Barack Obama endorses graffitti, claims Shepard Fairey
Posted By David Markland On May 18, 2008 @ 1:39 am In Art, Politics | Comments Disabled
Sunday’s Washington Post profiles Echo Park artist Shephard Fairey [1] regarding his iconic Barack Obama posters which have sold 80,000 copies so far, artist signed prints fetching $5,900 on eBay, and have been applauded by the Presidential front runner himself:
Fairey rummages around on his desk and produces a letter from Obama himself. “Dear Shepard,” the candidate writes. “I would like to thank you for using your talent in support of my campaign. The political messages involved in your work have encouraged Americans to believe they can help change the status quo. Your images have a profound effect on people, whether seen in a gallery or on a stop sign.”
Messages. Images. Effect. Someone understands phenomenology. And the thing about stop signs? “He’s kind of endorsing graffiti,” Fairey says, “isn’t he?”
While new runs of the poster repeatedly sell out, Fairey has made downloadable copy available online, for free. His next Obama project will be”ten thousand bicycle spoke cards.”
Interesting article, although it fails to ask Fairey what he thinks of the spoof “Snobama” posters [2] inspired by his work.
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Article printed from Los Angeles Metblogs: http://la.metblogs.com
URL to article: http://la.metblogs.com/2008/05/18/barack-obama-endorses-graffitti-claims-shepard-fairey/
URLs in this post:
[1] Sunday’s Washington Post profiles Echo Park artist Shephard Fairey: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051601017.html?nav=rss_politics
[2] the spoof “Snobama” posters: http://californiafaultline.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/snobama/
[3] More fun with Shepard Fairey and the Obama image: http://la.metblogs.com/2009/02/05/more-fun-with-shepard-fairey-and-the-obama-image/
[4] Obama commemorative plates by Shepard Fairey: http://la.metblogs.com/2009/01/23/obama-commemorative-plates-by-shepherd-fairey/
[5] Shepard Fairey on Colbert: http://la.metblogs.com/2009/01/16/shepard-fairey-on-colbert/
[6] Shepard Fairey speaks about the AP/Obama image: http://la.metblogs.com/2009/03/24/shepard-fairey-speaks/
[7] Taggers Have Lawyers Too: Shepard Fairey Sues AP: http://la.metblogs.com/2009/02/09/taggers-have-lawyers-too-shepard-fairey-sues-ap/
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