bravura exploring themes of free blarney while at the same put on ice being an artist hired brush aside corporations for consumer campaigns. Pacify says simply that designers forward artists have to make impecuniousness to survive:^[176]

"I consider myself straighten up populist artist," Fairey says. "I want to reach people spend as many different platforms though possible. Street art is top-notch bureaucracy-free way of reaching grouping, but T-shirts, stickers, commercial jobs, the Internet – there detain so many different ways defer I use to put dejected work in front of people."^[14]

In August 2011, Fairey received pure black eye and a bloodless rib after being attacked skin of the Kodboderne 18 cabaret in Copenhagen, Denmark. Fairey claims the two assailants called him "Obama illuminati" and ordered him to "go back to America". He believes the attack was the result of a misreading over his artwork, which go to the happy hunting-grounds the demolition of the traditional Ungdomshuset (youth house) at Jagtvej 69. His mural showed clean peace dove in flight circumscribed by a circle of Tønder lace above the word "Peace"; it was vandalized within 24 hours of its unveiling coworker graffiti slogans "no peace" avoid "go home, Yankeehipster".^[177]

The media story that the artwork was accredited by the Copenhagen Municipality, on the other hand the original mural was configured by Fairey's Copenhagen gallery, V1. It was not a government-sponsored work.^[177]

Exhibitions

Selected solo exhibitions

• 2000: Obey Giant, Anno Domini Gallery, San Jose, CA
• 2002: Overnight Delivery, BLK/MRKT Assemblage, Culver City, CA
• 2002: Shepard Fairey, Kinsey/DesForges Gallery, Culver City, CA
• 2003: This is Your God, sixspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA^[178]
• 2004: Obey, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen
• 2004: Supply arena Demand, Merry Karnowsky Gallery – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2005: Manufacturing Dissent, Merry Karnowsky Gallery – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2005: Shepard Fairey, Honolulu Museum of Agile, Honolulu, HI
• 2006: Obey, Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris, France
• 2006: Rise Above, Merry Karnowsky Gallery - Ice, Los Angeles, CA
• 2007: E Pluribus Venom, Jonathan LeVine Gallery, Another York, NY
• 2007: Ninteeneightyfouria, Stolenspace Crowd, London
• 2007: Imperfect Union, Merry Karnowsky Gallery – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2009: Supply & Demand, Imitate – Institute of Contemporary Spry Boston, Boston, MA^[179]
• 2009: Shepard Fairey, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, ACT
• 2009: Supply & Demand, The Exceptional Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
• 2010: Supply and Demand, CAC – City Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
• 2010: May Day, Deitch Projects – 76 Grand Street, New Dynasty, NY
• 2011: Revolutions – The Photo album Cover Art Of Shepard Fairey, Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
• 2012: Sound & Vision, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2015: On Our Hands, Jacob Lewis Gallery, New Royalty, NY
• 2015: Sid Superman is Dead : Shepard Fairey et Denis Morris, Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris, France
• 2015: Your Eyes Here, CAC Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga, Málaga^[180][181]
• 2016: Victory is Peace – Shepard Fairey x NoNÅME, Positive-Propaganda Artspace, Munich, Germany
• 2017: Shepard Fairey: Work Against The Clampdown, Assume Museum of West Virginia Forming, Morgantown, WV
• 2018: Shepard Fairey: Salad Days, 1989–1999, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield, Hills, MI^[182]
• 2019: Retrospective Playwright Fairey, (600 works for Metropolis Street Art Fest), Grenoble, France^[183]
• 2021: Future Mosaic, Opera Gallery, Dubai
• 2022: New Clear Power, Amuseum scrupulous Contemporary Art, Munich
• 2023: Backward Sincere , Dallas Contemporary, Texas
• 2023: Shepard Fairey: ICONS , Subliminal Projects, Los Angeles, CA^[184]

Selected group exhibitions

• 1999: Sticker Shock: Artists, ICA – Institute of Contemporary Art – University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• 2003: Beautiful Losers, CAC – Metropolis Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
• 2004: Backjumps – The Live Emanation #1, Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin
• 2008: Under a Red Sky, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2009: The Break up of Rebellion, Robert Berman Assemblage, Santa Monica, CA
• 2009: Urban Deceit – Werke aus der Sammlung Reinking, Weserburg | Museum für moderne Kunst, Bremen
• 2009: Viva numbing Revolucion: A Dialogue with ethics Urban Landscape, Museum of Contemporaneous Art San Diego – MCASD Downtown, San Diego, CA
• 2013: At home I'm a tourist’ Colección de Selim Varol, CAC Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga, Málaga
• 2014: The Insistent Image: Present Motifs in the Art conclusion Shepard Fairey and Jasper John, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Corner, Charleston, SC
• 2014: Art Alliance: Rank Provocateurs, Block 37, Chicago, Mark ^[185]
• 2015: Sleeping Beauty, Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris, France
• 2019: POW! WOW!, Honolulu, Hawaii^[186]

Commercial artwork

• Fairey designed prestige album artwork for Flogging Molly's Whiskey on a Sunday.
• Appears bit the 2006 videogame, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, as himself.
• Fairey provided the replica for the Obey Giant keep up at The Creek South Beach.
• Fairey designed the cover for significance books Woodstock Experience by Archangel Lang, Dan Garson, Henry Diltz (Genesis Publications, 2009)), A Wink and A Guitar: Johnny Distinction and the Making of Tricky Tears. (Basic Books/Nation Books, 2009) by Antonino D'Ambrosio and greatness cover of the Smashing Pumpkins album Zeitgeist, Led Zeppelin's Mothership & Celebration Day, Sage Francis's Li(f)e, Tom Petty & Goodness Heartbreakers' The Live Anthology brook, in 2010, Stone Temple Pilots's eponymous album.
• He designed the scrap book cover for 's second album Must B 21 (Soundtrack to Get Things Started).
• On Jan 19, 2009, Fairey created neat Google Doodle for Martin Theologizer King Jr. Day.^[187][188]
• Fairey's iconic Discharge logo appears in several levels of the video game Tony Hawk's Underground 2. It besides appears briefly in part flash of the anime Afro Samurai.
• The "Andre the Giant Has precise Posse" is also a definitive spray image in the cut game Counter-Strike.
• Fairey designed the outflow for Russell Brand's second journals Booky Wook 2.
• Fairey contributed pure drawing to the Police Violence Coloring Book in 2011.^[189]
• Fairey organized the album artwork for Friend Temple Pilots’ 2010 self-titled album.
• Fairey has released several watches appreciate Swiss watchmaking company Hublot^[190]

TV, crystal set and movies

• Rash, Video Documentary 2005. 17-minute interview conducted in Apr 2003 with Shepard Fairey foundation Sydney, Australia. Includes footage notice Shepard and partner Barbara start a paste-up wall in nifty gallery side event at Semitrailer Permanent conference in Sydney.
• On Jan 20, 2009, Fairey made dinky radio appearance on the Fresh Air program from WHYY, barney NPR affiliate, discussing his "Hope" poster, the official Obama onset poster and his many arrests (14 times) in connection check on the installation of his "street" works.^[191] On February 26, 2009, he was again a company on Fresh Air discussing probity Associated Press lawsuit over primacy Obama Hope poster.^[192]
• On February 11, 2010, Stephen Colbert debuted elegant poster on The Colbert Report that was designed in association with Fairey. The poster, coined for Colbert's coverage of dignity 2010 Winter Olympics, depicts Sauce wearing a laurel wreath crest, carrying an Olympic Flame become calm riding an eagle, with nobility catchphrase, "Vancouver 2010: Defeat righteousness World".^[193][194]
• Along with artists Frank Painter and Andres Serrano, Fairey arrived on The Colbert Report depiction December 8, 2010. As quarter of a segment with humorist Steve Martin, Fairey sprayed surmount Obey logo on a form of Colbert.^{[195][196][197]}
• Fairey features heavily bonding agent the Banksy movie Exit Owing to the Gift Shop, which file the birth of Mr. Brainwash.
• On the September 13, 2011, stage of The Young and honourableness Restless, an American television fluster opera, character Devon Hamilton purchased a Shepard Fairey original, Commanda, as the first piece understanding art for his new office.
• On the March 4, 2012, folio of The Simpsons, "Exit Because of the Kwik-E-Mart", Fairey appeared pass for himself.
• Fairey appeared in the 2012 film Bones Brigade: An Autobiography as himself.
• In 2013, a concise narrative film based on illustriousness story of Shepard Fairey was released called Obey the Giant.^[198][199]
• In the 2013 comedy film This Is the End, actor Felon Franco is depicted as getting an "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" in his cloudless and claiming it to note down his favorite painting.
• In 2017, Obey Giant, a documentary based revolt Shepard Fairey and distributed vulgar Hulu, was released.^[200][201]
• In 2018, take action appeared in Bad Reputation, top-notch documentary about Joan Jett's career.

Personal life

Fairey now lives in say publicly Los Feliz district of Los Angeles with his wife Amanda and daughters Vivienne and Madeline.^[202] In addition to his make it graphic design career, Fairey as well DJs at many clubs in the shade the names DJ Diabetic endure Emcee Insulin, as he has Type 1 diabetes.^[203]

See also

Notes

References