The Protester Is Time Magazines Person Of The Year

The Protester, Fairey says his cover image is based on a composite of 26 different photographs of real protests from around the world. “These organic protest movements have arisen around the globe and a lot of it was fueled by social media, but it was a pervasive phenomenon,” he said. “It wasn’t one specific movement but general unrest. I wanted to look for ideas to represent that.”

New Shepard Fairey Print "Imperial Glory"

Shepard Fairey's Revolution Box Set

Long before I knew about art galleries or even street art, I was excited about album cover art, if only because it was the visual counterpart to the music on the records I loved. Album covers conjured a euphoric association with the listening experience. Most of my earliest home-made tee shirts were stencils based on punk album covers… No matter how much I love art, or try to convince myself of its relevance in society, the fact remains that music is a lot cooler and way more able to reach people’s hearts and minds… but I’m a populist and I look at it this way: I may not play an instrument, but I’m gonna rock it hard as nails anyway. With my art I try to capture the same energy and spirit that makes music so powerful and democratic. REVOLUTIONS is a celebration of all the great music and accompanying art that has inspired me over the years.

Shepard Fariey "They Live" Poster

Fairey credits They Live as a “major source of inspiraton” for his own subversive brand of street art. “They Live was … the basis for my use of the word ‘obey,’” Fairey said in a statement. “The movie has a very strong message about the power of commercialism and the way that people are manipulated by advertising.”

Describing his 2003 exhibition, This Is Your God, Fairey noted: “One of my main concepts with the show, and the [Obey] campaign as a whole, was that obedience is the most valuable currency. People rarely consider how much power they sacrifice by blindly following a self-serving corporation’s marketing agenda, and how their spending habits reflect the direction in which they choose to transfer power.” They Live addresses those same issues, Fairey said.

Auction For Skateistan

Skateistan is a school in Kabul where about 400 kids, boys and girls, “rich” and poor – skate on a daily basis and learn things like photography, carpentry, drama, English and much much more.

The school was established in 2008 and built a professional indoor skateboard park in 2009 – with the help of the fundraisers in Denmark.

Now in 2011 we are collecting money so that Skateistan can expand and build an outdoor facility for the kids so they can skate even when the school is not open.

ALL income from this auction goes directly to Skateistan in Kabul – all fees and commissions also (Donated by the auction house Lauritz.com) Skateistan Denmark is run 100% volunter, we have no paid staff, skateboards and shipping is sponsored by BLIND skateboards and Blue Water Shipping – so if you spend 1000 Dollars on one of theese works of art – 1000 Dollars will go to Skateistan.

Death Cab For Cutie + Shepard Fairey

From the Obey Clothing Blog:

I have been a fan of Death Cab for years so I was excited to hear from bassist Nick Harmer about his idea to collaborate on a video piece for their song Home Is A Fire. I love the democracy of music and I’m always excited to bundle visual art with great music. Nick sent me the lyrics to Home Is A Fire and they evoked the duality of “home” both as a place you inhabit, and also as a place that inhabits or traps you. One’s relationship with home might be complicated, but ultimately it can be a two-way dialogue, of which we can at least affect one-way. The city can be an impersonal place, imposing, simultaneously anonymous and claustrophobic. However, there are opportunities for us to affect the city(and life) experience rather than accepting things as passive voyeurs. We all have fears and insecurities about ourselves and our circumstances, but if we have the courage to take risks and participate we can adapt and embrace the flux, rather than fear it. This video is about illustrating these ideas and the multiple dimensions of the city experience by taking the viewer on a journey to encounter the Home Is A Fire  lyrics as street art.  Street art appeals  because it makes the landscape a little less dreary for the viewer, and it is a bureaucracy free creative outlet for the participants. I would say that a street art call to action is “if you don’t like your home… reshape it”. The power of street art is in its intrigue and authenticity , so it was crucial to actually put all the lyrics and images up on the streets. We wanted the viewer to experience the urban environment in a very real and intimate way that celebrates that one person’s wart is another’s beauty mark. Some of the art was put up prior to the video shoot in places that seemed appropriate to the lyrical themes, while other pieces were put up during the shoot. We filmed the preparation of materials as well to demonstrate the energy and process involved in becoming pro-active. Some of the street art was cleaned within a day. Street art, like everything, is ephemeral but I hope that in watching this video and listening to the song, people see a little magic and potential in the unappreciated details of the landscape of their lives, no matter how fleeting they may be.

Thank you to all the people who helped make this video happen.
-Shepard Fairey

Obey Mural In Austin, Texas

Benefit Print For Japan

Shepard Fairey's 50th Anniversary Print for Peace Corps

Henry Rollins Print by Shepard Fairey and Glen E. Friedman

Hank turns 50 tomorrow.

Street Artists Get You Drunk!

Check out the drink menu from the Wynwood Kitchen & Bar. Some of our favorite street artists like Shepard Fariey, Future, Ron English and BarryMcGee now have their own alcoholic beverages. The David Ellis is no joke!

DAVID ELLIS
Squid Ink, Hot Sauce, 151, Olive Brine, Horseradish

FUTURA
Vanilla Vodka, Grand Marnier, Orange Juice

SHEPARD FAIREY
Vodka, Black Rasberry Liquer, Cranberry Juice

CHRISTIAN AWE
Champagne, Peach Juice, Lime, Mint, Raspberries

DAVID SHERRY
Jalapeño, Tequila, Pear Schnapps, Triple Sec

OS GEMEOS
Fresh Grapes and Strawberries, Grape Vodka, Raspberry Liquer

NUNCA
Sake Caipirinha, Strawberries

RON ENGLISH
Apple Vodka, Ginger, Sweet Vermouth

JIM DRAIN / ARA PETERSON
Rum, Prune Juice, Tonic, Fresh Lime

KENNY SCHARF

Tequila and Berry Infusion

BARRY MCGEE
Elderflower, Orange Bitters, Strawberry, Prosecco

DEARRAINDROP
Youngs Double Chocolate Stout and Framboise Lambic

CLARE ROJAS
Bloody Mary with A Twist

BEN WOLF
Cucumber, Sake, Fresh Lime, Gin

AIKO
Plum Wine, Ginger Beer, Lime, Fresh Ginger

AVAF
Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth, Rum Soaked Cherries

RYAN MCGINNESS
Raspberry Vodka, Lemon Juice, Tonic

Custom Manhole Covers by Shepard Fairey, Invader, London Police, Flying Fortress and Rendo

In most cities, you want to keep your head up and eyes peeled or you might miss something interesting. In the Fashion District of Milan, however, it would be understandable if you choose to stare at the ground. The reason being - these awesome manhole covers by artist Shepard Fairey, Invader, London Police, Flying Fortress and Rendo.

Something Good Happened Today

Aung San Suu Kyi has been freed. She is Burma's elected leader but has spent 15 years under house arrest.

Image by Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey Goes Pop

Here is a brief explanation of the POW(ER) print. I was asked by my longtime friends at PAPER magazine to guest edit their art issue. I gladly  accepted, and the issue should be out later in Nov. In the issue my friend and PAPER editor Carlo McCormick, who wrote an essay for my book “Supply And Demand”, wrote a fantastic essay about the evolution of visual culture from Pop Art to street art, and the impact of the internet and media saturation. To illustrate Carlo’s essay I created the POW(ER) image. The image is an homage to influential Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein, who appropriated and re-painted comic frames often transforming them in meaning and context. I have often described my art as a fusion of Pop Art, street art, and political art. I utilize the platform created by Pop Art, but I try to take my work even more directly to the people. Like Pop artists before me, I utilize a vocabulary of familiar cultural visual references. In fact, after I conceived of the POW(ER) image and did some further research on Lichtenstein, I discovered an image he had made of a woman holding a can of spray paint or hairspray. The image looked familiar to me, because a few years ago I re-illustrated the same piece of clip art that Lichtenstein referenced for his spray paint/hair spray painting. The connection was was too serendipitous to ignore and I proceeded to create the POW(ER) image. For me, street art has always been about populism and emPOWERment. The recent embrace of street art in the art world as a legitimate genre demonstrates the power of accessible, relatable imagery, and in many ways builds upon the triumphs of Pop Art. Check out the PAPER issue when it comes out to read Carlo’s excellent essay.

-Shepard

New Print From Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey's Arctic National Wildlife Refuse 50Th Anniversary Print.

John and Yoko by Shepard Fairey

New Shepard Fairey Print "Moon Over Biloxi"

The title of this print “Moon Over Biloxi” is a tribute to the Dead Kennedy’s song “Moon Over Marin”. In 1984 I picked up maybe my 4th punk record which was the 2nd Dead Kennedy’s album “Plastic Surgery Disasters”. The album is a great listen all the way through and includes some blistering tunes like “Riot” and “Bleed For Me” laced with social commentary. The surprise song though is “Moon Over Marin”… detractors have called it the Dead Kennedy’s “U2″ song, but I disagree. “Moon Over Marin” is more melodic than most DK, but juxtaposed with the darkness of the lyrics, the song evokes a powerful sense of existential melancholy. I think the concept that struck me, and stuck with me, is that our disrespect of each other and the planet may doom us , but things will continue without us. I think it is healthy to recognize impermanence, but also to appreciate the value of the ephemeral. Moonlight, real or electric, will probably be around, but what it will be casting light on is the real question. There will always be a moon over Biloxi.
-Shepard

Shepard Fairey and City Kids: Social Justice and Street Art

The New York CityKids organization is a non-profit youth development program that brings together young adults in inner-city communities. Under the theme “A Positive Thought Cannot Be Denied,” CityKids worked with contemporary artist Shepard Fairey last month to organize a series of murals and expression of ideas on issues of social justice. These topics ranged from teen violence to environmental and education-related issues; the participating youth were encouraged to build on Fairey’s street-art aesthetic to share their perspective through art.

New Shepard Fairey 'Ali'

New Shepard Fairey Piece In SOHO

I really like this one.