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.
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.
