SHEPARD FAIREY (aka OBEY) – The son of a doctor and a real
estate agent, Fairey grew up in South Carolina and studied
at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, where he graduated in 1988.
In 1989, he created the street art campaign Andre the
Giant Has a Posse, putting up stickers around the city with
the face of the wrester André the Giant. Fairey explained
that there was no meaning behind the subject; the point of
the campaign, he said, was to produce a media
phenomenon and to encourage citizens to reflect on their
rapport with the urban environment. The campaign that
skyrocketed Fairey to international success was his Hope
poster, which depicted the stylized face of Barack Obama
in four colours, becoming an icon for the presidential
candidate’s campaign that led him all the way to the White
House. Art critic Peter Schjeldahl defined the poster as “the
most efficacious American political illustration since ‘Uncle
Sam Wants You’”. The poster also appeared throughout the
2008 campaign season with two other words: “Change”
and “Vote”. Obama’s election team never endorsed any
collaboration with Fairey, perhaps because the posters
were hung illegally, a tradition of true street art, but once
elected, the president sent a letter to the artist that was
later made public thanking him for his creative
contribution to the campaign. The letter ended with these
words “I have the privilege of being part of your artwork,
and I am proud to have your support”. Fairey is also behind
the redesign of Mozilla, the mascot for the launch of the
mozilla.org website and project.
Opere
