Called by The New Yorker art critic Peter Schjeldahl "the most efficacious American political illustration since 'Uncle Sam Wants You,'"Fairey created a series of posters supporting Barack Obama's 2008 candidacy for President of the United States, including the iconic "HOPE" portrait. He also created an exclusive design for Rock the Vote. Because the HOPE poster had been "perpetuated illegally" and independently by the street artist, the Obama campaign could not risk any direct affiliation with it. Although the campaign officially disavowed any involvement in the creation or popularization of the poster, Fairey has commented in interviews that he was in communication with campaign officials during the period immediately following the poster's release. Fairey has stated that the original version featured the word "PROGRESS" instead of the word "HOPE," and that within weeks of its release, the campaign requested that he issue (and legally disseminate) a new version, keeping the powerful image of Obama's face but captioning it with the word "HOPE." The campaign openly embraced the revised poster along with two additional Fairey posters that featured the words "CHANGE" and "VOTE."Fairey distributed 300,000 stickers and 500,000 posters during the campaign funding his grassroots electioneering through poster and fine art sales. "I just put all that money back into making more stuff, so I didn't keep any of the Obama money," said Fairey in December 2008. In February 2008 (ten months before Election Day), Fairey received a letter of thanks from Barack Obama for his contribution to the campaign. The letter stated:
"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 change the status-quo. Your images have a profound effect on people, whether seen in a gallery or on a stop sign. I am privileged to be a part of your artwork and proud to have your support. -- Barack Obama, February 22, 2008"
In January 2009, the "HOPE" portrait was acquired by the US National Portrait Gallery and made part of its permanent collection. It was unveiled and put on display on January 17, 2009.
...Shepard Fairy appropriated this image from an associated press news release photograph...A large percent of Fairy's works originally start out as images that he is culling from TV, newspapers, magazines, and advertisements. He then takes the images and makes stencils by enlarging and then tracing them. The stencil is then used as a template where he spray paints through it to leave the image where ever he may choose. Fairy comes from a graffiti background, where this process was used for "tagging".
In February of this year, Shepard Fairy is opened his first ever major solo exhibition at Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art.
Does Shepard Fairy's use of images from the media change how we see him as a legitimate artist? Does Mr. Obama's comments in his letter to Fairy help legitimize this way of working?How So?
Are images from the media open to change and public use?...by changing them slightly, are they now different images or "new" works then?
Artists throughout history studied their subjects and looked at objects when painting them...If current theory says we encounter life through fragmented reproductions, then is Shepard Fairy doing what simply comes natural for an artist today? Take a position and explain...
