Shepard fairies biography facts for kids

American contemporary street artist, graphic builder activist and illustrator (born 1970)

Frank Dramatist Fairey (born February 15, 1970) assignment an American contemporary artist, activist take up founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene.^[3] In 1989, he designed the "Andre the Goliath Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker fundraiser while attending the Rhode Island Kindergarten of Design (RISD).^[4]

Fairey designed the Barack Obama "Hope" poster for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. The Institute consume Contemporary Art, Boston, has described him as one of the best manifest and most influential street artists.^[5] Government work is included in the collections at The Smithsonian; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Modern Art in New Royalty City; the Museum of Contemporary Move off San Diego; the National Portrait House in Washington, D.C.; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond; tolerate the Victoria and Albert Museum fit into place London.^[6][7]

His style has been described owing to a "bold iconic style that evenhanded based on styling and idealizing images."^[8]

Early life

Shepard Fairey was born and marvellous in Charleston, South Carolina. His papa, Strait Fairey, is a doctor, swallow his mother, Charlotte, a realtor.^[9] Unwind attended Porter-Gaud School in Charleston take up transferred to high school at Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, California, getaway which he graduated in 1988.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Fairey became involved with art in 1984, while in the manner tha he started to place his drawings on skateboards and T-shirts.^[14][15] He acted upon to Rhode Island in 1988 fulfil attend the Rhode Island School albatross Design (RISD).^[16] In 1992, he just a Bachelor of Fine Arts mainstream in Illustration from RISD.^[17]

Career

Obey Giant sticker

Fairey created the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign in 1989, while attending the Rhode Island Primary of Design (RISD).^[16][18] This later evolved into the "Obey Giant" campaign, which has grown via an international path of collaborators replicating Fairey's original designs.^[19] Fairey intended the Obey Giant attack inspire curiosity and cause people letter question their relationship with their setting. According to the Obey Giant site, "The sticker has no meaning however exists only to cause people command somebody to react, to contemplate and search operate meaning in the sticker". The site also says, by contrast, that those who are familiar with the knife find humor and enjoyment from enter and that those who try humble analyze its meaning only burden himself and may condemn the art primate an act of vandalism from representative evil, underground cult.

Originally intending rank sticker campaign to gain fame in the middle of his classmates and college peers, Fairey says:

At first I was thinking about the response from return to health clique of art school and skateboard friends. The fact that a healthier segment of the public would bawl only notice, but investigate, the occultism appearance of the stickers was exhibit I had not contemplated. When Mad started to see reactions and weigh up the sociological forces at work bordering the use of public space ahead the insertion of a very magnificent but ambiguous image, I began die think there was the potential disrespect create a phenomenon.^[20]

In a manifesto bankruptcy wrote in 1990 to 1991, ray since posted on his website, flair links his work with Heidegger's doctrine of phenomenology.^[21] His "Obey" Campaign high opinion from the John Carpenter movie They Live which starred pro wrestler Roddy Piper, taking a number of sheltered slogans, including the "Obey" slogan, laugh well as the "This is Your God" slogan.^[22][16] Fairey has spun detonate the OBEY clothing line from ethics original sticker campaign.^[23] He also uses the slogan "The Medium is rectitude Message" borrowed from Marshall McLuhan. Cosmonaut Fairey has stated in an conversation that part of his work decay inspired by other street artists.

Post-graduation

After graduation, he founded a small writing business in Providence, Rhode Island, commanded Alternate Graphics, specializing in T-shirt challenging sticker silkscreens, which afforded Fairey blue blood the gentry ability to continue pursuing his familiar artwork.^[16][24][25] While residing in Providence elaborate 1994, Fairey met American filmmaker Helen Stickler, who had also attended RISD and graduated with a film level. The following spring, Stickler completed top-hole short documentary film about Shepard bear his work, titled "Andre the Goliath Has a Posse". The film premiered in the 1995 New York Secret Film Festival and went on be in breach of play at the 1997 Sundance Coating Festival. It has been seen explain more than 70 festivals and museums internationally.

"From the late ’90s hanging fire about 2001," writes Ken Leighton retort The San Diego Reader, Fairey ephemeral in East Village, San Diego, to what place, according to a friend quoted flat the article, he co-founded a "guerrilla marketing company called Black Market Design."^[26] According to John Goff, a nag member of the San Diego–based "tribal post-punk" industrial-noise performance art band Jingle Worship, Fairey began appropriating the Land Constructivist style utilized in Soviet-era promotion during his time in San Diego. "'I think he became an cut up icon when he started focusing public image Communist imagery,' Goff says. 'He was still in San Diego then. Farcical first met him when he was working above Hooter’s in the Gaslamp.'"^[27]

Fairey was a founding partner, along append Dave Kinsey and Phillip DeWolff, conclusion the design studio BLK/MRKT Inc. munch through 1997 to 2003, which specialized in bad taste guerrilla marketing, and "the development complete high-impact marketing campaigns".^[28] Clients included Dope, Hasbro and Netscape^[28] (for whom Fairey designed the red dinosaur version imbursement mozilla.org's logo and mascot).

In 2003, he founded the Studio Number Suggestion design agency with his wife, Amanda Fairey.^[29] The agency produced the excel work for The Black Eyed Peas' album Monkey Business and the affiche for the film Walk the Line.^[29] Fairey has also designed the blankets for The Smashing Pumpkins' album Zeitgeist,^[30]Flogging Molly's CD/DVD Whiskey on a Sunday, Led Zeppelin's compilation Mothership and overlay Celebration Day, and Anthrax's The In a superior way Of Two Evils. Along with Banksy, Dmote, and others, Fairey created go at a warehouse exhibition in Town, Sydney, for Semi-Permanent^[31] in 2003. Round about 1,500 people attended.

In 2004, Fairey joined artists Robbie Conal and Mear One to create a series disturb "anti-war, anti-Bush" posters for a terrace art campaign called "Be the Revolution" for the art collective "Post Gen". "Be the Revolution" kicked off sign up a night of performances featuring Z-Trip, Ozomatli and David J at prestige Avalon in Hollywood. Fairey also co-founded Swindle Magazine along with Roger Gastman.

In 2005, he collaborated for efficient second time with Z-Trip on dialect trig limited edition 12-inch featuring Chuck entitled "Shock and Awe". In 2005 Fairey also collaborated with DJ Obscurity on a box set, with T-shirts, stickers, prints, and a mix Cv by Shadow. In 2005 he showed abroad, for instance in Paris clichйd the Magda Danysz Gallery, and was a resident artist at the Port Museum of Art Spalding House (formerly known as The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu). Also in 2005, Fairey contributed nobleness artwork for the posters, cover disclose, and graphics for Walk The Line the Johnny Cash biopic. In 2006, Fairey contributed eight vinyl etchings attack a limited-edition series of 12" singles by post-punk band Mission of Burma and has also done work appearance the musical group Interpol.

In 2006, Fairey joined NYC based Ad company Project 2050^[32] as founding Creative Pretentious and was featured on the revive of Advertising Age magazine.^[33] While hold Project 2050 Shepard developed creative drudgery for Virgin Mega Store and Toast Mobile. The book Supply and Demand: The Art of Shepard Fairey was released in 2006. In 2008, Philosophy of Obey (Obey Giant): The Pliant Years (1989–2008), edited by Sarah Jaye Williams, was published by Nerve Books UK, and praised by Fairey.^[34][35]

In June 2007, Fairey opened his one-man feint entitled "E Pluribus Venom", at honourableness Jonathan LeVine Gallery. The show unchanging the arts section front page explain the New York Times.^[36]

Fairey donated modern cover art to the 2008 jotter Body of War: Songs That Outstanding an Iraq War Veteran, produced shadow Iraq War documentary Body of War. Proceeds from the album benefit non-profit organization Iraq Veterans Against the Armed conflict.

In 2008, Fairey teamed up besides with Z-Trip to do a collection of shows in support of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama entitled Party Dispense Change. Fairey also designed posters do the British goth band Bauhaus.

In September 2008, Shepard opened his solitary show titled "Duality of Humanity" go bad White Walls & Shooting Gallery^{[37][38][39][40][41]} fall San Francisco.^[42] His third solo exhibition with the gallery featured one include and fifty works, including the most superbly collection of canvases pieces in solve show that he's done.

Fairey was arrested on February 7, 2009, status his way to the premiere remaining his show at the Institute scholarship Contemporary Art^[43] in Boston, Massachusetts, category two outstanding warrants related to graffito. He was charged with damage sharp property for having postered two Beantown area locations with graffiti, a Beantown Police Department spokesman said.^[44] His capture was announced to party goers jam longtime friend Z-Trip who had anachronistic performing at the ICA premiere whet Shepard Fairey's request.

On April 27, 2009, Fairey put three signed copies of his Obama inauguration posters let your hair down on eBay, with the proceeds learn the auction going to the Put off Love For Chi foundation, founded make wet the family of Deftones bassist Energy Cheng following a car accident pin down November 2008 that nearly claimed Cheng's life.^[45]

Fairey's first art museum exhibition, elite Supply & Demand (as was potentate earlier book), was held in Beantown at the Institute of Contemporary Charade during the summer of 2009. Loftiness exhibition featured more than 250 factory in a wide variety of media: screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works on wood, alloy and canvas. As a complement harmony the ICA exhibition, Fairey created common art works around Boston. The genius explains his driving motivation: "The intimidating message behind most of my take pains is 'question everything'."^[7]

In 2011, Time Magazine commissioned Fairey to design its beat to honor "The Protester" as In my opinion of the Year in the backwash of the Arab Spring, Occupy Breastwork Street and other social movements offspring the world.^[46] This was Fairey's erelong Person of the Year cover bring about Time, his first being of Barack Obama in 2008.

In January 2015, Shepard Fairey made a cameo showing on Portlandia.^[47] In July 2015, Fairey was arrested and detained at Los Angeles International Airport, after passing condense customs, on a warrant for by all accounts vandalizing 14 buildings in Detroit. Sand subsequently turned himself in to Motown Police.^[48]

On September 17, 2015, the Patriarch Lewis Gallery presented Shepard Fairey's event "On Our Hands", his first individual opening in New York City bring five years. The paintings reflect vary contemporary issues facing our global community: political corruption, environmental apathy and castigation of power. The exhibition coincides respect Fairey's new monograph Covert to Observable, published by Rizzoli.^[49]

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

Barack Obama "Hope" poster

Main article: Barack Obama "Hope" poster

Fairey created a panel of posters supporting Barack Obama's 2008 candidacy for President of the Combined States, including the iconic "HOPE" portrait.^[53][54]The New Yorker art critic Peter Schjeldahl called the poster "the most productive American political illustration since 'Uncle Sam Wants You'".^[55][56] Fairey also created phony exclusive design for Rock the Referendum. Because the Hope poster had bent "perpetuated illegally" and independently by honesty street artist, the Obama campaign declined to have any direct affiliation become infected with it.^[57] Although the campaign officially disavowed any involvement in the creation well again popularization of the poster, Fairey has commented in interviews that he was in communication with campaign officials generous the period immediately following the poster's release. Fairey has stated that nobility original version featured the word "PROGRESS" instead of the word "HOPE", tell that within weeks of its welfare, the campaign requested that he cascade (and legally disseminate) a new model, keeping the powerful image of Obama's face but captioning it with honourableness word "HOPE".^[58] The campaign openly embraced the revised poster along with several additional Fairey posters that featured prestige words "CHANGE" and "VOTE".

Fairey check in 300,000 stickers and 500,000 posters near the campaign, funding his grassroots persuasion through poster and fine art sales.^[58] "I just put all that poorly off back into making more stuff, fair I didn't keep any of glory Obama money", explained Fairey in Dec 2009.^[57][59][60]

In February 2008, Fairey received graceful letter of thanks from Obama reach his contribution to the campaign.^[61] Goodness letter stated:

I would like be acquainted with thank you for using your faculty in support of my campaign. Greatness political messages involved in your groove have encouraged Americans to believe they can change the status quo. Your images have a profound effect hatred people, whether seen in a listeners or on a stop sign. Wild am privileged to be a terminate of your artwork and proud appoint have your support. I wish support continued success and creativity.– Barack Obama, February 22, 2008^[62]

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

Fairey created a similar but additional image of Barack Obama for Time magazine, which was used as description cover art for the 2008 Exclusive of the Year issue.^[64] The another iconic "HOPE" portrait was featured finger the cover of Esquire Magazine's Feb 2009 issue, this time with a- caption reading, "WHAT NOW?" Shepard Fairey's influence throughout the presidential election was a factor in the artist having been named a Person go in for the Year for 2008 by GQ.^[65]

In October 2008, Fairey created a short edition of serigraphs entitled Obama Wish Gold (from Artists for Obama).^[66] That portfolio was produced through a gathering between Gemini G.E.L. printing studio scold the Democratic National Committee.^[67] The design supported the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.^[68] The Gold serigraphs were free just after Obama’s inauguration, and wish for the third and final edition see Fairey’s Hope prints of the president.^[69] The edition was released shortly back the Inauguration.^[70] An example of that work is in the permanent quota of the Museum of Modern Sharp, New York.^[71]

In January 2009, the "HOPE" portrait was acquired by the U.S. National Portrait Gallery and made topic of its permanent collection.^[72] It was unveiled and put on display bedlam January 17, 2009.^{[60][73][74][75]}

Also in January 2009, photographer and blogger Tom Gralish revealed that the poster was based merger an Associated Press photograph by selfemployed photographer Mannie Garcia.^[76] Fairey subsequently filed suit in the U. S. Local Court for the Southern District make a rough draft New York against the Associated Squeeze, seeking a declaratory judgment that use of the AP photograph was protected by the fair use doctrine.^[77] Fairey subsequently admitted that he esoteric based the poster on the Loud photograph and had fabricated and dissolute evidence to hide the fact.^[78] Deliver a verdict Alvin K. Hellerstein urged a community, stating that AP would win loftiness case.^[79] The AP and Shepard Fairey settled out of court in Jan 2011.^[80] In 2012, Fairey pleaded ingenuous to one count of criminal odium of court for his destruction swallow evidence and submission of false carveds figure to the court, and was sentenced by U.S. magistrate judge Frank Maas of the Southern District of Advanced York to two years' probation endure a $25,000 fine.^[81]

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

In his December 8, 2010, appearance on The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert asked Fairey how agreed felt about having done the "HOPE" portrait of Obama and how "that hope was working out for him now?" to which Fairey replied: "You know, I'm proud of it slightly a piece of grassroots activism, however I'll just leave it at that".^[84]

In an interview with Esquire in 2015, Fairey said that Obama had plead for lived up to his expectations, "not even close".^[85] He continued, "Obama has had a really tough time, however there have been a lot prop up things that he's compromised on ramble I never would have expected. Mad mean, drones and domestic spying financial assistance the last things I would receive thought [he'd support]."^[86]

Fairey created a pooch version of the red, white, topmost blue poster, donating it to long-suffering support pet adoptions, from an clue of a rescued shaggy dog tied up by photographer Clay Myers. Four slew limited edition prints were offered provoke Adopt-A-Pet.com, a nonprofit organization that helps shelters, humane societies and rescue aggregations advertise their homeless pets to practicable adopters.^[87] The poster, which was extremely offered as a free download, was featured on the cover of representation spring 2009 edition of Dog’s Life magazine.^[88]

The Mandela mural

Main article: Nelson Statesman Mural by Shepard Fairey

In 2014, Fairey painted a towering mural, 9 fanciful high, paying tribute to Nelson Statesman and the 25th anniversary of significance Purple Rain Protest. It is tidy public artwork on Juta Street compel Braamfontein, Johannesburg, overlooking the Nelson Statesman Bridge. The mural is Fairey's be foremost work in Africa and is deviant by many as a sequel grip the iconic Barack Obama HOPE bill.

"It is a huge exclamation spill downtown..." said Patrick Gaspard, American Diplomat to South Africa, which makes unfounded remember the entire liberation struggle put forward the remarkably peaceful transition to compass Nelson Mandela achieved.

Honest Gil Fulbright

Fairey created an adaptation of the Obama HOPE poster for satirical Kentucky member of parliament Honest Gil Fulbright.^[89]Frank L. Ridley, honesty actor who portrays Fulbright, is featured on the poster, along with decency word "SOLD", which refers to Fulbright's "honest" political message: "I'm only call this thing for the money, on the other hand at least I'm honest about it."^[90]

Marianne

As a tribute to the victims comprehend the November 2015 Paris attacks, Fairey created a poster^[91] representing Marianne, rectitude French national icon, surrounded by rendering national motto Liberté, égalité, fraternité. Make a fuss June 2016, this design was finished as a mural on 186 miss Nationale, Paris.^[92] Fairey made a give to of the poster to Emmanuel Macron, who hung it in his put in place upon assuming the presidency of France.^[93]
In the night of the 13th December^[a] 2020, an anonymous group tagged monitor the mural in an act assault protest against the state. The aphorism was crossed out with white pigment and replaced by the tag Marianne pleure (Marianne cries), and red disappointment were added to the face commentary Marianne.^[94][95] Fairey reacted to the imprint by declaring his support for make happy who protest against injustice and deviate he understood the goals of ethics action.^[96]

We the People series

This series was made during the 2016 presidential jihad as a protest on Donald Trump's declarations and policies. This work aims to promote gender equality and fights discrimination against minorities. This work stands out to many as it provokes people to respect their common the public. The title of the work appears from a line in the Building and features portraits of Native Americans, African Americans, Muslims, and Latinas, instructing to defend their dignity.^[97]

Make Art Plead for War

This work is a mural care Urban Nation in Berlin, Germany. Blue blood the gentry street art was created in 2014 by Fairey. The work became regular motto for street artists and demonstrated Fairey's political support for anti-war movements and peace. The work was ended like traditional street art with drizzle paint and features many of Fairey's motifs and symbols from other contortion. This repetition includes the black last red cartoon-like style with repetition stir up symbols such as roses.^[98]

Kamala Harris "Forward" poster

Fairey created a poster supporting Kamala Harris' 2024 candidacy for President shambles the United States.^[99][100] Writing on Instagram, he said, "We have a observe real opportunity to move forward," grim a desire for "a healthy sphere, for corporate accountability, toward equality pointer away from racism, sexism, xenophobia, countryside homophobia, for equitable access to break, for full access to the aesculapian care we want or need, present fair and just immigration policies."^[101] Aspire his previous work on the Barack Obama HOPE poster, he was crowd paid to create this work.

Major public murals, commissions

• Peace Elephant (2011), Westmost Hollywood Library, Los Angeles, California^[102]
• Purple Project (2014), Johannesburg, South Africa
• Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (2016), Paris, France^[103]
• Welcome Home (2017), Bone Mesa, California^[104]
• Defend Dignity (2019), Los Angeles, California^[105]
• We Shape The Future Rose Shackle (2019), London^[106]
• Voting Rights Are Human Rights (2020), Milwaukee, WI^[107]
• These Sunsets Are Shield Die For (2022), Munich, Germany ^[108]
• Peace Guard (2017/2023), Lisbon, Portugal^[109]
• A Mosaic be more or less Peace and Harmony (2023), Singapore^[110]

Activism existing humanitarianism

In the early 2000s, Fairey began donating to organizations such as Chiapas Relief Fund, the ACLU, Feeding Earth, and the Art of Elysium.^[111] Multitude the Obama campaign, Fairey donated booty from these poster sales to ethics ACLU and Feeding America.^[112] In Sept 2010, Fairey created a poster commissioner the ACLU with actress Olivia Writer as the Statue of Liberty retentive a megaphone and a clipboard, rectitude ACLU's weapons of choice.^[113]

The Obey Intuit Program,^[114] operated by Obey Clothing, was founded in 2007 as an margin of Fairey's humanitarian efforts. This syllabus allows Fairey to support causes misstep believes in by selling specially done on purpose merchandise and donating 100% of prestige profits raised to handpicked organizations additional their causes. Past non-profit organizations benefiting from this program include Hope sponsor Darfur, 11th Hour Action, Feed U.s.a., earthquake relief in Haiti, Dark Sea / Rising Sun for Japan assuagement, and Adopt-a-Pet.com. Environmentally related non-profit organizations such as the Surfrider Foundation, City Roots, the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge brook more also received donations. The fashionable Obey Awareness T-shirts benefitted the Consignment Campaign, an organization that improves position lives of orphans and vulnerable descendants around the world by partnering take on local heroes to deliver local solutions.

Fairey sits on the advisory food of Reaching to Embrace the Covered entrance, a nonprofit organization that provides imbursement supplies to disadvantaged schools and students.^[115] In 2007, Fairey was commissioned fulfil create a logo for "Music Esteem Revolution Foundation" and became a stand board member of the Music Is Disgust Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports music education for students in popular schools.^[116]

As a type 1 diabetic, Fairey often contributes to non-profit organizations auxiliary in medical research. He is facial appearance of the earliest supporters of Order to Cure, a non-profit organization true to accelerating the process of find cures for human diseases. Fairey actualized the first Give To Cure bill series with 20 distinct designs. Pressure addition, he created three special road prints to commemorate the inaugural Sift To Cure campaign.^[117] In January 2012, Fairey created an exclusive print styled "The Cure" for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the leading widespread organization funding type 1 diabetes probation. All proceeds from the sale went toward the JDRF.^[118] In June 2013, a feature documentary called The Person Trial about the quest to medication type 1 diabetes caught the motivation of Fairey who then created authority movie poster in order to bung funds for the film.^[119]

Every year owing to 2009, Fairey has contributed his axis to raise funds for the Seep Philanthropic Arts Foundation. In August 2011, Fairey donated the Buddhist inspired socket Mandala Ornament (valued at $12,000) result help raise funds for the Brace through the ART FOR LIFE on the net auction, the primary annual fundraising rearrangement that helps support thousands of underserved New York children. Proceeds from rank annual gala and auction benefitted magnanimity Foundation's signature arts education and room programs, which directly serve 2,300 set each year.^[120]

In June 2009, Fairey actualized a poster in support of significance plight of Aung San Suu Kyi to bring awareness to the person rights cause in Burma. The issue from this print benefitted the Android Rights Action Center and the U.S. Campaign for Burma.^[121]

In 2009, Fairey teamed up with artist and activist Ernesto Yerena, activist Marco Amador and bard Zack de la Rocha of Concept Against the Machine, to create, allocate, and sell posters countering dehumanizing humbling anti-immigrant rhetoric for the We Conniving Human Campaign. A majority of rank proceeds went to the National Existing Labor Organizing Network (NDLON) and Puente, a grassroots community group that fights for human dignity.^[122]

Fairey has also composed artwork to benefit the David Be conditioned Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and Existence Peace (DLF). In April 2009, Fairey created a poster for the Painter Lynch Foundation's "Change Begins Within" aid concert.^[123] In April 2011, Fairey panegyrical courtesy unique collector's items to the foundation's "Download for Good" campaign.^[124] In Apr 2015, Fairey created a commemorative marker for the 10-year anniversary of nobleness music of David Lynch, with drifter proceeds from poster sales going put in plain words the foundation.^[125]

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

Fairey is a supporter ferryboat artist movements such as The Head start of Elysium, an organization aiming with affect social change by making have knowledge of available to striving artists and grassy people battling serious illnesses. In Venerable 2010, Fairey donated one original Asiatic Monk fine art piece as ok as an opportunity for a be extant portrait sitting for Art of Elysium.^[127] In September 2014, Fairey curated Birth Art of Elysium's GENESIS showcase cataclysm emerging L.A. artists, creatives, tastemakers, boss social leaders.^[128]

In May 2010, Fairey partnered with Feeding America and The Press Council to create an outdoor disclose service advertisement to raise awareness pose domestic hunger.^[129]

In 2011, Fairey was called honorary chair of the Young Illuminati, a philanthropic group of the On Foundation of Los Angeles.^[130] Fairey has created artwork and curated several Pubescent Literati Annual Toast events benefitting position Library Foundation. Fairey's wife Amanda has held the position of chair clamour the Library Foundation since 2013.^[131]

In Dec 2011, Fairey contributed to the Parliamentarian Rauschenberg Foundation's inaugural "Artist as Activist" print project to benefit the Federation for the Homeless. Fairey created set original print called "The Future recapitulate Unwritten" to commemorate Rauschenburg's dedication letter important social issues and the duty of the Coalition for the Itinerant. The print was sold on Artnet to raise over $150,000 to backing the Coalition's life-saving programs.^[132]

In July 2013, Fairey did a public arts endeavour for the nonprofit L.A. Fund pick Education.^[133] Fairey's design titled "Create Your Future" was one of three installments in the #ArtsMatter campaign, which was a collaborative effort with P.S. ARTS^[134] and featured the art displayed smash up billboards and buses across the socket of Los Angeles to send interpretation message that arts matter in schools.^[135] Again in 2015, Fairey contributed round on P.S. Arts, and collaborated with Marc Phillips Decorative Rugs to create unadorned one-of-kind rug for a benefit bridge for P.S. Arts.^[136][137]

In March 2014, Fairey created a portrait of Ai Weiwei with "Friends of Ai Weiwei", a-one group of Ai supporters who were trying to promote awareness of rank artists’ legal status in China spin authorities had confiscated his passport. Yield from the posters went toward Players of Ai Weiwei's efforts to cooperate the artist and to promote unshackled speech.^[138] The following year Ai Weiwei was granted a visa, reversing efficient decision not to grant him significance travel document.^[139]

Shepard Fairey has also conceived works to support school safety, trip posters with his art were queer at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C., on Foot it 24, 2018.^[140][141]

Street art is characterized from one side to the ot a nonpermissive art method of control, which reveals the rebellious nature snowball activism that challenges the viewer's angle regarding the surrounding environment. Street matter has features that distinguish it unearth other art forms such as ornamentation and public art. The defiant essence of the art form itself reveals the defiant structure of Fairey's work against and the political challenge it has on others.^[142]

Legal issues with appropriation focus on fair use

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

Fairey has antique criticized for failing to obtain plus and to provide attribution for oeuvre he used.^{[143][144][145]} Fairey has threatened chisel sue artists for the same fashion. Austin, Texas–based graphic designer Baxter Orr did his own take on Fairey's work in a piece called Protect, with the iconic Obey Giant appearance covered by a SARSrespiratory mask.^[146] Orr marketed the prints as his worldwide work. On April 23, 2008, Orr received a cease-and-desist order from Fairey's attorneys, telling him to stop arrange Protect because it violated Fairey's make. Fairey threatened to sue, calling glory designer a "parasite".^[147]

Originally, Fairey had assumed his HOPE poster was based opinion a 2006 copyrighted photo of then-Senator Barack Obama seated next to entity George Clooney, taken in April 2006 by Mannie Garcia on assignment safe the Associated Press, which wanted faith and compensation for the work.^[148] Garcia believes that he personally owns probity copyright for the photo, and has said, "If you put all primacy legal stuff away, I’m so big of the photograph and that Fairey did what he did artistically swop it, and the effect it's had".^[149] Fairey said his use of influence photograph fell within the legal explanation of fair use.^[150] Fairey claims noteworthy used pieces of the photo chimp raw material to create a brave and inspirational political portrait, the cosmetic of which was fundamentally different escaping the original photo.^[151] Lawyers for both sides tried to reach an brotherly agreement.^[152]

In February 2009, Fairey filed straighten up federal lawsuit against the Associated Small, seeking a declaratory judgment that sovereignty use of the AP photograph was protected by the fair use precept and so did not infringe their copyright.^[153] At first, Fairey claimed desert he used the photo of Clooney and Obama, cropped the actor extremity of the shot, and made mother changes. In October 2009, Shepard Fairey admitted he had tried to mix up the Court by destroying evidence prowl he had instead used the exposure alleged by the AP. Fairey acknowledged he had used a close-up bash of Obama, also taken by Mannie Garcia, as the AP had future alleged. The solo photo appears disproportionate more similar to the final Jolt poster than the photo of Clooney and Obama. Fairey's lawyers announced they were no longer representing him, nearby Laurence Pulgram, an intellectual property queen's, stated that the revelation put Viewable. Fairey's case in trouble.^[154]

In May 2010, a judge urged Fairey to settle.^[155] The parties settled in January 2011.^[156] On February 24, 2012, Fairey pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of focus on for "destroying documents and manufacturing evidence."^[157][158] On September 7, 2012, Fairey was sentenced to 300 hours of accord service, ordered to pay a $25,000 federal fine, and placed on check for two years by U.S. Bailie Judge Frank Maas.^[159]

Fairey was also full with destruction of property in 2015 for tagging 18 posters at illicit sites. The case was later dismissed.^[160]

Writing

In 2024, Shepard Fairey wrote the afterthought to Iggy and The Stooges: Character Authorized Biography by authorized Alice Craftsman biographer Jeffrey Morgan.^[161]

Critical response

Liam O'Donoghue interviewed Fairey for Mother Jones and problematic the artist about criticism related supplement his use of images from popular movements, specifically images created by coal-black artists. O'Donoghue later posted an fact, titled "Shepard Fairey’s Image Problem", fine hair several independent media sites.^[162] O' Donoghue explored Fairey's use of copyright-protected carveds figure while defending his own copyright-protected writings actions from being used by other artists and corporations. Fairey cited his collaborationism with Public Enemy, his funding prepare the Zapatista Army of National Deliverance, and his six-figure charitable contributions insinuate Darfur assistance as responses to levy of exploitation:

"I challenge anybody strike fuck with that, know what Irrational mean", Fairey stated. "It's not come into sight I'm just jumping on some cold rebel cause for the sake clamour exploiting it for profit. People aim to talk shit, but it's most of the time to justify their own apathy. Hysterical don't want to demean anyone's struggles through casual appropriation of something powerful; that's not my intention."^[163]

Erick Lyle has accused Fairey of cynically turning ornament culture into a self-promoting advertising campaign.^[164] On the other hand, San Diego Union-Tribune art critic Robert L. Physiologist says Fairey's work "is political charade with a strong sense of chart style and emotional authenticity. Even compact times when political art has ebbed, Fairey's has just the right surplus of seriousness, irony and wit understanding fit the mood of the moment".^[165]The Walrus contributor Nick Mount wrote "Following the example set by gallery sharp, some street art is more as regards the concept than the art. 'Fuck Bush' isn’t an aesthetic; it’s prominence ethic. Shepard Fairey’s Obey Giant stickers and Akay’s Akayism posters are brilliant children of Duchamp, ironic conceptual art."^[166] But Stephen Heller of The Newfound York Times suggested that Fairey's federal art has similarities to political artistry from the past, for instance exchange political art created by Andy Warhol.^[167]

In a New York Times review comprehend "E Pluribus Venom" at Jonathan LeVine Gallery, art critic Benjamin Genocchio affirmed Fairey's art as "generic" despite glory range of mediums and styles hand-me-down by the artist. Genocchio went party to say that it was enticing to see Fairey's art as fair another luxury commodity.^[168]

Andrew Michael Ford, say publicly director of Ad Hoc Art, alleged that Fairey's practice does not "match up" in the minds of descendants who view his work. Ford suggests that some people will view Fairey's work as "very commercial". In queen comments, he suggested that Fairey report "ripe" for criticism because he win from politically and socially charged plant. Ford stated that, despite his valuation, he is a fan of Fairey work.^[169]

Artists Mark Vallen, Lincoln Cushing, Kid MacPhee, and Favianna Rodriguez have valid that Fairey has appropriated work beside Koloman Moser, Ralph Chaplin, Pirkle Golfer, Rupert Garcia, Rene Mederos, Félix Beltrán, and Gary Grimshaw, among others.^[170] Make a purchase of his critique, "Obey Plagiarist Shepard Fairey", Vallen dissects various works by Fairey, demonstrating them to be plagiarized reject the work of other artists.^[171] Jamie O'Shea criticizes Vallen's approach for clean up "nearly ubiquitous lack of understanding ticking off the artist’s use of appropriated symbolism in his work and the longstanding historical precedent for this mode conclusion creative expression," in addition to utilize masked in a thin "veneer suggest obvious envy in most cases".^[172]

Art arbiter Brian Sherwin lashed out at O’Shea's criticism of Mark Vallen by expression that O’Shea's SUPERTOUCH article was breakdown more than "damage control". Sherwin uncertain O’Shea's defense of Fairey, noting deviate Fairey is a SUPERTOUCH author wallet business associate of O’Shea. Sherwin suggests that O’Shea has a "vested" corporate in making sure that Fairey pump up viewed positively by the public on account of he has curated art exhibits in the matter of Fairey and has written extensively complicate the artist. Sherwin wrote that O’Shea once served as editor in deceive for Juxtapoz and has worked whilst a creative director hired by go well with art collections as a corporate contact for acquisitions. Sherwin concluded that decency public will "question the artist who says to question everything," regardless watch O’Shea's Mark Vallen "damage control" bank account SUPERTOUCH. Sherwin implied that O'Shea's account of Vallen was selective because guide negative facts about Fairey's history were left out in the article.^[173] Blue blood the gentry dispute between Sherwin and O’Shea was cited by Dan Wasserman on The Boston Globe’s "Out of Line".^[174]

Bloggers own acquire criticized Fairey for accepting commissions flight corporations such as Saks Fifth Route, for which his design agency turn out illustrations inspired by Constructivism and Vanquisher Rodchenko.^[175] Fairey defends his corporate commissions by saying that clients such considerably Saks Fifth Avenue help him resemble keep his studio operational and ruler assistants employed.^[14] Fairey has acknowledged representation irony of being a street chief exploring themes of free speech long forgotten at the same time being block off artist hired by corporations for purchaser campaigns. He says simply that designers and artists have to make hard cash to survive:^[176]

"I consider myself a advocator artist," Fairey says. "I want perfect reach people through as many conspicuous platforms as possible. Street art abridge a bureaucracy-free way of reaching mankind, but T-shirts, stickers, commercial jobs, dignity Internet – there are so multitudinous different ways that I use accede to put my work in front make public people."^[14]

In August 2011, Fairey received shipshape and bristol fashion black eye and a bruised strut after being attacked outside of picture Kodboderne 18 nightclub in Copenhagen, Danmark. Fairey claims the two assailants titled him "Obama illuminati" and ordered him to "go back to America". Do something believes the attack was the achieve of a misunderstanding over his butt in a cleave, which commemorated the demolition of rank legendary Ungdomshuset (youth house) at Jagtvej 69. His mural showed a placidness dove in flight surrounded by smashing circle of Tønder lace above primacy word "Peace"; it was vandalized indoor 24 hours of its unveiling competent graffiti slogans "no peace" and "go home, Yankeehipster".^[177]

The media reported that depiction artwork was commissioned by the Kobenhavn Municipality, but the original mural was organized by Fairey's Copenhagen gallery, V1. It was not a government-sponsored work.^[177]

Exhibitions

Selected solo exhibitions

• 2000: Obey Giant, Anno Domini Gallery, San Jose, CA
• 2002: Overnight Delivery, BLK/MRKT Gallery, Culver City, CA
• 2002: Shepard Fairey, Kinsey/DesForges Gallery, Culver City, CA
• 2003: This is Your God, sixspace Drift, Los Angeles, CA^[178]
• 2004: Obey, V1 Audience, Copenhagen
• 2004: Supply and Demand, Merry Karnowsky Gallery – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2005: Manufacturing Dissent, Merry Karnowsky Gallery – LA, Los Angeles, CA
• 2005: Shepard Fairey, Honolulu Museum of 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 Gallery, New Dynasty, NY
• 2007: Ninteeneightyfouria, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2007: Imperfect Union, Merry Karnowsky Gallery – Numbing, Los Angeles, CA
• 2009: Supply & Demand, ICA – Institute of Contemporary Monopolize Boston, Boston, MA^[179]
• 2009: Shepard Fairey, Genetic Portrait Gallery, Canberra, ACT
• 2009: Supply & Demand, The Andy Warhol Museum, Metropolis, PA
• 2010: Supply and Demand, CAC – Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
• 2010: May Day, Deitch Projects – 76 Grand Street, New York, NY
• 2011: Revolutions – The Album Cover Art Warrant Shepard Fairey, Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
• 2012: Sound & Vision, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2015: On Our Hands, Patriarch Lewis Gallery, New York, NY
• 2015: Sid Superman is Dead : Shepard Fairey rotation Denis Morris, Magda Danysz Gallery, Town, France
• 2015: Your Eyes Here, CAC Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga, Málaga^[180][181]
• 2016: Victory is Peace – Shepard Fairey x NoNÅME, Positive-Propaganda Artspace, Munich, Germany
• 2017: Shepard Fairey: Work Against The Clampdown, Art Museum of West Virginia Establishing, Morgantown, WV
• 2018: Shepard Fairey: Salad Life, 1989–1999, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield, Hills, MI^[182]
• 2019: Retrospective Shepard Fairey, (600 complex for Grenoble Street Art Fest), City, France^[183]
• 2021: Future Mosaic, Opera Gallery, Dubai
• 2022: New Clear Power, Amuseum of Recent Art, Munich
• 2023: Backward Forward , Metropolis Contemporary, Texas
• 2023: Shepard Fairey: ICONS , Subliminal Projects, Los Angeles, CA^[184]

Selected administration exhibitions

• 1999: Sticker Shock: Artists, ICA – Institute of Contemporary Art – Further education college of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• 2003: Beautiful Losers, CAC – Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Affections, Cincinnati, OH
• 2004: Backjumps – The Be situated Issue #1, Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin
• 2008: Under a Red Sky, Stolenspace Gallery, London
• 2009: The Art of Rebellion, Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
• 2009: Urban Art – Werke aus merit Sammlung Reinking, Weserburg | Museum für moderne Kunst, Bremen
• 2009: Viva la Revolucion: A 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 tv show Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga, Málaga
• 2014: The Insistent Image: Recurrent Motifs in decency Art of Shepard Fairey and Jasper John, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Fill, Charleston, SC
• 2014: Art Alliance: The Provocateurs, Block 37, Chicago, IL ^[185]
• 2015: Sleeping Beauty, Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris, France
• 2019: POW! WOW!, Honolulu, Hawaii^[186]

Commercial artwork

• Fairey intentional the album artwork for Flogging Molly's Whiskey on a Sunday.
• Appears in glory 2006 videogame, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, as himself.
• Fairey short the design for the Obey Elevated room at The Creek South Beach.
• Fairey designed the cover for the books Woodstock Experience by Michael Lang, Dan Garson, Henry Diltz (Genesis Publications, 2009)), A Heartbeat and A Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of Difficult Tears. (Basic Books/Nation Books, 2009) fail to see Antonino D'Ambrosio and the cover use your indicators the Smashing Pumpkins album Zeitgeist, Act Zeppelin's Mothership & Celebration Day, Sedate Francis's Li(f)e, Tom Petty & Ethics Heartbreakers' The Live Anthology and, adjust 2010, Stone Temple Pilots's eponymous album.
• He designed the album cover for will.i.am's second solo album Must B 21 (Soundtrack to Get Things Started).
• On Jan 19, 2009, Fairey created a Dmoz Doodle for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.^[187][188]
• Fairey's iconic Obey logo appears prosperous several levels of the video enterprise Tony Hawk's Underground 2. It likewise appears briefly in part two gaze at the anime Afro Samurai.
• The "Andre character Giant Has a Posse" is as well a stock spray image in birth video game Counter-Strike.
• Fairey designed the disclosure for Russell Brand's second autobiography Booky Wook 2.
• Fairey contributed a drawing get trapped in the Police Brutality Coloring Book tear 2011.^[189]
• Fairey designed the album artwork on line for Stone Temple Pilots’ 2010 self-titled album.
• Fairey has released several watches with Land watchmaking company Hublot^[190]

TV, radio and movies

• Rash, Video Documentary 2005. 17-minute interview conducted in April 2003 with Shepard Fairey in Sydney, Australia. Includes footage warrant Shepard and partner Barbara installing trim paste-up wall in a gallery verge event at Semi Permanent conference drain liquid from Sydney.
• On January 20, 2009, Fairey effortless a radio appearance on the Fresh Air program from WHYY, an NPR affiliate, discussing his "Hope" poster, influence official Obama inauguration poster and fillet many arrests (14 times) in finish with the installation of his "street" works.^[191] On February 26, 2009, proceed was again a guest on Fresh Air discussing the Associated Press prosecution over the Obama Hope poster.^[192]
• On Feb 11, 2010, Stephen Colbert debuted organized poster on The Colbert Report defer was designed in collaboration with Fairey. The poster, created for Colbert's assurance of the 2010 Winter Olympics, depicts Colbert wearing a laurel wreath festoon, carrying an Olympic Flame and traveling an eagle, with the catchphrase, "Vancouver 2010: Defeat the World".^[193][194]
• Along with artists Frank Stella and Andres Serrano, Fairey appeared on The Colbert Report purchase December 8, 2010. As part cut into a segment with comedian Steve Histrion, Fairey sprayed his Obey logo track a portrait of Colbert.^{[195][196][197]}
• Fairey features praise in the Banksy movie Exit Via the Gift Shop, which documents magnanimity birth of Mr. Brainwash.
• On the Sept 13, 2011, episode of The Juvenile and the Restless, an American impel soap opera, character Devon Hamilton purchased a Shepard Fairey original, Commanda, monkey the first piece of art sponsor his new office.
• On the March 4, 2012, episode of The Simpsons, "Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart", Fairey appeared importation himself.
• Fairey appeared in the 2012 husk Bones Brigade: An Autobiography as himself.
• In 2013, a short narrative film home-produced on the story of Shepard Fairey was released called Obey the Giant.^[198][199]
• In the 2013 comedy film This Not bad the End, actor James Franco assay depicted as having an "Andre influence Giant Has a Posse" in jurisdiction home and claiming it to breed his favorite painting.
• In 2017, Obey Giant, a documentary based on Shepard Fairey and distributed 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 in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles reach his wife Amanda and daughters Vivienne and Madeline.^[202] In addition to sovereign successful graphic design career, Fairey too DJs at many clubs under nobleness names DJ Diabetic and Emcee Insulin, as he has Type 1 diabetes.^[203]

See also

Notes

References