Shepard Fairey, Supply & Demand

[monteoner]

"i have more stuff up than any graffiti writer in boston right now" only because he pays other people to put it up for him. i hate this public face of graffiti and street art

[D4sxysrb]

His a fucken professional which is why is wearing a suit. most of you mother fuckers tlking shit about his suite are just normal middle class people dat don't have shit like me.

[wilduhhh]

@D4sxysrb

Your not better than everybody by the way you dress, I love shepard fairey, but if he saw your "I'm better than you because I have money " comment he would laugh in your face

[prettylilgirlioana]

hes verry good :D

[fktony8]

business man. nothing more.



[OllyBlog]

@fktony8 gotta eat though, don't forget his past he hasn't

[paulmacmanusa]

if you must respect this snake,respect him for being a shrewd businessman because he's neither an artist or in possession of a social conscience

[TheExtremeModerate]

@paulmacmanusa .....evidence? Sheps done sooo much to bring to light issues plaguing our society.

[paulmacmanusa]

@TheExtremeModerate Anyone who promotes coca cola renders any supposed humanitarian activity invalid(search 'killer coke'),and what has he done?Donated some pieces of his photocopied ripoff 'art' to organizations,are you sure this isn't just another cynical exercise in the self-advertisement and self-promotion he specializes in,turn the sound off and hes just another snake oil salesman peddling the latest overhyped fad.

[TheExtremeModerate]

@paulmacmanusa Shit, he endorses coke??? Well fuck...

[paulmacmanusa]

@TheExtremeModerate ya he endorses coke,a morally corrupt company that has been complicit in the murder of trade unionists around the world,thats evidence enough that he hasn't a social conscience so your questions answered,get your nose out of his hole and open your eyes,good day

[ManoDeRevolucion]

Wow. The point is, if you enjoy his work enough to enjoy his clothing line, but can't afford it. Buy or steal a print off the street and staple/glue that shit onto a tshirt of your choice. Don't be all pissy, because he creates works that are good enough to be enjoyed in various environments. I don't fully agree with his views in the areas of politics or the direction of "Obey". But every "real" artist hopes for independent success of this magnitude.

[blackbeltdiaries]

Ubiquitous computing

[yebomata]

He does art for illuminati as well!

[turbulence1992]

@yebomata really??? haha, ill believe it when i see it

[nzau2010]

@yebomata Yo, this dude is illuminati. So is Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga, Kanye, Barack Obama, Mark McGrath, John Wall, Donald Rumsfeld, Shakira, and apl.de.ap.

[xirons]

LMAO he mentions ".....in our capitalist society" as if he is above all of this . this asshole charges almost 100 dollar for a shirt that says OBEY. fucking hypocrite.

[sun818]

@xirons If selling a $100 t-shirt helps him maintain his artistic endeavors, I think its a smart arrangement. I think being self-employed is nicer alternative than running copy jobs at Kinkos (unless you like that sort of stuff).

[fliesaeling]

wow nice suit, but shepard fairey is so sellout, hes putting his work in museums and has a clothing company.

[sramanik]

@fliesaeling how come you people consider showing your art to people and getting paid for it selling out? what are artists supposed to do then, resist success and just deliberately starve? someone like fairey has put an incredible amount of time and energy to his work. he's one of the most prolific street artists ever. maybe he earned his success?

[machogun]

@sramanik there's a HUGE difference between selling out and selling your art, if you can't realise the difference then you're sol in the intellect dept.

[AriseDstcrewEastLA]

if i had a chance i'd do the same

[GangstaThug15]

a great artist!

[jjld90]

yup at the end everyone's just tryna make money but dang OBEY should run for president :) just sayin'...

[mcsnerlen]

He might have more streetart up than any writer has graff, but streetart is also fucking easy! "Look, I just put a sticker on a pole, I'm an artist" Fuck off!

[kingviz1]

silentlyrioting.blogspot

[Greeneyeskater93]

that camera is obnoxious

[jtms9]

sup with the suit? come on..

[anevay82]

whats wrong with him wearing a suit?

[jtms9]

as a graffiti artist .. he (justmyopinion) should keep the rawness in this subculture. Keep the rebellion. and as : "i dont give a fk about this galleryshit" :))

or else.. streetart will kill graffiti  hehhee

[anevay82]

okay

[xGUITARxOx]

shit in these times its what ever gets food on the table.

[comna]

better to sell out doing what you like as your own boss. As opposed to keeping it real and staying a lap dog eating everybody else s shit sitting in your box wishing you could go out and do art counting the seconds away until your 30 minute lunch while some bitch is on the pone complaining trying to get free stuff

[thedirtys2006]

sell out. his does his own work, has a graphic firm, a clothing line and still goes on on the street n does shit. he answers to no one. only to make a living. many people who are in the art struggle sell a lot of there possessions n live a minimalistic life because they can't hussle there skills. he doesn't do art work for companies against his beliefs. like cigarettes.

[deadskullfkowner123]

get a live boooeee

[docBOSS1444]

R U KIDDING ME! Shepard Fairey is a boss

[shadowhokage]

o come on, go to 54th on lexinton, and park and you will still se kaws work, ok dont hate on the writers, just because u dont see the work

[HughGarrette]

thanks for posting this here!

I'd love to make the trip to the states, to see this stuff..

[docBOSS1444]

wat country r u from

[docBOSS1444]

if ur from england than u r lucky, u guys hav banksy

(and the who, and the beatles, and the sex pistols, and the clash, and aa crap load of other bands)

[chazswaz87]

obviousbly you've never been to england then , its not that great , our music these days is terrible pop shit and a million bands that sound the same, with the odd good group or singer, jamie t is good though, look him up if u havnt herd of him. gallows are good ud like them if u like punk. banksys alrite. hes doin alrite selling stuff for millions.........

[docBOSS1444]

yea but are music is no better

[e1v2i3l4]

i seen the ICA exhibit of his work. pretty good shit. if u walk through the whole thing, it shows bits and pieces of his work and at the end it jsut all comes together as a huge wall mural.

[pushtheenvelope00]

dude loves to talk on his soapbox.

[angrydog1295]

Is architecture art? Yes, so , if I went to the ICA in boston and spray painted all over his art...would that be ok. Oh, it's PRIVATE..what does that mean? I am so confused. This guy is empty, vapid and I really don't care what he has to say.

Thank god I didn't spend a dime today , got into the ICA for free. I have to save up for his $100 hoodies. What a fake.

[jazzsaxage]

Agreed.

[DylanFrazier13]

If you had art based clothin that was in as much demand as his things, you would do the same. Dont judge him when you have no idea where he is comming from aparently.

[angrydog1295]

art? Street based art? where, exactly, is he coming from? I think I will spray paint all his art.......neeto.

Then I will bring back felix the cat..........

[DylanFrazier13]

You sayin that you are gunna do it on his work?

[angrydog1295]

IF you watch the video at the ICA exhibit, you see a platoon of "street artists" doing all the work. Not one image or scene of shepard doing anything. All his work does is cleverly put together already created stuff....rap/sampling of visual art.

to answer your question...YES, I will spray paint his copy cat art.....OBEY, I will not. I bet you he will think it's cool.

[LUXZ0R]

I hate how everyone says Shepard Fairey is a sellout. Yea, hes putting his work in museums and has a clothing company. But its not like he stopped putting stuff on the street... If anything KAWS is probably the biggest sell out. Not only has he stopped putting stuff on the street he did Kanye Wests album cover for his new CD! But, I know if I was in this situation I too would make some money from my art. Hey you gotta eat somehow.

[beradification]

@LUXZ0R no, he's not a sellout because he's in a museum, he's a sellout precisely because he is on the side of power, as you point out.

Also, I was at his exhibition in Boston last year and many of his works are taken from pictures which aren't his. So he plagiarizes as well as sells out.

And he didn't help the Obama campaign that much.

Last, mcsnerlen is right, he isn't much of an artist.

[LUXZ0R]

@beradification You obviously do not understand a thing about street art and stencil culture. His designs are a work of art and I think everyone can agree with that. One of the greatest artists ever did the same as Shepard Fairey. Andy Warhol used different images to create his own popart. What Shepard Fairey is doing is the same as any DJ or remix artists. Taking a song and making it there own by changing things. And you obviously don't understand the time it takes to create these images.

[beradification]

@LUXZ0R First, remix songs are almost invariably worse than the original, second Andy Warhol was a bad painter and artist as well; but at least Warhol's life was eventful. Last, you lied when you said everyone can agree that his designs are a work of art: not me!!

I think they are plagiarized and lacking in real talent and skill.

[squiddelay]

@LUXZ0 True Kaws did Kanyes cover. But Kanye is still a musician. When you literally use your work to back any politician or a political campane I think you cross a line.

However, props to him for keeping his street work coming although I doubt he does much of the execution himself anymore. He's like Dali, who thought out concepts and had them made by his apprentices...

[wilduhhh]

@LUXZ0R

I agree, he did street art for 10 something years before he actually started making real money for it, it's stupid how people call him a sell out when he went out there, had fun and people recognized him and said"hey he deserves some money for this""

[FairelyGushing]

favorite quotes:

No limits on Individual achievement: "you can do it all if you really want to do it all, and you can do it well if you want to do it well."

Pragmatic concerns for collective Progress: "I think that it's always important to maintain a critical eye, but I also don't want to undermine any unity...require[d] for progress...I do think that people need to put petty differences aside."

SHEPARD FAIREY

SUPPLY & DEMAND

ICA/BOSTON

thru Aug. '09

OBEY OBEY

[ibnmosef]

I actually don't mind listening to him, but damn, show that work again, that's amazing!

[DylanFrazier13]

Its even better when you are there. It was awsome.

[docBOSS1444]

yea it was Ba

[AmandaDelight]

Shepard is well aware of the ride he is on, good for him!

*****

[Chick6517]

CRAZY man ... that was too funny you guys are gonna keep me luaghing all day .... haha very creative [=