From OBEY to HOPE
Even in the fast-moving world of the 21st Century, Shepard Fairey has managed to retain a consistent reputation as one of America’s foremost graphic artists for over 30 years. Shepard Fairley posters have been played a huge part in that reputation.
His success is both undeniable and ground-breaking. From spearheading the ‘OBEY’ street art campaign which has found its way all over American cityscapes, to designing Barack Obama’s hugely successful ‘HOPE’ poster, Fairey has secured his place in contemporary art history.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 10 posters which trace Shepard Fairey’s important legacy.
No Bees No Honey - 2022
Inspired by the song ‘Johnny Appleseed’ by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Fairey’s 2022 poster ‘No Bees No Honey’ casts a laser-focused eye on environmental change.
What’s so interesting about this poster, beyond the stark colours and arresting imagery, is the geometric lines which take full prominence. The way the lines move inwards mirrors the geometry of the ‘radioactive’ symbol. The implication here is that without bees and a sustainable environment, we may as well be living in a nuclear wasteland.
The message of “Johnny Appleseed/Janie Appleseed | To reverse the earth’s destruction | You’re the ones we need” is stark and unsubtle – but in desperate times, Fairey might well be stressing the fact that a stark message is important.
No Bees No Honey
The Future is Equal – ERA
The Future is Equal - ERA - 2022
Fairey has always been one to lay his politics on his sleeves, preferring to go for the instantly iconic rather than the wilfully obscure. This aesthetic worked well for him with Barack Obama’s ‘HOPE’ poster, and it has continued to serve him well in recent years.
The Future is Equal poster (which was designed as part of a decades-long campaign to introduce an Equal Rights Amendment – ERA – to the American Constitution), takes well-known symbols of America’s legal, judicial, and activist spheres, and brings them together in a montage style over the image of a young woman.
The shading, colouring, and minimal style are all signature Fairey.
Bedtime for Democracy - 2021
Created in collaboration with the NoNAME art grouping, Shepard Fairey’s ‘Bedtime for Democracy’ poster reworks a similar poster which was created by Fairey in 2015.
In both posters, Fairey (and his collaborators), take aim at the prevailing insidious influence of capitalism – symbolised potently by a simple, yet probably clandestine, handshake. The text reads ‘Hand in Hand Against Covid | Every crisis is an opportunity’, with a pulsating sun in the background – beating down on an arid landscape – and cufflinks made out of the dollar symbol and the Justice Scales.
In the aftermath of devastating lockdowns and global disasters caused by Covid, Fairey asks us to point our attention at the oligarchs and 1% who have profited from the chaos that the pandemic has caused.
Bedtime for Democracy
Proud Parents
Proud Parents - 2019
Once again, Fairey opts for a provocative image over something oblique or obscure.
In ‘Proud Parents’, the artist takes a swipe at modern American values, which, in his view, have domesticated and normalised the horrors of war-for-profit.
The vintage design was likely chosen to poke fun at 20th Century propaganda posters and what they might say about the USA in the 21st Century, while the deliberate misspellings are also meant to be tongue-in-cheek satirical puns…
O.G. RIPS - 2019
The key to fully understanding the oeuvre of Shepard Fairey is to remember that much of his work owes a debt to French professional wrestler Andre The Giant (as strange as that sounds!)
Inspired by this larger-than-life character, Fairey’s first poster campaign was a stencilled depiction of the wrestler, called ‘Andre The Giant Has A Posse. This image became a viral success in the 1990s.
This then led to the success of the ‘OBEY’ campaign, in many ways was the cornerstone of Fairey’s entire career. By twists and turns, ‘OBEY’ has come to be related to modern dissent, protesting, and subcultures in America.
‘O.G. RIPS’ was created to commemorate 30 years since the original Andre poster. The poster itself is made up of ‘rips’ – which mimic the way that posters regularly get ripped down from public spaces. But under these rips – more colour and creativity come bursting forth.
A pleasing, deeply symbolic commemorative poster.
O.G. RIPS
Black Gold
Black Gold - 2015
Working from the same mould as many of his other iconic posters, Fairey links together the tobacco industry and the non-renewable energy industries§ in order to deride both of them.
Here, the vintage style that Fairey has perfected in his art works really, really well. He parodies old advertisements which would previously have highlighted the benefits of smoking. The disembodied hand in this image looks both inviting and sinister – and that’s very much the point!
God Saves & Satan Invests (NRA) - 2016
Fairey himself said that this poster has a “controversial message, but [it’s] worth the conversation it sparks.”
In many ways, however, it’s no more controversial than any other of Fairey’s other posters and is very much in keeping with his political leanings.
The poster was created in the wake of the Orlando Nightclub Shootings. Rather than being a vague message against guns in America, Fairey’s criticism is actually quite focused and succinct. He depicts an assault rifle rather than a handgun because of an AR’s strong potential for devastating mass murder, and he directs his message squarely against the NRA (National Rifle Association), as well as acting their supposedly religious leanings, by alluding to the idea that Satan has “invested” in them.
God Saves & Satan Invests (NRA)
Be the Change
Be the Change - 2008
‘Be the Change’ was unveiled ahead of Obama’s Inauguration as President on January 20th, 2009. It came after the success of Fairey’s ‘Hope’ poster, which was a pivotal part of the Obama campaign.
Fairey’s Obama posters have been credited for how well they worked in the context of the early days of social media and meme-making. This ‘Be the Change’ poster was something of a victory lap for Fairey, following his – and Obama’s – success the previous year.
Make Art Not War - 2004
With this poster, Fairey positions his work within a wider context of political struggle throughout the world.
The poster is a reworking of a separate political poster which was used by activists during the Prague Spring in 1968, in which a young girl approaches a soldier with flowers.
Fairey, here, sees his work as part of a perennial effort to encourage peace through artistry.
Make Art Not War
Marilyn Warhol
Marilyn Warhol - 2000
Last but not least… a poster which shows Fairey eschewing any obvious political leanings and simply indulging in his own creativity.
In this poster, Fairey pays homage to Andy Warhol – who he counts as a major inspiration – and he morphs together Warhol’s iconic image of Marilyn Monroe with his own rendering of Andre the Giant.
Like all of Fairey’s creations, whatever their context (or lack of context), it’s instantly memorable.
Playing Politics with Art
In an era of fraught, divisive politics in America, clear-sighted artists can sometimes focus our attention in a way that news, speeches, or debates simply can’t.
Fairey has been very consistent with his political stance throughout his illustrious career. But even as he takes direct aim at capitalism, the far-right, and the corrupt elements of American culture, he’s still managed to retain a style which is sometimes playful, sometimes darkly humorous – but always impactful.
