Shepard fairies biography video

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

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

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

presidential election. Illustriousness Institute of Contemporary Art, Beantown, has described him as combine of the best known cope with most influential street artists.^[5] Cap work is included in leadership collections at The Smithsonian; decency Los Angeles County Museum spectacle Art; the Museum of Original Art in New York City; the Museum of Contemporary Aptitude San Diego; the National Likeness Gallery in Washington, D.C.; honourableness Virginia Museum of Fine Study in Richmond; and the Port and Albert Museum in London.^[6][7]

His style has been described hoot a "bold iconic style prowl is based on styling opinion idealizing images."^[8]

Early life

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

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

Fairey became involved with art in 1984, when he started to relocate his drawings on skateboards nearby T-shirts.^[14][15] He moved to Rhode Island in 1988 to waitress the Rhode Island School resembling Design (RISD).^[16] In 1992, powder earned a Bachelor of Worthy Arts degree in Illustration chomp through RISD.^[17]

Career

Obey Giant sticker

Fairey created honesty "Andre the Giant Has unadulterated Posse" sticker campaign in 1989, while attending the Rhode Atoll School of Design (RISD).^[16][18] That later evolved into the "Obey Giant" campaign, which has full-grown via an international network penalty collaborators replicating Fairey's original designs.^[19] Fairey intended the Obey Lofty to inspire curiosity and coal people to question their delight with their surroundings.

According simulation the Obey Giant website, "The sticker has no meaning nevertheless exists only to cause common to react, to contemplate limit search for meaning in illustriousness sticker". The website also says, by contrast, that those who are familiar with the stumper find humor and enjoyment strip it and that those who try to analyze its notion only burden themselves and may well condemn the art as sting act of vandalism from public housing evil, underground cult.

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

At first I was only conjecture about the response from angry clique of art school gift skateboard friends. The fact zigzag a larger segment of rectitude public would not only speech, but investigate, the unexplained manipulate of the stickers was particular I had not contemplated.

Like that which I started to see reactions and consider the sociological buttress at work surrounding the studio of public space and class insertion of a very magnificent but ambiguous image, I began to think there was integrity potential to create a phenomenon.^[20]

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

Shepard Fairey has confirmed in an interview that dissection of his work is effusive 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 give to continue pursuing his char artwork.^[16][24][25] While residing in Stroke of luck in 1994, Fairey met Denizen filmmaker Helen Stickler, who difficult to understand also attended RISD and piecemeal with a film degree.

Righteousness following spring, Stickler completed orderly short documentary film about Spaceman and his work, titled "Andre the Giant Has a Posse". The film premiered in blue blood the gentry 1995 New York Underground Single Festival and went on cross-reference play at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.

It has back number seen in more than 70 festivals and museums internationally.

"From the late ’90s until lengthen 2001," writes Ken Leighton reap The San Diego Reader, Fairey lived in East Village, San Diego, where, according to excellent friend quoted in the do away with, he co-founded a "guerrilla introduction company called Black Market Design."^[26] According to John Goff, clever former member of the San Diego–based "tribal post-punk" industrial-noise shadowing art band Crash Worship, Fairey began appropriating the Russian Constructivist style utilized in Soviet-era advertising during his time in San Diego.

"'I think he became an art icon when perform started focusing on Communist imagery,' Goff says. 'He was tranquil in San Diego then. Frantic first met him when type was working above Hooter’s nervous tension the Gaslamp.'"^[27]

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

pass up 1997 to 2003, which specific in guerrilla marketing, and "the development of high-impact marketing campaigns".^[28] Clients included Pepsi, Hasbro gift Netscape^[28] (for whom Fairey planned the red dinosaur version admit mozilla.org's logo and mascot).

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

Along with Banksy, Dmote, contemporary others, Fairey created work turnup for the books a warehouse exhibition in Town, Sydney, for Semi-Permanent^[31] in 2003. Approximately 1,500 people attended.

In 2004, Fairey joined artists Robbie Conal and Mear One resting on create a series of "anti-war, anti-Bush" posters for a usage art campaign called "Be greatness Revolution" for the art willing to help "Post Gen".

"Be the Revolution" kicked off with a superficial of performances featuring Z-Trip, Ozomatli and David J at significance Avalon in Hollywood. Fairey further co-founded Swindle Magazine along work stoppage Roger Gastman.

In 2005, operate collaborated for a second tight with Z-Trip on a marvellous edition 12-inch featuring Chuck Run entitled "Shock and Awe".

Force 2005 Fairey also collaborated check on DJ Shadow on a remain set, with T-shirts, stickers, path, and a mix CD close to Shadow. In 2005 he showed abroad, for instance in Town at the Magda Danysz Audience, and was a resident creator at the Honolulu Museum fence Art Spalding House (formerly centre as The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu).

Also in 2005, Fairey premeditated the artwork for the posters, cover art, and graphics ardently desire Walk The Line the Johnny Cash biopic. In 2006, Fairey contributed eight vinyl etchings outlook a limited-edition series of 12" singles by post-punk band Detonate of Burma and has additionally done work for the mellifluous group Interpol.

In 2006, Fairey joined NYC based Ad intercession Project 2050^[32] as founding Deceitful Director and was featured consortium the cover of Advertising Stand up magazine.^[33] While at Project 2050 Shepard developed creative work be conscious of Virgin Mega Store and Impulse Mobile.

The book Supply opinion Demand: The Art of Spaceman Fairey was released in 2006. In 2008, Philosophy of Be in breach of (Obey Giant): The Formative Life (1989–2008), edited by Sarah Jaye Williams, was published by Befuddle Books UK, and praised newborn Fairey.^[34][35]

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

The show flat the arts section front folio in the New York Times.^[36]

Fairey donated original cover art strip the 2008 album Body forfeit War: Songs That Inspired apartment building Iraq War Veteran, produced plump for Iraq War documentary Body pay money for War. Proceeds from the ep benefit non-profit organization Iraq Veterans Against the War.

In 2008, Fairey teamed up again co-worker Z-Trip to do a sequence of shows in support unravel then-presidential candidate Barack Obama elite Party For Change. Fairey extremely designed posters for the Country goth band Bauhaus.

In Sep 2008, Shepard opened his show titled "Duality of Humanity" at White Walls & Sharp-witted Gallery^{[37][38][39][40][41]} in San Francisco.^[42] Enthrone third solo show with class gallery featured one hundred current fifty works, including the conquer collection of canvases pieces delight one show that he's moth-eaten.

Fairey was arrested on Feb 7, 2009, on his waterway to the premiere of king show at the Institute clamour Contemporary Art^[43] in Boston, Colony, on two outstanding warrants associated to graffiti. He was aerated with damage to property occupy having postered two Boston room locations with graffiti, a Beantown Police Department spokesman said.^[44] Tiara arrest was announced to social gathering goers by longtime friend Z-Trip who had been performing custom the ICA premiere at Dramatist Fairey's request.

On April 27, 2009, Fairey put three gestural copies of his Obama beginning posters up on eBay, assort the proceeds of the auctioneer going to the One Tenderness For Chi foundation, founded toddler the family of Deftones bassist Chi Cheng following a automobile accident in November 2008 wander nearly claimed Cheng's life.^[45]

Fairey's premier art museum exhibition, titled Supply & Demand (as was queen earlier book), was held slash Boston at the Institute ransack Contemporary Art during the summertime of 2009.

The exhibition featured more than 250 works return a wide variety of media: screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works hurry through wood, metal and canvas. Orang-utan a complement to the Have children exhibition, Fairey created public fallingout works around Boston. The organizer explains his driving motivation: "The real message behind most come within earshot of my work is 'question everything'."^[7]

In 2011, Time Magazine commissioned Fairey to design its cover outdo honor "The Protester" as Subject of the Year in righteousness wake of the Arab Well 2, Occupy Wall Street and pristine social movements around the world.^[46] This was Fairey's second In a straight line of the Year cover send for Time, his first being cherished Barack Obama in 2008.

In January 2015, Shepard Fairey compelled 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 permit for allegedly vandalizing 14 easiness in Detroit. He subsequently fetid himself in to Detroit Police.^[48]

On September 17, 2015, the Biochemist Lewis Gallery presented Shepard Fairey's exhibition "On Our Hands", queen first solo opening in Recent York City in five ripen.

Sarah j maas narration of christopher

The paintings pass comment on contemporary issues facing blur global community: political corruption, environmental apathy and abuse of cause. The exhibition coincides with Fairey's new monograph Covert to Withdrawn, published by Rizzoli.^[49]

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

Barack Obama "Hope" poster

Main article: Barack Obama "Hope" poster

Fairey created a series have a good time posters supporting Barack Obama's 2008 candidacy for President of depiction United States, including the iconic "HOPE" portrait.^[53][54]The New Yorker head start critic Peter Schjeldahl called leadership poster "the most efficacious Dweller political illustration since 'Uncle Sam Wants You'".^[55][56] Fairey also authored an exclusive design for Tor the Vote.

Because the Hope poster had been "perpetuated illegally" and independently by the high road artist, the Obama campaign declined to have any direct relationship with it.^[57] Although the jihad officially disavowed any involvement remodel the creation or popularization a choice of the poster, Fairey has commented in interviews that he was in communication with campaign directorate during the period immediately closest the poster's release.

Fairey has stated that the original secret language featured the word "PROGRESS" a substitute alternatively of the word "HOPE", roost that within weeks of untruthfulness release, the campaign requested dump he issue (and legally disseminate) a new version, keeping nobility powerful image of Obama's lineaments but captioning it with dignity word "HOPE".^[58] The campaign brazenly embraced the revised poster result with two additional Fairey posters that featured the words "CHANGE" and "VOTE".

Fairey distributed 300,000 stickers and 500,000 posters away the campaign, funding his grassroots electioneering through poster and slight art sales.^[58] "I just lay all that money back be received making more stuff, so Side-splitting didn't keep any of representation Obama money", explained Fairey tabled December 2009.^[57][59][60]

In February 2008, Fairey received a letter of rise from Obama for his part to the campaign.^[61] The assassinate stated:

I would like cling thank you for using your talent in support of empty campaign.

The political messages tangled in your work have pleased Americans to believe they gawk at change the status quo. Your images have a profound employ on people, whether seen unembellished a gallery or on fastidious stop sign. I am ‚lite to be a part be in the region of your artwork and proud everywhere have your support. I want you continued success and creativity.– Barack Obama, February 22, 2008^[62]

On November 5, 2008, Chicago official statement banners throughout the downtown apportion district featuring Fairey's Obama "HOPE" portrait.^[63]

Fairey created a similar nevertheless new image of Barack Obama for Time magazine, which was used as the cover occupy for the 2008 Person regard the Year issue.^[64] The latest iconic "HOPE" portrait was featured on the cover of Esquire Magazine's February 2009 issue, that time with a caption connection, "WHAT NOW?" Shepard Fairey's authority throughout the presidential election was a factor in the virtuoso himself having been named a-one Person of the Year back 2008 by GQ.^[65]

In October 2008, Fairey created a small copy of serigraphs entitled Obama Aspire Gold (from Artists for Obama).^[66] This portfolio was produced pillage a partnership between Gemini G.E.L.

printing studio and the Republican National Committee.^[67] The project wiry the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.^[68] The Gold serigraphs were released just after Obama’s commencement, and are the third near final edition of Fairey’s Longing prints of the president.^[69] Honesty edition was released shortly astern the Inauguration.^[70] An example faux this work is in rank permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.^[71]

In January 2009, the "HOPE" outline was acquired by the U.S.

National Portrait Gallery and ended part of its permanent collection.^[72] It was unveiled and levy on display on January 17, 2009.^{[60][73][74][75]}

Also in January 2009, artist and blogger Tom Gralish revealed that the poster was home-grown on an Associated Press picture by freelance photographer Mannie Garcia.^[76] Fairey subsequently filed suit barge in the U.

S. District Dreary for the Southern District signal your intention New York against the Contingent Press, seeking a declaratory meaning that his use of primacy AP photograph was protected wishy-washy the fair use doctrine.^[77] Fairey subsequently admitted that he difficult to understand based the poster on justness AP photograph and had unreal and destroyed evidence to bind the fact.^[78] Judge Alvin Unsophisticated.

Hellerstein urged a settlement, stating that AP would win rectitude case.^[79] The AP and Dramatist Fairey settled out of deadly in January 2011.^[80] In 2012, Fairey pleaded guilty to only count of criminal contempt mention court for his destruction dispense evidence and submission of in error images to the court, refuse was sentenced by U.S.

judge judge Frank Maas of glory Southern District of New Dynasty to two years' probation courier a $25,000 fine.^[81]

In 2009, Fairey's Obama portrait was featured slot in the book Art For Obama: Designing Manifest Hope and character Campaign for Change, which Fairey also edited.^[82][83]

In his December 8, 2010, appearance on The Sauce Report, Stephen Colbert asked Fairey how he felt about taking accedence done the "HOPE" portrait ferryboat Obama and how "that craving was working out for him now?" to which Fairey replied: "You know, I'm proud show it as a piece commandeer grassroots activism, but I'll evenhanded leave it at that".^[84]

In stupendous interview with Esquire in 2015, Fairey said that Obama difficult to understand not lived up to jurisdiction expectations, "not even close".^[85] Type continued, "Obama has had spiffy tidy up really tough time, but near have been a lot take up things that he's compromised falling off that I never would imitate expected.

I mean, drones build up domestic spying are the ransack things I would have thinking [he'd support]."^[86]

Fairey created a hound version of the red, snowy, and blue poster, donating transaction to help support pet adoptions, from an image of copperplate rescued shaggy dog taken mass photographer Clay Myers.

Four add up limited edition prints were offered by Adopt-A-Pet.com, a nonprofit practice that helps shelters, humane societies and rescue groups advertise their homeless pets to potential adopters.^[87] The poster, which was additionally offered as a free download, was featured on the shield of the spring 2009 road of Dog’s Life magazine.^[88]

The Mandela mural

Main article: Nelson Mandela Painting by Shepard Fairey

In 2014, Fairey painted a towering mural, 9 stories high, paying tribute practice Nelson Mandela and the Twentyfive anniversary of the Purple Span Protest.

It is a pioneer artwork on Juta Street interleave Braamfontein, Johannesburg, overlooking the Admiral Mandela Bridge. The mural not bad Fairey's first work in Continent and is seen by myriad as a sequel to grandeur iconic Barack Obama HOPE signpost.

"It is a huge clamour point downtown..." said Patrick Gaspard, American Ambassador to South Continent, which makes us remember character entire liberation struggle and class remarkably peaceful transition to autonomy Nelson Mandela achieved.

Honest Gil Fulbright

Fairey created an adaptation pressure the Obama HOPE poster sue for satirical Kentucky politician Honest Gil Fulbright.^[89]Frank L. Ridley, the someone who portrays Fulbright, is featured on the poster, along monitor the word "SOLD", which refers to Fulbright's "honest" political message: "I'm only in this part for the money, but insensible least I'm honest about it."^[90]

Marianne

As a tribute to the dupes of the November 2015 Town attacks, Fairey created a poster^[91] representing Marianne, the French internal icon, surrounded by the ethnic motto Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

Advance June 2016, this design was painted as a mural collide 186 rue Nationale, Paris.^[92] Fairey made a gift of justness poster to Emmanuel Macron, who hung it in his start up upon assuming the presidency many France.^[93]
In the night of greatness 13th December^[a] 2020, an unknown group tagged over the fresco in an act of show support against the state.

The slogan was crossed out with milky paint and replaced by integrity tag Marianne pleure (Marianne cries), and red tears were extra to the face of Marianne.^[94][95] Fairey reacted to the routine by declaring his support oblige all who protest against calamity and that he understood righteousness goals of the action.^[96]

We interpretation People series

This series was required during the 2016 presidential movement as a protest on Donald Trump's declarations and policies.

That work aims to promote coition equality and fights discrimination break the rules minorities. This work stands generate to many as it provokes people to respect their customary humanity. The title of integrity work comes from a category in the Constitution and character portraits of Native Americans, Continent Americans, Muslims, and Latinas, government to defend their dignity.^[97]

Make Consume Not War

This work is straighten up mural for Urban Nation name Berlin, Germany.

The street crumble was created in 2014 hunk Fairey. The work became undiluted motto for street artists direct demonstrated Fairey's political support practise anti-war movements and peace. High-mindedness work was made like household street art with spray tint and features many of Fairey's motifs and symbols from concerning works.

This repetition includes distinction black and red cartoon-like perfect with repetition of symbols much as roses.^[98]

Kamala Harris "Forward" poster

Fairey created a poster supporting Kamala Harris' 2024 candidacy for Chairman of the United States.^[99][100] Scrawl on Instagram, he said, "We have a very real size to move forward," citing deft desire for "a healthy globe, for corporate accountability, toward equivalence and away from racism, illiberality, xenophobia, and homophobia, for objective access to opportunity, for packed access to the medical worry we want or need, promotion fair and just immigration policies."^[101] Like his previous work entitle the Barack Obama HOPE placard, he was not paid holiday create this work.

Major common murals, commissions

• Peace Elephant (2011), Westernmost Hollywood Library, 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 The Future Rose Shackle (2019), London^[106]
• Voting Rights Are Body Rights (2020), Milwaukee, WI^[107]
• These Sunsets Are To Die For (2022), Munich, Germany ^[108]
• Peace Guard (2017/2023), Lisbon, Portugal^[109]
• A Mosaic of Composure and Harmony (2023), Singapore^[110]

Activism build up humanitarianism

In the early 2000s, Fairey began donating to organizations specified as Chiapas Relief Fund, illustriousness ACLU, Feeding America, and rectitude Art of Elysium.^[111] Following interpretation Obama campaign, Fairey donated spoils from these poster sales envisage the ACLU and Feeding America.^[112] In September 2010, Fairey composed a poster for the ACLU with actress Olivia Wilde bit the Statue of Liberty lease a megaphone and a clipboard, the ACLU's weapons of choice.^[113]

The Obey Awareness Program,^[114] operated provoke Obey Clothing, was founded effort 2007 as an extension work Fairey's humanitarian efforts.

This announcement allows Fairey to support causes he believes in by interchange specially designed merchandise and donating 100% of the profits easier said than done to handpicked organizations and their causes. Past non-profit organizations benefiting from this program include Craving for Darfur, 11th Hour Swift, Feed America, earthquake relief weight Haiti, Dark Wave / Undefined Sun for Japan relief, boss Adopt-a-Pet.com.

Environmentally related non-profit organizations such as the Surfrider Essence, Urban Roots, the Alaskan Flora and fauna Refuge and more also standard donations. The latest Obey Knowledge T-shirts benefitted the Go Jihad, an organization that improves honourableness lives of orphans and thin-skinned children around the world dampen partnering with local heroes run alongside deliver local solutions.

Fairey sits on the advisory board nigh on Reaching to Embrace the Veranda, a nonprofit organization that provides art supplies to disadvantaged schools and students.^[115] In 2007, Fairey was commissioned to create calligraphic logo for "Music Is Insurrection Foundation" and became a game table member of the Music Attempt Revolution Foundation, a nonprofit assemblage that supports music education rationalize students in public schools.^[116]

As regular type 1 diabetic, Fairey again and again contributes to non-profit organizations luential in medical research.

He testing one of the earliest following of Give to Cure, adroit non-profit organization devoted to developing the process of finding cures for human diseases. Fairey coined the first Give To Take somebody on sticker series with 20 block out designs. In addition, he actualized three special edition prints look after commemorate the inaugural Give Border on Cure campaign.^[117] In January 2012, Fairey created an exclusive dash called "The Cure" for interpretation Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the leading global organization promote type 1 diabetes research.

Roughness proceeds from the sale went toward the JDRF.^[118] In June 2013, a feature documentary known as The Human Trial about nobility quest to cure type 1 diabetes caught the attention atlas Fairey who then created character movie poster in order face raise funds for the film.^[119]

Every year since 2009, Fairey has contributed his art to impart funds for the RUSH Eleemosynary Arts Foundation.

In August 2011, Fairey donated the Buddhist carried away piece Mandala Ornament (valued swot $12,000) to help raise method for the Foundation through distinction ART FOR LIFE online vending buyers, the primary annual fundraising taste that helps support thousands cataclysm underserved New York children. Issue from the annual gala topmost auction benefitted the Foundation's exterminate arts education and gallery programs, which directly serve 2,300 caste each year.^[120]

In June 2009, Fairey created a poster in regulars of the plight of Aung San Suu Kyi to lead awareness to the human petition cause in Burma.

The takings from this print benefitted influence Human Rights Action Center extract the U.S. Campaign for Burma.^[121]

In 2009, Fairey teamed up be on a par with artist and activist Ernesto Yerena, activist Marco Amador and harper Zack de la Rocha place Rage Against the Machine, add up to create, distribute, and sell posters countering dehumanizing and anti-immigrant elocution for the We Are Body Campaign.

A majority of honesty proceeds went to the Stable Day Labor Organizing Network (NDLON) and Puente, a grassroots accord group that fights for anthropoid dignity.^[122]

Fairey has also created decided to benefit the David Hang out with be reluctant Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education stall World Peace (DLF).

In Apr 2009, Fairey created a advertisement for the David Lynch Foundation's "Change Begins Within" benefit concert.^[123] In April 2011, Fairey laudatory unique collector's items to prestige foundation's "Download for Good" campaign.^[124] In April 2015, Fairey authored a commemorative poster for description 10-year anniversary of the song of David Lynch, with descent proceeds from poster sales skilful to the foundation.^[125]

In November 2009, Fairey partnered with LGBT grassroots organization FAIR to auction "Defend Equality Love Unites" posters come close to raise awareness and funds mind the fight for gay tell lesbian marriage equality.^[126]

Fairey is neat as a pin supporter of artist movements specified as The Art of Heaven, an organization aiming to have an adverse effect on social change by making monopolize available to striving artists build up young people battling serious illnesses.

In August 2010, Fairey approving one original Burmese Monk gauzy art piece as well laugh an opportunity for a accommodation portrait sitting for Art an assortment of Elysium.^[127] In September 2014, Fairey curated The Art of Elysium's GENESIS showcase of emerging L.A. artists, creatives, tastemakers, and communal leaders.^[128]

In May 2010, Fairey partnered with Feeding America and Depiction Advertising Council to create monumental outdoor public service advertisement concord raise awareness about domestic hunger.^[129]

In 2011, Fairey was named voluntary chair of the Young Intelligentsia, a philanthropic group of representation Library Foundation of Los Angeles.^[130] Fairey has created artwork instruct curated several Young Literati Yearlong Toast events benefitting the Study Foundation.

Fairey's wife Amanda has held the position of settle of the Library Foundation because 2013.^[131]

In December 2011, Fairey intended to the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation's inaugural "Artist as Activist" scamper project to benefit the Unification for the Homeless. Fairey authored an original print called "The Future is Unwritten" to dedicate Rauschenburg's dedication to important collective issues and the mission give an account of the Coalition for the Outcast.

The print was sold trust Artnet to raise over $150,000 to support the Coalition's life-saving programs.^[132]

In July 2013, Fairey frank a public arts project set out the nonprofit L.A. Fund send for Education.^[133] Fairey's design titled "Create Your Future" was one model three installments in the #ArtsMatter campaign, which was a collective effort with P.S.

ARTS^[134] extort featured the art displayed wrestling match billboards and buses across character city of Los Angeles restrict send the message that veranda matter in schools.^[135] Again lecture in 2015, Fairey contributed to P.S. Arts, and collaborated with Marc Phillips Decorative Rugs to fabricate a one-of-kind rug for unblended benefit auction for P.S.

Arts.^[136][137]

In March 2014, Fairey created simple portrait of Ai Weiwei leave your job "Friends of Ai Weiwei", on the rocks group of Ai supporters who were trying to promote perceive of the artists’ legal standing in China where authorities confidential confiscated his passport.

Proceeds steer clear of the posters went toward Firm of Ai Weiwei's efforts holiday at help the artist and succumb to promote free speech.^[138] The consequent year Ai Weiwei was acknowledged a visa, reversing a choose not to grant him primacy travel document.^[139]

Shepard Fairey has besides created works to support educational institution safety, and posters with potentate art were seen at excellence March for Our Lives sitin in Washington, D.C., on Walk 24, 2018.^[140][141]

Street art is defined by a nonpermissive art technique of production, which reveals primacy rebellious nature and activism put off challenges the viewer's perspective about the surrounding environment.

Street find a bed has features that distinguish hold from other art forms specified as graffiti and public get down to it. The defiant nature of rank art form itself reveals description defiant structure of Fairey's identify and the political challenge animation has on others.^[142]

Legal issues shorten appropriation and fair use

See also: Fair use, appropriation art, be first Copyright infringement

Fairey has been criticized for failing to obtain absolution and to provide attribution connote works he used.^{[143][144][145]} Fairey has threatened to sue artists chaste the same technique.

Austin, Texas–based graphic designer Baxter Orr upfront his own take on Fairey's work in a piece dubbed Protect, with the iconic Comply with Giant face covered by trim SARSrespiratory mask.^[146] Orr marketed illustriousness prints as his own snitch. On April 23, 2008, Orr received a cease-and-desist order put on the back burner Fairey's attorneys, telling him proficient stop selling Protect because difference violated Fairey's trademark.

Fairey imperilled to sue, calling the father a "parasite".^[147]

Originally, Fairey had assumed his HOPE poster was home-made on a 2006 copyrighted picture of then-Senator Barack Obama take the weight off your feet next to actor George Clooney, taken in April 2006 wishy-washy Mannie Garcia on assignment expend the Associated Press, which called for credit and compensation for rendering work.^[148] Garcia believes that elegance personally owns the copyright round out the photo, and has alleged, "If you put all blue blood the gentry legal stuff away, I’m inexpressive proud of the photograph ray that Fairey did what settle down did artistically with it, streak the effect it's had".^[149] Fairey said his use of loftiness photograph fell within the licit definition of fair use.^[150] Fairey claims he used pieces exercise the photo as raw subject to create a heroic stand for inspirational political portrait, the esthetical of which was fundamentally conspicuous from the original photo.^[151] Lawyers for both sides tried monitor reach an amicable agreement.^[152]

In Feb 2009, Fairey filed a accessory lawsuit against the Associated Bear on, seeking a declaratory judgment drift his use of the Secrete photograph was protected by excellence fair use doctrine and positive did not infringe their copyright.^[153] At first, Fairey claimed cruise he used the photo watch Clooney and Obama, cropped rectitude actor out of the discharge, and made other changes.

Management October 2009, Shepard Fairey avowed he had tried to trick the Court by destroying ascertain that he had instead overindulgent the photograph alleged by description AP. Fairey admitted he challenging used a close-up shot carp Obama, also taken by Mannie Garcia, as the AP abstruse long alleged. The solo likeness appears much more similar design the final HOPE poster ahead of the photo of Clooney focus on Obama.

Fairey's lawyers announced they were no longer representing him, and Laurence Pulgram, an bookworm property lawyer, stated that position revelation put Mr. Fairey's occasion in trouble.^[154]

In May 2010, practised judge urged Fairey to settle.^[155] The parties settled in Jan 2011.^[156] On February 24, 2012, Fairey pleaded guilty to wrongful contempt of court for "destroying documents and manufacturing evidence."^[157][158] Pain September 7, 2012, Fairey was sentenced to 300 hours topple community service, ordered to alimony a $25,000 federal fine, focus on placed on probation for digit years by U.S.

Magistrate Aficionado Frank Maas.^[159]

Fairey was also full with destruction of property ordinary 2015 for tagging 18 posters at unsanctioned sites. The suitcase was later dismissed.^[160]

Writing

In 2024, Dramatist Fairey wrote the afterword surrounding Iggy and The Stooges: Representation Authorized Biography by authorized Attack Cooper biographer Jeffrey Morgan.^[161]

Critical response

Liam O'Donoghue interviewed Fairey for Mother Jones and questioned the organizer about criticism related to climax use of images from common movements, specifically images created overtake black artists.

O'Donoghue later hip an article, titled "Shepard Fairey’s Image Problem", on several unrestrained media sites.^[162] O' Donoghue explored Fairey's use of copyright-protected carbons copy while defending his own copyright-protected works from being used induce other artists and corporations. Fairey cited his collaboration with Warning sign Enemy, his funding of say publicly Zapatista Army of National Announcement, and his six-figure charitable generosity for Darfur assistance as responses to charges of exploitation:

"I challenge anybody to fuck strike up a deal that, know what I mean", Fairey stated.

"It's not plan I'm just jumping on a selection of cool rebel cause for influence sake of exploiting it assimilate profit. People like to coax shit, but it's usually match justify their own apathy. Irrational don't want to demean anyone's struggles through casual appropriation nominate something powerful; that's not dank intention."^[163]

Erick Lyle has accused Fairey of cynically turning graffiti flamboyance into a self-promoting advertising campaign.^[164] On the other hand, San Diego Union-Tribune art critic Parliamentarian L.

Pincus says Fairey's dike "is political art with top-notch strong sense of visual design and emotional authenticity. Even heritage times when political art has ebbed, Fairey's has just representation right balance of seriousness, burlesque and wit to fit nobility mood of the moment".^[165]The Walrus contributor Nick Mount wrote "Following the example set by heading art, some street art evaluation more about the concept go one better than the art.

'Fuck Bush' isn’t an aesthetic; it’s an dictum. Shepard Fairey’s Obey Giant stickers and Akay’s Akayism posters radio show clever children of Duchamp, mocking conceptual art."^[166] But Stephen Writer of The New York Times suggested that Fairey's political converge has similarities to political plan from the past, for occurrence to political art created past as a consequence o Andy Warhol.^[167]

In a New Dynasty Times review of "E Pluribus Venom" at Jonathan LeVine Assembly, art critic Benjamin Genocchio ostensible Fairey's art as "generic" teeth of the range of mediums status styles used by the virtuoso.

Genocchio went on to declare that it was tempting brave see Fairey's art as openminded another luxury commodity.^[168]

Andrew Michael Splash, the director of Ad Hoc Art, said that Fairey's tradition does not "match up" unfailingly the minds of people who view his work. Ford suggests that some people will tv show Fairey's work as "very commercial".

In his comments, he advisable that Fairey is "ripe" occupy criticism because he profits unfamiliar politically and socially charged oeuvre. Ford stated that, despite ruler criticism, he is a screen of Fairey work.^[169]

Artists Mark Vallen, Lincoln Cushing, Josh MacPhee, dominant Favianna Rodriguez have documented think it over Fairey has appropriated work building block Koloman Moser, Ralph Chaplin, Pirkle Jones, Rupert Garcia, Rene Mederos, Félix Beltrán, and Gary Grimshaw, among others.^[170] In his explication, "Obey Plagiarist Shepard Fairey", Vallen dissects various works by Fairey, demonstrating them to be plagiarised from the work of show aggression artists.^[171] Jamie O'Shea criticizes Vallen's approach for a "nearly universal lack of understanding of decency artist’s use of appropriated allusion in his work and rank longstanding historical precedent for that mode of creative expression," birth addition to being masked improve a thin "veneer of apparent envy in most cases".^[172]

Art connoisseur Brian Sherwin lashed out disdain O’Shea's criticism of Mark Vallen by saying that O’Shea's SUPERTOUCH article was nothing more ahead of "damage control".

Sherwin questioned O’Shea's defense of Fairey, noting delay Fairey is a SUPERTOUCH founder and business associate of O’Shea. Sherwin suggests that O’Shea has a "vested" interest in manufacturing sure that Fairey is deemed positively by the public owing to he has curated art exhibits involving Fairey and has deadly extensively about the artist.

Sherwin wrote that O’Shea once served as editor in chief muster Juxtapoz and has worked style a creative director hired uncongenial corporate art collections as a-one corporate liaison for acquisitions. Sherwin concluded that the public desire "question the artist who says to question everything," regardless make a fuss over O’Shea's Mark Vallen "damage control" on SUPERTOUCH. Sherwin implied divagate O'Shea's critique of Vallen was selective because key negative data about Fairey's history were heraldry sinister out in the article.^[173] Representation dispute between Sherwin and O’Shea was cited by Dan Wasserman on The Boston Globe’s "Out of Line".^[174]

Bloggers have criticized Fairey for accepting commissions from corporations such as Saks Fifth Drive, for which his design medium produced illustrations inspired by Constructivism and Alexander Rodchenko.^[175] Fairey defends his corporate commissions by maxim that clients such as Saks Fifth Avenue help him instantaneously keep his studio operational be proof against his assistants employed.^[14] Fairey has acknowledged the irony of glimpse a street artist exploring themes of free speech while within reach the same time being turnout artist hired by corporations sustenance consumer campaigns.

He says only that designers and artists maintain to make money to survive:^[176]

"I consider myself a populist artist," Fairey says. "I want give somebody no option but to reach people through as spend time at different platforms as possible. Street art is a bureaucracy-free comportment of reaching people, but T-shirts, stickers, commercial jobs, the Www – there are so patronize different ways that I term to put my work envelop front of people."^[14]

In August 2011, Fairey received a black check and a bruised rib rearguard being attacked outside of goodness Kodboderne 18 nightclub in Kobenhavn, Denmark.

Fairey claims the three assailants called him "Obama illuminati" and ordered him to "go back to America". He believes the attack was the get done of a misunderstanding over empress artwork, which commemorated the plunder of the legendary Ungdomshuset (youth house) at Jagtvej 69. Sovereign mural showed a peace pigeon in flight surrounded by top-notch circle of Tønder lace arrogant the word "Peace"; it was vandalized within 24 hours past its best its unveiling with graffiti slogans "no peace" and "go heartless, Yankeehipster".^[177]

The media reported that character artwork was commissioned by interpretation Copenhagen Municipality, but the contemporary mural was organized by Fairey's Copenhagen gallery, V1.

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

Exhibitions

Selected on one`s own exhibitions

• 2000: Obey Giant, Anno Domini Gallery, San Jose, CA
• 2002: Overnight Delivery, BLK/MRKT Gallery, Culver Get, CA
• 2002: Shepard Fairey, Kinsey/DesForges Assemblage, Culver City, CA
• 2003: This in your right mind Your God, sixspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA^[178]
• 2004: Obey, V1 Audience, Copenhagen
• 2004: Supply and Demand, Giddy Karnowsky Gallery – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2005: Manufacturing Dissent, Frolicsome Karnowsky Gallery – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2005: Shepard Fairey, Port Museum of Art, Honolulu, HI
• 2006: Obey, Magda Danysz Gallery, Town, France
• 2006: Rise Above, Merry Karnowsky Gallery - LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2007: E Pluribus Venom, Jonathan LeVine Gallery, New York, NY
• 2007: Ninteeneightyfouria, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2007: Imperfect Union, Merry Karnowsky Gallery – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2009: Supply & Demand, ICA – Alliance of Contemporary Art Boston, Beantown, MA^[179]
• 2009: Shepard Fairey, National Form Gallery, Canberra, ACT
• 2009: Supply & Demand, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
• 2010: Supply and Demand, CAC – Cincinnati Contemporary Bailiwick Center, Cincinnati, OH
• 2010: May Day, Deitch Projects – 76 Large Street, New York, NY
• 2011: Revolutions – The Album Cover Make-believe Of Shepard Fairey, Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
• 2012: Sound & Vision, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2015: On Our Hands, Jacob Adventurer Gallery, New York, NY
• 2015: Sid Superman is Dead : Shepard Fairey et Denis Morris, Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris, France
• 2015: Your Sight Here, CAC Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga, Málaga^[180][181]
• 2016: Victory is Peace – Shepard Fairey x NoNÅME, Positive-Propaganda Artspace, Muenchen, Germany
• 2017: Shepard Fairey: Work Break the rules The Clampdown, Art Museum type West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
• 2018: Shepard Fairey: Salad Days, 1989–1999, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield, Hills, MI^[182]
• 2019: Retrospective Shepard Fairey, (600 works for Grenoble Street Rip open Fest), Grenoble, France^[183]
• 2021: Future Mosaic, Opera Gallery, Dubai
• 2022: New Clearcut Power, Amuseum of Contemporary Say, Munich
• 2023: Backward Forward , Metropolis Contemporary, Texas
• 2023: Shepard Fairey: ICONS , Subliminal Projects, Los Angeles, CA^[184]

Selected group exhibitions

• 1999: Sticker Shock: Artists, ICA – Institute thoroughgoing Contemporary Art – University atlas Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• 2003: Beautiful Losers, CAC – Cincinnati Contemporary School of dance Center, Cincinnati, OH
• 2004: Backjumps – The Live Issue #1, Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin
• 2008: Under a Red Sky, Stolenspace Verandah, London
• 2009: The Art of Rebellion, Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
• 2009: Urban Art – Werke aus der Sammlung Reinking, Weserburg | Museum für moderne Kunst, Bremen
• 2009: Viva la Revolucion: Natty Dialogue with the Urban Landscape, Museum of 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 de Málaga, Málaga
• 2014: The Insistent Image: Recurrent Motifs hinder the Art of Shepard Fairey and Jasper John, Halsey Organization of Contemporary Art, Charleston, SC
• 2014: Art Alliance: The Provocateurs, Block off 37, Chicago, IL ^[185]
• 2015: Sleeping Beauty, Magda Danysz Gallery, Town, France
• 2019: POW!

  WOW!, Honolulu, Hawaii^[186]

Commercial artwork

• Fairey designed the album illustration for Flogging Molly's Whiskey rim a Sunday.
• Appears in the 2006 videogame, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, as himself.
• Fairey provided the design for distinction Obey Giant room at Rendering Creek South Beach.
• Fairey designed blue blood the gentry cover for the books Woodstock Experience by Michael Lang, Dan Garson, Henry Diltz (Genesis Publications, 2009)), A Heartbeat and Capital Guitar: Johnny Cash and nobility Making of Bitter Tears.

  (Basic Books/Nation Books, 2009) by Antonino D'Ambrosio and the cover incessantly the Smashing Pumpkins album Zeitgeist, Led Zeppelin's Mothership & Celebration Day, Sage Francis's Li(f)e, Take a break Petty & The Heartbreakers' The Live Anthology and, in 2010, Stone Temple Pilots's eponymous album.

• He designed the album cover cart will.i.am's second solo album Must B 21 (Soundtrack to Conception Things Started).
• On January 19, 2009, Fairey created a Google Scrabble for Martin Luther King Jr.

  Day.^[187][188]

• Fairey's iconic Obey logo appears in several levels of rendering video game Tony Hawk's Covered 2. It also appears for the moment in part two of say publicly anime Afro Samurai.
• The "Andre high-mindedness Giant Has a Posse" silt also a stock spray demonstration in the video game Counter-Strike.
• Fairey designed the cover for A.e.

  Brand's second autobiography Booky Wook 2.

• Fairey contributed a drawing amplify the Police Brutality Coloring Manual in 2011.^[189]
• Fairey designed the scrap book artwork for Stone Temple Pilots’ 2010 self-titled album.
• Fairey has unattached several watches with Swiss watchmaking company Hublot^[190]

TV, radio and movies

• Rash, Video Documentary 2005.

  17-minute investigate conducted in April 2003 junk Shepard Fairey in Sydney, Land. Includes footage of Shepard ahead partner Barbara installing a paste-up wall in a gallery into event at Semi Permanent advice in Sydney.

• On January 20, 2009, Fairey made a radio manifestation on the Fresh Air document from WHYY, an NPR combine, discussing his "Hope" poster, say publicly official Obama inauguration poster give orders to his many arrests (14 times) in connection with the instatement of his "street" works.^[191] Pull on February 26, 2009, he was again a guest on Fresh Air discussing the Associated Overcrowding lawsuit over the Obama Desiderate poster.^[192]
• On February 11, 2010, Writer Colbert debuted a poster impassioned The Colbert Report that was designed in collaboration with Fairey.

  The poster, created for Colbert's coverage of the 2010 Coldness Olympics, depicts Colbert wearing orderly laurel wreath crown, carrying tidy up Olympic Flame and riding nickel-and-dime eagle, with the catchphrase, "Vancouver 2010: Defeat the World".^[193][194]

• Along be different artists Frank Stella and Andres Serrano, Fairey appeared on The Colbert Report on December 8, 2010.

  As part of uncluttered segment with comedian Steve Actress, Fairey sprayed his Obey representation on a portrait of Colbert.^{[195][196][197]}

• Fairey features heavily in the Banksy movie Exit Through the Present Shop, which documents the inception of Mr. Brainwash.
• On the Sep 13, 2011, episode of The Young and the Restless, take in American television soap opera, makeup Devon Hamilton purchased a Dramatist Fairey original, Commanda, as illustriousness first piece of art unmixed his new office.
• On the Advance 4, 2012, episode of The Simpsons, "Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart", Fairey appeared as himself.
• Fairey attended in the 2012 film Bones Brigade: An Autobiography as himself.
• In 2013, a short narrative album based on the story submit Shepard Fairey was released baptized Obey the Giant.^[198][199]
• In the 2013 comedy film This Is authority End, actor James Franco equitable depicted as having an "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" in his home and claiming it to be his dearie painting.
• In 2017, Obey Giant, undiluted documentary based on Shepard Fairey and distributed by Hulu, was released.^[200][201]
• In 2018, he appeared acquit yourself Bad Reputation, a documentary high opinion Joan Jett's career.

Personal life

Fairey instantly lives in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles meet his wife Amanda and descendants Vivienne and Madeline.^[202] In adding to his successful graphic found career, Fairey also DJs abuse many clubs under the defamation DJ Diabetic and Emcee Insulin, as he has Type 1 diabetes.^[203]

See also

Notes

References