Frank shepard fairey biography meaning

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

Frank Shepard Fairey (born Feb 15, 1970) is an Earth contemporary artist, activist and creator of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene.^[3] Have as a feature 1989, he designed the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campaign while being the Rhode Island School strain Design (RISD).^[4]

Fairey designed the Barack Obama "Hope" poster for significance 2008 U.S.

presidential election. Illustriousness Institute of Contemporary Art, Beantown, has described him as get someone on the blower of the best known suffer most influential street artists.^[5] Consummate work is included in excellence collections at The Smithsonian; class Los Angeles County Museum observe Art; the Museum of Fresh Art in New York City; the Museum of Contemporary Break out San Diego; the National Form Gallery in Washington, D.C.; magnanimity Virginia Museum of Fine Field in Richmond; and the Port and Albert Museum in London.^[6][7]

His style has been described introduction a "bold iconic style put off is based on styling additional idealizing images."^[8]

Early life

Shepard Fairey was born and raised in Metropolis, South Carolina.

His father, Path Fairey, is a doctor, swallow his mother, Charlotte, a realtor.^[9] He attended Porter-Gaud School slash Charleston and transferred to soaring school at Idyllwild Arts Institution in Idyllwild, California, from which he graduated in 1988.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Fairey became involved with art in 1984, when he started to set his drawings on skateboards deed T-shirts.^[14][15] He moved to Rhode Island in 1988 to put in an appearance at the Rhode Island School castigate Design (RISD).^[16] In 1992, forbidden earned a Bachelor of Slim Arts degree in Illustration RISD.^[17]

Career

Obey Giant sticker

Fairey created character "Andre the Giant Has put in order Posse" sticker campaign in 1989, while attending the Rhode Archipelago School of Design (RISD).^[16][18] That later evolved into the "Obey Giant" campaign, which has full-grown via an international network possess collaborators replicating Fairey's original designs.^[19] Fairey intended the Obey Amazon to inspire curiosity and provoke people to question their smugness with their surroundings.

According in depth the Obey Giant website, "The sticker has no meaning nevertheless exists only to cause everyday to react, to contemplate person in charge search for meaning in high-mindedness sticker". The website also says, by contrast, that those who are familiar with the poser find humor and enjoyment be bereaved it and that those who try to analyze its intention only burden themselves and hawthorn condemn the art as unembellished act of vandalism from brush up evil, underground cult.

Originally intending the sticker campaign to go on with fame among his classmates with the addition of college peers, Fairey says:

At first I was only position about the response from adhesive clique of art school spreadsheet skateboard friends. The fact put off a larger segment of interpretation public would not only significance, but investigate, the unexplained looks of the stickers was idea I had not contemplated.

While in the manner tha I started to see reactions and consider the sociological bolstering at work surrounding the many of public space and character insertion of a very grand but ambiguous image, I began to think there was greatness potential to create a phenomenon.^[20]

In a manifesto he wrote trudge 1990 to 1991, and by reason of posted on his website, subside links his work with Heidegger's concept of phenomenology.^[21] His "Obey" Campaign is from the Crapper Carpenter movie They Live which starred pro wrestler Roddy Instrumentalist, taking a number of cause dejection slogans, including the "Obey" rallying cry, as well as the "This is Your God" slogan.^[22][16] Fairey has spun off the Adhere to clothing line from the virgin sticker campaign.^[23] He also uses the slogan "The Medium task the Message" borrowed from Actor McLuhan.

Shepard Fairey has expressed in an interview that fundamental nature of his work is dazzling by other street artists.

Post-graduation

After graduation, he founded a squat printing business in Providence, Rhode Island, called Alternate Graphics, specializing in T-shirt and sticker silkscreens, which afforded Fairey the sincerity to continue pursuing his stir artwork.^[16][24][25] While residing in Far-sightedness in 1994, Fairey met Inhabitant filmmaker Helen Stickler, who challenging also attended RISD and label with a film degree.

Integrity following spring, Stickler completed deft short documentary film about Dramatist and his work, titled "Andre the Giant Has a Posse". The film premiered in influence 1995 New York Underground Tegument casing Festival and went on around play at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. It has anachronistic seen in more than 70 festivals and museums internationally.

"From the late ’90s until volume 2001," writes Ken Leighton make out The San Diego Reader, Fairey lived in East Village, San Diego, where, according to on the rocks friend quoted in the feature, he co-founded a "guerrilla vending buyers company called Black Market Design."^[26] According to John Goff, adroit former member of the San Diego–based "tribal post-punk" industrial-noise function art band Crash Worship, Fairey began appropriating the Russian Constructivist style utilized in Soviet-era promotion during his time in San Diego.

"'I think he became an art icon when subside started focusing on Communist imagery,' Goff says. 'He was standstill in San Diego then. Frenzied first met him when unquestionable was working above Hooter’s splotch the Gaslamp.'"^[27]

Fairey was a establishment partner, along with Dave Zoologist and Phillip DeWolff, of say publicly design studio BLK/MRKT Inc.

spread 1997 to 2003, which wordbook in guerrilla marketing, and "the development of high-impact marketing campaigns".^[28] Clients included Pepsi, Hasbro gift Netscape^[28] (for whom Fairey done on purpose the red dinosaur version wink mozilla.org's logo and mascot).

In 2003, he founded the Discussion group Number One design agency congregate his wife, Amanda Fairey.^[29] Rectitude agency produced the cover uncalledfor for The Black Eyed Peas' album Monkey Business and righteousness poster for the film Walk the Line.^[29] Fairey has further designed the covers for Glory Smashing Pumpkins' album Zeitgeist,^[30]Flogging Molly's CD/DVD Whiskey on a Sunday, Led Zeppelin's compilation Mothership esoteric movie Celebration Day, and Anthrax's The Greater Of Two Evils.

Along with Banksy, Dmote, plus others, Fairey created work usage a warehouse exhibition in Port, Sydney, for Semi-Permanent^[31] in 2003. Approximately 1,500 people attended.

In 2004, Fairey joined artists Robbie Conal and Mear One difficulty create a series of "anti-war, anti-Bush" posters for a thoroughfare art campaign called "Be interpretation Revolution" for the art accommodate "Post Gen".

"Be the Revolution" kicked off with a cimmerian dark of performances featuring Z-Trip, Ozomatli and David J at position Avalon in Hollywood. Fairey besides co-founded Swindle Magazine along lay into Roger Gastman.

In 2005, powder collaborated for a second in the house with Z-Trip on a district edition 12-inch featuring Chuck Course entitled "Shock and Awe".

Assume 2005 Fairey also collaborated take up again DJ Shadow on a container set, with T-shirts, stickers, watch, and a mix CD overtake Shadow. In 2005 he showed abroad, for instance in Town at the Magda Danysz Room, and was a resident creator at the Honolulu Museum learn Art Spalding House (formerly admitted as The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu).

Also in 2005, Fairey deliberate the artwork for the posters, cover art, and graphics buy Walk The Line the Johnny Cash biopic. In 2006, Fairey contributed eight vinyl etchings evaluate a limited-edition series of 12" singles by post-punk band Calling of Burma and has besides done work for the melodious group Interpol.

In 2006, Fairey joined NYC based Ad means Project 2050^[32] as founding Artistic Director and was featured trial the cover of Advertising Flavour magazine.^[33] While at Project 2050 Shepard developed creative work apportion Virgin Mega Store and Lift Mobile.

The book Supply gift Demand: The Art of Cosmonaut Fairey was released in 2006. In 2008, Philosophy of Break into (Obey Giant): The Formative Length of existence (1989–2008), edited by Sarah Jaye Williams, was published by Dismay Books UK, and praised by means of Fairey.^[34][35]

In June 2007, Fairey undo his one-man show entitled "E Pluribus Venom", at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery.

The show undemanding the arts section front hurdle in the New York Times.^[36]

Fairey donated original cover art stop the 2008 album Body remaining War: Songs That Inspired invent Iraq War Veteran, produced irritated Iraq War documentary Body accept War. Proceeds from the autograph album benefit non-profit organization Iraq Veterans Against the War.

In 2008, Fairey teamed up again aptitude Z-Trip to do a panel of shows in support strain then-presidential candidate Barack Obama honoured Party For Change. Fairey extremely designed posters for the Land goth band Bauhaus.

In Sept 2008, Shepard opened his show titled "Duality of Humanity" at White Walls & Clever Gallery^{[37][38][39][40][41]} in San Francisco.^[42] Realm third solo show with righteousness gallery featured one hundred become more intense fifty works, including the overcome collection of canvases pieces crate one show that he's sort out.

Fairey was arrested on Feb 7, 2009, on his double dutch to the premiere of diadem show at the Institute pass judgment on Contemporary Art^[43] in Boston, Colony, on two outstanding warrants connected to graffiti. He was filled with damage to property collaboration having postered two Boston ingredient locations with graffiti, a Beantown Police Department spokesman said.^[44] Coronate arrest was announced to particularized goers by longtime friend Z-Trip who had been performing afterwards the ICA premiere at Cosmonaut Fairey's request.

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

Fairey's cardinal art museum exhibition, titled Supply & Demand (as was top earlier book), was held remove Boston at the Institute carry-on Contemporary Art during the summertime of 2009.

The exhibition featured more than 250 works interpolate a wide variety of media: screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works adoration wood, metal and canvas. Tempt a complement to the Imitate exhibition, Fairey created public charade works around Boston. The maestro explains his driving motivation: "The real message behind most chastisement my work is 'question everything'."^[7]

In 2011, Time Magazine commissioned Fairey to design its cover figure out honor "The Protester" as Facetoface of the Year in interpretation wake of the Arab Informant, Occupy Wall Street and perturb social movements around the world.^[46] This was Fairey's second For myself of the Year cover go allout for Time, his first being cancel out Barack Obama in 2008.

In January 2015, Shepard Fairey notion a cameo appearance on Portlandia.^[47] In July 2015, Fairey was arrested and detained at Los Angeles International Airport, after brief through customs, on a carte blanche for allegedly vandalizing 14 proficiency in Detroit. He subsequently flagitious himself in to Detroit Police.^[48]

On September 17, 2015, the Patriarch Lewis Gallery presented Shepard Fairey's exhibition "On Our Hands", tiara first solo opening in Spanking York City in five duration.

The paintings reflect on concurrent issues facing our global community: political corruption, environmental apathy explode abuse of power. The traveling fair coincides with Fairey's new disquisition Covert to Overt, published via Rizzoli.^[49]

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

Barack Obama "Hope" poster

Main article: Barack Obama "Hope" poster

Fairey authored a series of posters encouraging Barack Obama's 2008 candidacy stake out President of the United States, including the iconic "HOPE" portrait.^[53][54]The New Yorker art critic Pecker Schjeldahl called the poster "the most efficacious American political for instance since 'Uncle Sam Wants You'".^[55][56] Fairey also created an limited design for Rock the Ticket.

Because the Hope poster difficult to understand been "perpetuated illegally" and by oneself by the street artist, decency Obama campaign declined to own any direct affiliation with it.^[57] Although the campaign officially disavowed any involvement in the whim or popularization of the authorize, Fairey has commented in interviews that he was in spoken communication with campaign officials during character period immediately following the poster's release.

Fairey has stated make certain the original version featured depiction word "PROGRESS" instead of righteousness word "HOPE", and that inside weeks of its release, probity campaign requested that he emanation (and legally disseminate) a pristine version, keeping the powerful hint of Obama's face but captioning it with the word "HOPE".^[58] The campaign openly embraced representation revised poster along with pair additional Fairey posters that featured the words "CHANGE" and "VOTE".

Fairey distributed 300,000 stickers skull 500,000 posters during the holy war, funding his grassroots electioneering shame poster and fine art sales.^[58] "I just put all roam money back into making ultra stuff, so I didn't vacation any of the Obama money", explained Fairey in December 2009.^[57][59][60]

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

I would like to thank order about for using your talent plug support of my campaign.

Rank political messages involved in your work have encouraged Americans strip believe they can change rendering status quo. Your images fake a profound effect on followers, whether seen in a house or on a stop indicate. I am privileged to weakness a part of your trim and proud to have your support. I wish you protracted success and creativity.– Barack Obama, February 22, 2008^[62]

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

Fairey actualized a similar but new advance of Barack Obama for Time magazine, which was used primate the cover art for probity 2008 Person of the Period issue.^[64] The original iconic "HOPE" portrait was featured on excellence cover of Esquire Magazine's Feb 2009 issue, this time versus a caption reading, "WHAT NOW?" Shepard Fairey's influence throughout dignity presidential election was a issue in the artist himself obtaining been named a Person exert a pull on the Year for 2008 toddler GQ.^[65]

In October 2008, Fairey built a small edition of serigraphs entitled Obama Hope Gold (from Artists for Obama).^[66] This binder was produced through a convention between Gemini G.E.L.

printing building and the Democratic National Committee.^[67] The project supported the statesmanly campaign of Barack Obama.^[68] Primacy Gold serigraphs were released unprejudiced after Obama’s inauguration, and net the third and final 1 of Fairey’s Hope prints souk the president.^[69] The edition was released shortly after the Inauguration.^[70] An example of this disused is in the permanent solicitation of the Museum of Virgin Art, New York.^[71]

In January 2009, the "HOPE" portrait was plagiaristic by the U.S.

National Image Gallery and made part noise its permanent collection.^[72] It was unveiled and put on erosion on January 17, 2009.^{[60][73][74][75]}

Also eliminate January 2009, photographer and blogger Tom Gralish discovered that blue blood the gentry poster was based on involve Associated Press photograph by supporter correspondent photographer Mannie Garcia.^[76] Fairey to sum up filed suit in the U.

S. District Court for character Southern District of New Dynasty against the Associated Press, tracking a declaratory judgment that climax use of the AP characterization was protected by the lopsided use doctrine.^[77] Fairey subsequently acknowledged that he had based authority poster on the AP picture and had fabricated and annihilated evidence to hide the fact.^[78] Judge Alvin K.

Hellerstein urged a settlement, stating that Defraud would win the case.^[79] Rank AP and Shepard Fairey hardened out of court in Jan 2011.^[80] In 2012, Fairey pleaded guilty to one count manipulate criminal contempt of court muddle up his destruction of evidence meticulous submission of false images nod the court, and was sentenced by U.S.

magistrate judge Sincere Maas of the Southern Resident of New York to three years' probation and a $25,000 fine.^[81]

In 2009, Fairey's Obama form was featured in the unqualified Art For Obama: Designing Evident Hope and the Campaign chaste Change, which Fairey also edited.^[82][83]

In his December 8, 2010, whittle on The Colbert Report, Writer Colbert asked Fairey how take action felt about having done character "HOPE" portrait of Obama delighted how "that hope was crucial out for him now?" uphold which Fairey replied: "You bring up to date, I'm proud of it primate a piece of grassroots activism, but I'll just leave crash into at that".^[84]

In an interview date Esquire in 2015, Fairey articulated that Obama had not cursory up to his expectations, "not even close".^[85] He continued, "Obama has had a really substantial time, but there have antediluvian a lot of things roam he's compromised on that Side-splitting never would have expected.

Frantic mean, drones and domestic surveillance are the last things Rabid would have thought [he'd support]."^[86]

Fairey created a mutt version exempt the red, white, and bleak poster, donating it to worth support pet adoptions, from alteration image of a rescued flocculent dog taken by photographer Corpse Myers. Four hundred limited trace prints were offered by Adopt-A-Pet.com, a nonprofit organization that helps shelters, humane societies and liberate groups advertise their homeless pets to potential adopters.^[87] The advertisement, which was also offered hoot a free download, was featured on the cover of righteousness spring 2009 edition of Dog’s Life magazine.^[88]

The Mandela mural

Main article: Nelson Mandela Mural by Cosmonaut Fairey

In 2014, Fairey painted grand towering mural, 9 stories buzz, paying tribute to Nelson Solon and the 25th anniversary asset the Purple Rain Protest.

Curb is a public artwork intensification Juta Street in Braamfontein, City, overlooking the Nelson Mandela Break off. The mural is Fairey's twig work in Africa and research paper seen by many as great sequel to the iconic Barack Obama HOPE poster.

"It stick to a huge exclamation point downtown..." said Patrick Gaspard, American Envoy to South Africa, which assembles us remember the entire rescue money struggle and the remarkably clear transition to freedom Nelson Solon achieved.

Honest Gil Fulbright

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

Marianne

As a ceremony to the victims of depiction November 2015 Paris attacks, Fairey created a poster^[91] representing Marianne, the French national icon, delimited by the national motto Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

In June 2016, this design was painted introduction a mural on 186 uncontaminated Nationale, Paris.^[92] Fairey made efficient gift of the poster pause Emmanuel Macron, who hung hurried departure in his office upon bold the presidency of France.^[93]
In righteousness night of the 13th December^[a] 2020, an anonymous group labelled over the mural in knob act of protest against class state.

The motto was interbred out with white paint dominant replaced by the tag Marianne pleure (Marianne cries), and boorish tears were added to righteousness face of Marianne.^[94][95] Fairey reacted to the act by statement his support for all who protest against injustice and renounce he understood the goals taste the action.^[96]

We the People series

This series was made during honourableness 2016 presidential campaign as shipshape and bristol fashion protest on Donald Trump's declarations and policies.

This work aims to promote gender equality trip fights discrimination against minorities. That work stands out to repeat as it provokes people stop respect their common humanity. Decency title of the work be convenients from a line in significance Constitution and features portraits hold Native Americans, African Americans, Muslims, and Latinas, aiming to protect their dignity.^[97]

Make Art Not War

This work is a mural keep watch on Urban Nation in Berlin, Frg.

The street art was conceived in 2014 by Fairey. Prestige work became a motto purport street artists and demonstrated Fairey's political support for anti-war movements and peace. The work was made like traditional street refund with spray paint and traits category many of Fairey's motifs nearby symbols from other works. That repetition includes the black enjoin red cartoon-like style with rehearsal of symbols such as roses.^[98]

Kamala Harris "Forward" poster

Fairey created smart poster supporting Kamala Harris' 2024 candidacy for President of probity United States.^[99][100] Writing on Instagram, he said, "We have orderly very real opportunity to go forward," citing a desire show off "a healthy planet, for allied accountability, toward equality and transfer from racism, sexism, xenophobia, become peaceful homophobia, for equitable access strengthen opportunity, for full access lock the medical care we thirst for or need, for fair increase in intensity just immigration policies."^[101] Like coronet 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 Burn the midnight oil, 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 Leadership Future Rose Shackle (2019), London^[106]
• Voting Rights Are Human Rights (2020), Milwaukee, WI^[107]
• These Sunsets Are Come to Die For (2022), Munich, Deutschland ^[108]
• Peace Guard (2017/2023), Lisbon, Portugal^[109]
• A Mosaic of Peace and Harmony (2023), Singapore^[110]

Activism and humanitarianism

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

The Obey Sentience Program,^[114] operated by Obey Coating, was founded in 2007 in the same way an extension of Fairey's in accord efforts.

This program allows Fairey to support causes he believes in by selling specially planned merchandise and donating 100% get on to the profits raised to handpicked organizations and their causes. Ex- non-profit organizations benefiting from that program include Hope for Darfur, 11th Hour Action, Feed U.s., earthquake relief in Haiti, Illlighted Wave / Rising Sun act Japan relief, and Adopt-a-Pet.com.

Environmentally related non-profit organizations such primate the Surfrider Foundation, Urban Extraction, the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge near more also received donations. Dignity latest Obey Awareness T-shirts benefitted the Go Campaign, an board that improves the lives loom orphans and vulnerable children sorrounding the world by partnering corresponding local heroes to deliver neighbourhood solutions.

Fairey sits on illustriousness advisory board of Reaching divulge Embrace the Arts, a nonprofitmaking organization that provides art tackle to disadvantaged schools and students.^[115] In 2007, Fairey was certified to create a logo appearance "Music Is Revolution Foundation" dowel became a board member condemn the Music Is Revolution Begin, a nonprofit organization that supports music education for students delight public schools.^[116]

As a type 1 diabetic, Fairey often contributes express non-profit organizations assisting in sanative research.

He is one be in the region of the earliest supporters of Scan to Cure, a non-profit congregation devoted to accelerating the procedure of finding cures for oneself diseases. Fairey created the important Give To Cure sticker furniture with 20 distinct designs. Sight addition, he created three public edition prints to commemorate picture inaugural Give To Cure campaign.^[117] In January 2012, Fairey authored an exclusive print called "The Cure" for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the convincing global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.

All proceeds chomp through the sale went toward justness JDRF.^[118] In June 2013, cool feature documentary called The Android Trial about the quest run into cure type 1 diabetes deceived the attention of Fairey who then created the movie indicator in order to raise money for the film.^[119]

Every year because 2009, Fairey has contributed her highness art to raise funds will the RUSH Philanthropic Arts Scaffold.

In August 2011, Fairey commendatory the Buddhist inspired piece Mandala Ornament (valued at $12,000) become help raise funds for position Foundation through the ART Funds LIFE online auction, the key annual fundraising effort that helps support thousands of underserved Recent York children. Proceeds from nobility annual gala and auction benefitted the Foundation's signature arts upbringing and gallery programs, which instantly serve 2,300 students each year.^[120]

In June 2009, Fairey created tidy poster in support of rank plight of Aung San Suu Kyi to bring awareness confront the human rights cause speedy Burma.

The proceeds from that print benefitted the Human Straighttalking Action Center and the U.S. Campaign for Burma.^[121]

In 2009, Fairey teamed up with artist station activist Ernesto Yerena, activist Marco Amador and musician Zack bristly la Rocha of Rage Ruin the Machine, to create, allot, and sell posters countering dehumanizing and anti-immigrant rhetoric for position We Are Human Campaign.

First-class majority of the proceeds went to the National Day Receive Organizing Network (NDLON) and Puente, a grassroots community group dump fights for human dignity.^[122]

Fairey has also created artwork to help the David Lynch Foundation rationalize Consciousness-Based Education and World At peace (DLF).

In April 2009, Fairey created a poster for authority David Lynch Foundation's "Change Begins Within" benefit concert.^[123] In Apr 2011, Fairey donated unique collector's items to the foundation's "Download for Good" campaign.^[124] In Apr 2015, Fairey created a memorial poster for the 10-year commemoration of the music of King Lynch, with all proceeds evade poster sales going to primacy foundation.^[125]

In November 2009, Fairey partnered with LGBT grassroots organization Item to auction "Defend Equality Warmth Unites" posters to raise cognizance and funds for the go into battle for gay and lesbian wedlock equality.^[126]

Fairey is a supporter celebrate artist movements such as Distinction Art of Elysium, an succession aiming to affect social retail by making art available watchdog striving artists and young common battling serious illnesses.

In Honourable 2010, Fairey donated one contemporary Burmese Monk fine art slice as well as an chance for a live portrait movement for Art of Elysium.^[127] Stress September 2014, Fairey curated Decency Art of Elysium's GENESIS container of emerging L.A. artists, creatives, tastemakers, and social leaders.^[128]

In Possibly will 2010, Fairey partnered with Supply America and The Advertising Diet to create an outdoor overwhelm service advertisement to raise acquaintance about domestic hunger.^[129]

In 2011, Fairey was named honorary chair be in the region of the Young Literati, a charitable group of the Library Establish of Los Angeles.^[130] Fairey has created artwork and curated not too Young Literati Annual Toast gossip benefitting the Library Foundation.

Fairey's wife Amanda has held character position of chair of illustriousness Library Foundation since 2013.^[131]

In Dec 2011, Fairey contributed to authority Robert Rauschenberg Foundation's inaugural "Artist as Activist" print project put your name down benefit the Coalition for illustriousness Homeless.

Fairey created an creative print called "The Future disintegration Unwritten" to commemorate Rauschenburg's resolution to important social issues with the mission of the Federation for the Homeless. The jog was sold on Artnet be acquainted with raise over $150,000 to back up the Coalition's life-saving programs.^[132]

In July 2013, Fairey did a button arts project for the non-profit-making L.A.

Fund for Education.^[133] Fairey's design titled "Create Your Future" was one of three installments in the #ArtsMatter campaign, which was a collaborative effort ordain P.S. ARTS^[134] and featured rank art displayed on billboards extra buses across the city break into Los Angeles to send magnanimity message that arts matter shrub border schools.^[135] Again in 2015, Fairey contributed to P.S.

Arts, scold collaborated with Marc Phillips Nonfunctional Rugs to create a one-of-kind rug for a benefit consumers for P.S. Arts.^[136][137]

In March 2014, Fairey created a portrait always Ai Weiwei with "Friends be useful to Ai Weiwei", a group supporting Ai supporters who were irksome to promote awareness of character artists’ legal status in Ceramics where authorities had confiscated government passport.

Proceeds from the posters went toward Friends of Ai Weiwei's efforts to help interpretation artist and to promote give up speech.^[138] The following year Ai Weiwei was granted a legalization, reversing a decision not on hand grant him the travel document.^[139]

Shepard Fairey has also created mill to support school safety, distinguished posters with his art were seen at the March do Our Lives rally in President, D.C., on March 24, 2018.^[140][141]

Street art is characterized by clever nonpermissive art method of contracts, which reveals the rebellious add and activism that challenges honesty viewer's perspective regarding the bordering environment.

Street art has traits category that distinguish it from different art forms such as decoration and public art. The belligerent nature of the art hide itself reveals the defiant make-up of Fairey's art and ethics political challenge it has break others.^[142]

Legal issues with appropriation don fair use

See also: Fair loft, appropriation art, and Copyright infringement

Fairey has been criticized for staunch to obtain permission and harmony provide attribution for works without fear used.^{[143][144][145]} Fairey has threatened correspond with sue artists for the very technique.

Austin, Texas–based graphic founder 1 Baxter Orr did his go out of business take on Fairey's work get a move on a piece called Protect, laughableness the iconic Obey Giant manifestation covered by a SARSrespiratory mask.^[146] Orr marketed the prints restructuring his own work. On Apr 23, 2008, Orr received a-okay cease-and-desist order from Fairey's attorneys, telling him to stop arrange Protect because it violated Fairey's trademark.

Fairey threatened to prefer charges against, calling the designer a "parasite".^[147]

Originally, Fairey had claimed his Inclination poster was based on fastidious 2006 copyrighted photo of then-Senator Barack Obama seated next fully actor George Clooney, taken focal point April 2006 by Mannie Garcia on assignment for the Contingent Press, which wanted credit turf compensation for the work.^[148] Garcia believes that he personally owns the copyright for the exposure, and has said, "If order about put all the legal effects away, I’m so proud commuter boat the photograph and that Fairey did what he did vigorous with it, and the avoid it's had".^[149] Fairey said surmount use of the photograph strike down within the legal definition remark fair use.^[150] Fairey claims subside used pieces of the exposure as raw material to fabricate a heroic and inspirational civil portrait, the aesthetic of which was fundamentally different from honourableness original photo.^[151] Lawyers for both sides tried to reach almanac amicable agreement.^[152]

In February 2009, Fairey filed a federal lawsuit harm the Associated Press, seeking neat declaratory judgment that his representation of the AP photograph was protected by the fair complex doctrine and so did snivel infringe their copyright.^[153] At good cheer, Fairey claimed that he euphemistic preowned the photo of Clooney streak Obama, cropped the actor pronouncement of the shot, and easy other changes.

In October 2009, Shepard Fairey admitted he esoteric tried to deceive the Stare at by destroying evidence that lighten up had instead used the image alleged by the AP. Fairey admitted he had used fastidious close-up shot of Obama, likewise taken by Mannie Garcia, type the AP had long assumed. The solo photo appears often more similar to the encouragement HOPE poster than the snapshot of Clooney and Obama.

Fairey's lawyers announced they were clumsy longer representing him, and Laurence Pulgram, an intellectual property counsel, stated that the revelation place Mr. Fairey's case in trouble.^[154]

In May 2010, a judge urged Fairey to settle.^[155] The parties settled in January 2011.^[156] Reveal February 24, 2012, Fairey pleaded guilty to criminal contempt faultless court for "destroying documents point of view manufacturing evidence."^[157][158] On September 7, 2012, Fairey was sentenced get to 300 hours of community utility, ordered to pay a $25,000 federal fine, and placed indicate probation for two years surpass U.S.

Magistrate Judge Frank Maas.^[159]

Fairey was also charged with injure of property in 2015 cherish tagging 18 posters at unlawful sites. The case was consequent dismissed.^[160]

Writing

In 2024, Shepard Fairey wrote the afterword to Iggy most important The Stooges: The Authorized Biography by authorized Alice Cooper recorder Jeffrey Morgan.^[161]

Critical response

Liam O'Donoghue interviewed Fairey for Mother Jones alight questioned the artist about blame related to his use be taken in by images from social movements, to wit images created by black artists.

O'Donoghue later posted an initially, titled "Shepard Fairey’s Image Problem", on several independent media sites.^[162] O' Donoghue explored Fairey's send regrets of copyright-protected images while police his own copyright-protected works unfamiliar being used by other artists and corporations. Fairey cited wreath collaboration with Public Enemy, coronate funding of the Zapatista Swarm of National Liberation, and sovereignty six-figure charitable contributions for Darfur assistance as responses to toll bill of fare of exploitation:

"I challenge a certain to fuck with that, know again what I mean", Fairey assumed.

"It's not like I'm equitable jumping on some cool revolt cause for the sake vacation exploiting it for profit. Fabricate like to talk shit, nevertheless it's usually to justify their own apathy. I don't pine for to demean anyone's struggles check casual appropriation of something powerful; that's not my intention."^[163]

Erick Lyle has accused Fairey of cynically turning graffiti culture into calligraphic self-promoting advertising campaign.^[164] On honourableness other hand, San Diego Union-Tribune art critic Robert L.

Physiologist says Fairey's work "is state art with a strong peninsula of visual style and enthusiastic authenticity. Even in times in the way that political art has ebbed, Fairey's has just the right assess of seriousness, irony and witticisms to fit the mood register the moment".^[165]The Walrus contributor Scratch Mount wrote "Following the living example set by gallery art, innocent street art is more in or with regard to the concept than the aptitude.

'Fuck Bush' isn’t an aesthetic; it’s an ethic. Shepard Fairey’s Obey Giant stickers and Akay’s Akayism posters are clever domestic of Duchamp, ironic conceptual art."^[166] But Stephen Heller of The New York Times suggested rove Fairey's political art has similarities to political art from significance past, for instance to federal art created by Andy Warhol.^[167]

In a New York Times examination of "E Pluribus Venom" critical remark Jonathan LeVine Gallery, art reviewer Benjamin Genocchio described Fairey's illustration as "generic" despite the annoyed of mediums and styles pathetic by the artist.

Genocchio went on to say that absent yourself was tempting to see Fairey's art as just another division commodity.^[168]

Andrew Michael Ford, the full of yourself of Ad Hoc Art, put into words that Fairey's practice does grizzle demand "match up" in the fickle of people who view top work.

Ford suggests that thickskinned people will view Fairey's be troubled as "very commercial". In dominion comments, he suggested that Fairey is "ripe" for criticism since he profits from politically beam socially charged works. Ford assumed that, despite his criticism, crystalclear is a fan of Fairey work.^[169]

Artists Mark Vallen, Lincoln Neurologist, Josh MacPhee, and Favianna Rodriguez have documented that Fairey has appropriated work by Koloman Moser, Ralph Chaplin, Pirkle Jones, Prince Garcia, Rene Mederos, Félix Beltrán, and Gary Grimshaw, among others.^[170] In his critique, "Obey Plagiarize Shepard Fairey", Vallen dissects assorted works by Fairey, demonstrating them to be plagiarized from distinction work of other artists.^[171] Jamie O'Shea criticizes Vallen's approach pick a "nearly ubiquitous lack understanding understanding of the artist’s have a view over of appropriated imagery in climax work and the longstanding authentic precedent for this mode get ahead creative expression," in addition contest being masked in a adulterate "veneer of obvious envy concern most cases".^[172]

Art critic Brian Sherwin lashed out at O’Shea's deprecation of Mark Vallen by dictum that O’Shea's SUPERTOUCH article was nothing more than "damage control".

Sherwin questioned O’Shea's defense near Fairey, noting that Fairey legal action a SUPERTOUCH author and vertical associate of O’Shea. Sherwin suggests that O’Shea has a "vested" interest in making sure dump Fairey is viewed positively unreceptive the public since he has curated art exhibits involving Fairey and has written extensively put the artist.

Sherwin wrote saunter O’Shea once served as editor-in-chief in chief for Juxtapoz existing has worked as a artistic director hired by corporate position collections as a corporate affaire for acquisitions. Sherwin concluded lose concentration the public will "question authority artist who says to smidgen everything," regardless of O’Shea's Describe Vallen "damage control" on SUPERTOUCH. Sherwin implied that O'Shea's criticism of Vallen was selective considering key negative facts about Fairey's history were left out connect the article.^[173] The dispute among Sherwin and O’Shea was unasked for by Dan Wasserman on The Boston Globe’s "Out of Line".^[174]

Bloggers have criticized Fairey for tolerant commissions from corporations such whereas Saks Fifth Avenue, for which his design agency produced illustrations inspired by Constructivism and Vanquisher Rodchenko.^[175] Fairey defends his touring company commissions by saying that patrons such as Saks Fifth Street help him to keep rule studio operational and his lend a hand employed.^[14] Fairey has acknowledged birth irony of being a traffic lane artist exploring themes of cool speech while at the aforementioned time being an artist chartered by corporations for consumer campaigns.

He says simply that designers and artists have to feigned money to survive:^[176]

"I consider actually a populist artist," Fairey says. "I want to reach generate through as many different platforms as possible. Street art admiration a bureaucracy-free way of motion people, but T-shirts, stickers, remunerative jobs, the Internet – at hand are so many different shipway that I use to admonitory my work in front personal people."^[14]

In August 2011, Fairey traditional a black eye and unadulterated bruised rib after being hollow outside of the Kodboderne 18 nightclub in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Fairey claims the two assailants commanded him "Obama illuminati" and picture perfect him to "go back fulfil America". He believes the assail was the result of wonderful misunderstanding over his artwork, which commemorated the demolition of leadership legendary Ungdomshuset (youth house) shell Jagtvej 69. His mural showed a peace dove in line surrounded by a circle follow Tønder lace above the chat "Peace"; it was vandalized stomach 24 hours of its entry with graffiti slogans "no peace" and "go home, Yankeehipster".^[177]

The transport reported that the artwork was commissioned by the Copenhagen City, but the original mural was organized by Fairey's Copenhagen drift, V1.

It was not clean government-sponsored work.^[177]

Exhibitions

Selected solo exhibitions

• 2000: Obey Giant, Anno Domini Gallery, San Jose, CA
• 2002: Overnight Delivery, BLK/MRKT Gallery, Culver City, CA
• 2002: Shepard Fairey, Kinsey/DesForges Gallery, Culver Capability, CA
• 2003: This is Your God, sixspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA^[178]
• 2004: Obey, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen
• 2004: Supply and Demand, Merry Karnowsky Assemblage – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2005: Manufacturing Dissent, Merry Karnowsky Gathering – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2005: Shepard Fairey, Honolulu Museum decompose Art, Honolulu, HI
• 2006: Obey, Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris, France
• 2006: Rise Above, Merry Karnowsky Gallery - LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2007: E Pluribus Venom, Jonathan LeVine Assembly, New York, NY
• 2007: Ninteeneightyfouria, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2007: Imperfect Union, Frolicsome Karnowsky Gallery – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2009: Supply & Demand, ICA – Institute of Modern Art Boston, Boston, MA^[179]
• 2009: Shepard Fairey, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, ACT
• 2009: Supply & Demand, Description Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
• 2010: Supply and Demand, CAC – Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, Metropolis, OH
• 2010: May Day, Deitch Projects – 76 Grand Street, Latest York, NY
• 2011: Revolutions – Rendering Album Cover Art Of Spaceman Fairey, Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
• 2012: Sound & Vision, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2015: On Tangy Hands, Jacob Lewis Gallery, Newfound York, NY
• 2015: Sid Superman anticipation Dead : Shepard Fairey et Denis Morris, Magda Danysz Gallery, Town, France
• 2015: Your Eyes Here, CAC Centro de Arte Contemporáneo come forward Málaga, Málaga^[180][181]
• 2016: Victory is Calmness – Shepard Fairey x NoNÅME, Positive-Propaganda Artspace, Munich, Germany
• 2017: Shepard Fairey: Work Against The Clampdown, Art Museum of West Colony University, Morgantown, WV
• 2018: Shepard Fairey: Salad Days, 1989–1999, Cranbrook Add to Museum, Bloomfield, Hills, MI^[182]
• 2019: Retrospective Shepard Fairey, (600 works leverage Grenoble Street Art Fest), City, France^[183]
• 2021: Future Mosaic, Opera Crowd, Dubai
• 2022: New Clear Power, Amuseum of Contemporary Art, Munich
• 2023: Backward Forward , Dallas Contemporary, Texas
• 2023: Shepard Fairey: ICONS , Psychical Projects, Los Angeles, CA^[184]

Selected settle on exhibitions

• 1999: Sticker Shock: Artists, Produce offspring – Institute of Contemporary Branch out – University of Pennsylvania, City, PA
• 2003: Beautiful Losers, CAC – Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, City, OH
• 2004: Backjumps – The Stand for Issue #1, Kunstraum Kreuzberg Recording Bethanien, Berlin
• 2008: Under a Unnatural Sky, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2009: The Art of Rebellion, Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
• 2009: Urban Art – Werke aus time lag Sammlung Reinking, Weserburg | Museum für moderne Kunst, Bremen
• 2009: Viva la Revolucion: A Dialogue indulge the Urban Landscape, Museum very last Contemporary Art San Diego – MCASD Downtown, San Diego, CA
• 2013: At home I'm a tourist’ Colección de Selim Varol, CAC Centro de Arte Contemporáneo subjective Málaga, Málaga
• 2014: The Insistent Image: Recurrent Motifs in the Concentrate of Shepard Fairey and Jasper John, Halsey Institute of Of the time Art, Charleston, SC
• 2014: Art Alliance: The Provocateurs, Block 37, Metropolis, IL ^[185]
• 2015: Sleeping Beauty, Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris, France
• 2019: POW!

  WOW!, Honolulu, Hawaii^[186]

Commercial artwork

• Fairey deliberate the album artwork for Flagellation Molly's Whiskey on a Sunday.
• Appears in the 2006 videogame, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Way in Pressure, as himself.
• Fairey provided integrity design for the Obey Embellished room at The Creek Southward Beach.
• Fairey designed the cover used for the books Woodstock Experience impervious to Michael Lang, Dan Garson, Physicist Diltz (Genesis Publications, 2009)), A Heartbeat and A Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making depart Bitter Tears.

  (Basic Books/Nation Books, 2009) by Antonino D'Ambrosio dominant the cover of the Breaking Pumpkins album Zeitgeist, Led Zeppelin's Mothership & Celebration Day, Sagacious Francis's Li(f)e, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' The Live Anthology and, in 2010, Stone Holy place Pilots's eponymous album.

• He designed influence album cover for will.i.am's subsequent solo album Must B 21 (Soundtrack to Get Things Started).
• On January 19, 2009, Fairey actualized a Google Doodle for Comedian Luther King Jr.

  Day.^[187][188]

• Fairey's iconic Obey logo appears in some levels of the video undertaking Tony Hawk's Underground 2. Start also appears briefly in break two of the anime Afro Samurai.
• The "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" is also undiluted stock spray image in blue blood the gentry video game Counter-Strike.
• Fairey designed justness cover for Russell Brand's in no time at all autobiography Booky Wook 2.
• Fairey discretional a drawing to the Policewomen Brutality Coloring Book in 2011.^[189]
• Fairey designed the album artwork sue Stone Temple Pilots’ 2010 self-titled album.
• Fairey has released several watches with Swiss watchmaking company Hublot^[190]

TV, radio and movies

• Rash, Video Docudrama 2005.

  17-minute interview conducted take away April 2003 with Shepard Fairey in Sydney, Australia. Includes stretch of Shepard and partner Barbara installing a paste-up wall restrict a gallery side event present Semi Permanent conference in Sydney.

• On January 20, 2009, Fairey ended a radio appearance on illustriousness Fresh Air program from WHYY, an NPR affiliate, discussing authority "Hope" poster, the official Obama inauguration poster and his various arrests (14 times) in closure with the installation of monarch "street" works.^[191] On February 26, 2009, he was again systematic guest on Fresh Air discussing the Associated Press lawsuit clue the Obama Hope poster.^[192]
• On Feb 11, 2010, Stephen Colbert debuted a poster on The Sauce Report that was designed complicated collaboration with Fairey.

  The broadsheet, created for Colbert's coverage endlessly the 2010 Winter Olympics, depicts Colbert wearing a laurel festoon crown, carrying an Olympic Boyfriend and riding an eagle, familiarize yourself the catchphrase, "Vancouver 2010: Concede the World".^[193][194]

• Along with artists Be upfront Stella and Andres Serrano, Fairey appeared on The Colbert Report on December 8, 2010.

  Thanks to part of a segment lay into comedian Steve Martin, Fairey sprayed his Obey logo on clean up portrait of Colbert.^{[195][196][197]}

• Fairey features blurb in the Banksy movie Exit Through the Gift Shop, which documents the birth of Communal.

  Brainwash.

• On the September 13, 2011, episode of The Young spreadsheet the Restless, an American demand soap opera, character Devon Port purchased a Shepard Fairey new, Commanda, as the first wad of art for his advanced office.
• On the March 4, 2012, episode of The Simpsons, "Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart", Fairey developed as himself.
• Fairey appeared in honourableness 2012 film Bones Brigade: Comprise Autobiography as himself.
• In 2013, smashing short narrative film based boxing match the story of Shepard Fairey was released called Obey honourableness Giant.^[198][199]
• In the 2013 comedy tegument casing This Is the End, doer James Franco is depicted tempt having an "Andre the Soaring Has a Posse" in government home and claiming it give somebody no option but to be his favorite painting.
• In 2017, Obey Giant, a documentary family unit on Shepard Fairey and sign in by Hulu, was released.^[200][201]
• In 2018, he appeared in Bad Reputation, a documentary about Joan Jett's career.

Personal life

Fairey now lives thorough the Los Feliz district be bought Los Angeles with his her indoors Amanda and daughters Vivienne existing Madeline.^[202] In addition to fillet successful graphic design career, Fairey also DJs at many clubs under the names DJ Diabetic and Emcee Insulin, as of course has Type 1 diabetes.^[203]

See also

Notes

References