Meet The Man Behind The Obama Poster Phenomenon

Washington Post:

When the street artist and guerrilla marketer Shepard Fairey got word from the Obama people that they would welcome his contribution to the campaign, he knew what he wanted to create: a phenomenon.

All political art is propaganda (that is the point), but most political posters are bland, forgettable, wallpaper, like Fred Thompson on an off day. Fairey wanted something more iconic -- aspirational, inspirational -- and cool. In other words, he wanted to make posters that the cool cats would want. The 2008 Democratic primary season equivalent of the Che poster (with all that implies). More Mao, more right now. The kind of poster that might make its way onto dorm room walls of fanboys. The kind of poster that might sell on eBay, as a signed Fairey Obama recently did, for $5,900. He wanted his posters to go viral.

"I wanted strong. I wanted wise, but not intimidating," Fairey says of the look for his Obamas. The agitprop pop art has become a must-have accessory among a certain subset of the candidate's supporters, who have gobbled up more than 80,000 of Fairey's posters and 150,000 postcard-size stickers since Super Tuesday.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[jhNY]

While i recognize this iconigraphic style as deriving from such perennial collegiate fan pleasers as Che Guevara posters and Soviet Futurist works, yet, in homage to my Tennessee past I must also direct interested readers to another source of this style of image-making, which is Hatch Show Print, a Nashville-based service which made its mark and much if its money depicting country stars of yesteryear, such as Bill Monroe, Roy Acuff, etc. I have a reproduction of a Hatch Show Print used to promote live appearances by lifelong Democrat and so-called Daddy Of Them All, Ernest Tubb, on a door in my tiny New York apartment, from whence he looks askance at nearly all my big city doings..

[Dilz]

Shepard Fairey is a phony and a sell-out. Thanks for teaching marketers to invade the last ad-free space we had left, jerk.

[Gabrielle]

DOES ANY ONE KNOW WHERE YOU CAN GET THE T-SHIRT WITH THE POSTER ON IT STILL?

RESEARCHED AND RESEARCHED...CAN'T FIND IT.

[Raymondf]

That 6,000 the person spent for an Obama portrait would have fed a lot of poor people.

[BlueOnBlue]

Brilliant thinking. I guess you get real worried in casinos. Imagine how many poor people would be fed if Las Vegas ceased to exist.

Remember all those "how many poor people would be fed if we didn't go to the moon" comments years ago? Well, we stopped going to the moon and no more poor people got fed.

[paulbikes]

people have to care about the poor before they help them...

as far as those $2000 posters... well sheppard fairey's wallet is fatter

[Sabreen60]

After reading the comments, I am sincerely sorry I posted anything. This is just "stuck on stupid". As someone else said "it's a POSTER", dude. People want to make into some kind of statement about communism, patriotism and what's classic and what's not. Pleezzzz. Americans are dying in Iraq and you people want to condemn the artwork by someone because it's similar to some other artwork? Unbelievable!!!

[ResidentChimp]

After reading your comments, I'm sincerely sorry you posted anything too. That Obama and many of his key advisors have been indoctrinated in marxism and hate our Country is an important point that most people don't take the opportunity to check out. If all this had happened in November of last year Obama would have dropped out months ago. As it is, Dems are on the brink of committing hari kari for another four years. The Supers need to get their heads out of the sands and go with Hillary.

[rmetz74]

"If all this had happened in November of last year Obama would have dropped out months ago."

All what? The posters? They've been around for months.

As for marxism and hate in the candidate that Hillary herself says is identical to her on the vast majority of his policy positions... It's just too bad you're drinking so much of your own KoolAid.

[Raymondf]

I agree. Anyone who would spend 6,000 for a portrait of someone that doesn't matter is out of their mind, think of all the people that are starving and can't afford gas to drive to work to earn a living, it makes me feel this country will be no better off with Obama, even though I don't think he'll be elected anyway. I live in a town of 30,000 people in West Virginia, and we have approx 1200 homeless people, and another 5,000 below the poverty level in our town alone. This person pays 6,000 for a portrait of a nobody. Ridiculous.

[SENCvoter]

Well, Hillary Clinton is trying to sell her own poster by the artist Tony Puryear on her website, only hers has the Japanese Rising Sun radiating from behind her head. Wait, didn't Japan attack America under this flag? Symbolism aside, hers can be had for $40, and there is obviously no demand for her posters on eBay. It is obvious people want Obama. . .

[Testtubebaby]

This site sure knows how to make a mountain out of a molehill. Look at all of these overly complicated hypotheses about this man’s art. Oh please, it's just a poster. The man drew a nice poster; the man gets paid. It's the American way. Duh?

[liberalsrheros]

wrong, he didn't draw shit. he stole someone else's work. thief. infringing copyright, stealing from the person that really created the photo.

[paulbikes]

yes! thank you!

just like everything else he sells, he stole this image, dicked around in illustrator for an hour or two, and claimed it for himself. piss-poor "artist"

sadly theres no denying that its a sweet poster, i almost jacked a few at a rally... but i couldn't go that low. you know, haning sheppard fairey's vomit on my walls.

[BlueOnBlue]

Here's a shot I took of someone very inspired by Obama and one of these posters...

http://www.sigma-2.com/downingtown/images/IMG_7505.jpg

This was at one of the "whistle stop" events Obama held in PA last month. The guy on the left in this photo hung around after most people had left because he realized Obama was still in the train shed. When Obama came out, he saw he guy (now joined by another), left his Secret Service detail and came over to the train platform to wave to him.

I was stuck by the intensity of feeling on the part of this old Obama supporter and also about the connection he and Obama seemed to make. It's one of my favorite photos from the campaign.

Oh, and here's Obama waving back at the guy...

http://www.sigma-2.com/downingtown/images/IMG_7503.jpg

[Sabreen60]

Both are great shots. Thanks for sharing.

[Guynemer]

This is great. An admitted propagandist inspired by the communist representations of Che and Mao. Historically, the far Left is only too keen on removing crucifixes and menorahs from the public sector and replacing them with devotional images of their deified political icons.

[Sabreen60]

It most be really, really awful to live in a your world of fear and hate. I'm not going to get into Mao and Che, who were men larger than life. Both did some great things and some terrible things. But what the heck do they have to do with the artist rendition of Sen. Obama???? Have you in your life ever seen a copy of any "Life" magazine. The photographers took pictures of all historical figures, good and bad. As I said, I am really glad I don't live in your closed minded world.

[Guynemer]

"I am really glad I don't live in your closed minded world."

It's called the real world. You can't point out anything erroneous about what I've presented instead you jump to the defense of two of history's most misguided Marxists, the serial murderer Che and the mass murderer Mao.

Let me guess..."uh uh, but what about Bush?"

This is exactly why Obama is going to lose in the Fall. He's a capable guy, but he'll never get the stench of you and the rest of his deranged Marxist and anarchist supporters off of him.

[Independentjunkie]

Poster Phenomenon ? what Poster Phenomenon ....

LOL is this your great news piece for the day?

never seen it before... besides the curious george one is more of a phenomenon...

[iBgood]

mclame is afraid to put a poster out for fear everyone will use it as a dart board.

[liberalsrheros]

this sheard dude is a http://www.art-for-a-change.com/Obey/index.htm/index.htm

the article states he lifted the original photo from the internet. no mention of obtaining the right to use it and based on his history it's likely he didn't gain permission.

obama should return any money his campaign made from sales of this "art" and issue a statement that theft of intellectual property is unacceptable.

[Guynemer]

No talent or ethics, and making big bucks marketting ripped-off communist art to disgruntled and idealistic Americans. It doesn't get much more ironic than that.

[NexusSix]

Great link. Shepard Fairey is a complete hack.

[rubicon101]

We americans are ready to nominate Barack Obama to lead the democrat party. We will nominate a phenomenon.
Today, america does not care about your qualifications nor your ability to lead. We think not with our heads but with our 'feelings.'
Our 'american idol' mentality will bring ruin to our nation as we know it today because we don't vote for what is right, we vote because he makes us feel good. (ie; George W. Bush voting for him because we wanted to have a beer with him)
We've become fat, lazy and sappy, we don't know what end was up if it was sticking in our rearend.
This used to be a country that had a mind for democracy, great issues were debated and usually resolved with the right answer. Freedom, Equality and standing up for what is Right were our greatest qualities.
Now we live in some kind of George Orwell 1984, Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged world. Nominating a man that is eloquent on the stump, someone who wrote his own story in two bestsellers and americans has bought it, hook, line and sinker. someone whose past is questionable and his aquaintences are even more uncertain.
We'll the future looks bleak for all of you 'up and comers" , In the end, you only had two choices to select the right candidate and you screwed up because you wanted "change" Be careful what you wish for in picking Obama for all of the wrong reasons.

[UncleJimbo]

Rubi you are daft! And when you cite Orwell and Rand,stick to criticising Neo-Con Republicans!

[rubicon101]

we'll see..

[ThirdSection]

...And today, all of the other candidates became irrelevant.

[Staash]

Perhaps the Chinese should commission Mr. Fairey to create a rendition of their deified Great Leader? Their current propaganda prints are looking decidedly dated in an Olympic year.

[SuzieG]

Nothing new here, Canadian Prime Minster Trudeau had the same type back in '68 for his leadership candidacy

[Tages72]

Do a search on eBay for "Obama poster" and you'll see these guys and a whole bunch more going for big bucks. By contrast, a search for "McCain poster" turned up a single page of results, with the only posters sporting the classic "star and stripes" design used since the 19th century. It's the one with a picture of the candidate (McCain) which looks as if it still needs a Veep pic to complete it.

The Obama posters are works of art crafted by someone who loves his trade. This goes beyond traditional politics. These are symbols of ideals for a new generation and Barack Obama happens to represent said ideals.

For Obama supporters, it's not a "flavor of the month" pop culture piece, it's living history happening right in front of our very own eyes, in our lifetime.

[TimmySlagle]

"By contrast, a search for "McCain poster" turned up a single page of results"

This is supposed to mean something?

Try searching on eBay for a Mickey Mouse Poster, and see how many pages you get.

[beboy]

I guess real heroes don't need hero worship.

[AnAmericanWoman]

I love this poster. I want one!