DJ Shepard Fairey rocks Art Basel Miami

Persecuted artist Shepard Fairey has moved from humble beginnings as a street artist to cutting sick on the decks in Miami during Art Basel.

From achieving global recognition for his Obey brand, moving into gallery and museum exhibitions and starring in an Oscar-nominated film - Shepard Fairey has become an artist's artist.

Do you think Fairey is happy with his career trajectory since going viral? It doesn't look like it, given that he's trying to reconcile appearing genuine to his followers in the post-authentic street art world.



Although I usually keep my opinions to myself, I think he's done a good job of maintaining the rebel image via his recent criminal contempt charge via the Hope Poster via America's first black president via Tupac.

Check out these sweet pics of DJ Shepard Fairey, aka DJ Diabetic (WTF?) ripping it up!

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

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■ Hope poster sentence
■ My first experience with counterculture

Street art: My first experience with counterculture

Portrait of Kate Moss by Banksy. Source: stuff.co.nz

As a public school graduate, my experiences with "counterculture" were mostly limited to hating my parents and listening to alternative rock on Rage. I failed at being punk when I pierced my nose with a nappy pin and it got infected and pussy. I even smoked weed at a Christian music event, but when they asked everyone who "wanted to be saved" to ascend the stage, I got paranoid and ran to the car park. Then I ate two packets of Doritos.

"Napalm Girl" by Banksy. Source: D2 Group

But everything changed when the internet began in 2009. I got an iPhone and used Facebook to stalk friends I used to know in the real world. One of these humans once shared a photo of a "Banksy" artwork of that hungry napalm girl running arm-in-arm with Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald. I thought they were showing her where to buy a Happy Meal, and, as a regular consumer of these global brands, I was impressed that Banksy combined Vietnam War imagery with universal symbols of American capitalism (land mines sold separately).

Banksy's "maid" stencil in London. Source: Bored Panda

I did some Googling and found out Banksy was a "street artist". Within minutes it dawned on me that I'd become part of something bigger, that I joined a counterculture which self-reflexively deconstructs and satirises the art establishment, and society in general, with illegally placed pop imagery. I immediately bought some Minties.

John Fekner subvertising billboard. Source: Artist a Day

I began following street art blogs and social network pages to unite with my comrades. I learned about stencils and wheatpastes. Even graffiti didn't seem annoying because it had "artistic genealogy". Street art also helped me justify spending 2+ working hours on Facebook each day. It's where I share photos of street art to my network of followers and each receives about 15 likes or comments (before tax). My affiliation with the movement has helped me cultivate the edgy, neo-anarchist identity I always wanted.

Street artist Shepard Fairey got 'smashed' by AP. Source: Charleston City Paper

Other street artists I like include Shepard Fairey, but he's no longer cool after losing a court case with AP. It was about time he took one for the team!

Space Invader mosaics. Source: Mosaic Ideas

I also really dig Space Invader, but I generally find the French to be feuking stupid, so I unsubscribed from his barely legible mailing list.

Mr Brainwash street artwork. Source: Wooster Collective

Let's not forget Mr Brainwash - one of my idols - who is proof that you don't need creativity to join the cause.

Now I walk the streets and photograph street art on my phone. I share, blog and run it through 2c Instagram filters. Being part of this counterculture is a value-add to my life and I don't know who would listen to me without it.

Have you ever found your identity through counterculture? Have you ever thought "over-30s suck?" Is it time for a REDvolution?

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■ My First Art Exhibition Press Release
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Shepard Fairey sentenced over Hope poster

Acid Midget is always looking for the next court case to rock the street art world. The latest features OBEY superstar Shepard Fairey, who was recently found guilty of criminal contempt for tampering with evidence in the widely publicised AP lawsuit. Fairey had used one of AP's images of then-senator Barack Obama to make his famed 'Hope' poster. But everyone in the street art community rallied behind Fairey because, well, he appeared in Exit Through the Gift Shop.

He sued AP in 2009 over their claims of copyright infringement. But after contesting that he used a different image, Fairey tried to hide the evidence by deleting computer documents and replacing them with new ones. He pleaded guilty to one count of criminal contempt in February this year.

The three-year case ended when a New York court recently found Fairey guilty of the charge. He was sentenced to 300 hours of community service, a $25,000 fine and is also on two years’ probation. He has also paid AP a $1.6 million fine.

In an overdue act of contrition, Fairey recently sat in his website's confessional box and told his fans:

"I accept full responsibility for violating the Court’s trust by tampering with evidence during my civil case with the Associated Press," he wrote.

Do you buy it? I'm sort of expecting a new phase for the 'Hope' poster. I see new iterations of it saying 'BROKE'.

Picture: Acclaim Mag

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■ Shepard Fairey, Obama and the Obey Sticker

New film Obey the Giant

Obey the Giant is an ambitious new narrative film being produced by students at the Rhode Island School of Design in the US.

Currently in post-production, the film tells the story of a young Shepard Fairey's first act of street art. According to the trailer, the now-famous artist vandalised a campaign billboard for Buddy Cianci - who was running for re-election as mayor of Providence on Rhode Island - in the 1980s.

The team of 150 who worked on the project are unable to finish it. They were asking for $30,000 in donations to finish it off. They reached that target and are now asking for $70,000. I wonder if the Kony 2012 campaigners were this successful?



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■ Kony 2012 campaign
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■ Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey Time Magazine cover

Shepard Fairey created the TIME magazine Person of the Year cover for 2011.

The magazine chose 'The Protester' because people have made such a fuss about distribution of wealth and corruption across the globe.

After choosing Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg in recent years, maybe the editors at TIME magazine were scared of a possible #OccupyTimeMagazine protest at their offices.

Your Ad Here: Shepard Fairey exhibition

(Source)

Shepard Fairey is an underground artist turned street art spokesman, actor, US presidential campaign artist, philosopher, celebrity, swimsuit model and poster-maker.

Skewville appropriated one of his well-known Obey Giant posters about two years ago, according to Vandalog.

"You ad here" was placed above the poster, satirising it's mutation from an ironic image to globally recognised brand.

Rather than fight back to regain street cred, which is now irrelevant to him because he is 'established', Fairey will host an exhibition called Your Ad Here at V1 Gallery, Copenhagen.

Is Fairey using this as a chance to monetise an embarrassment?

I would say his career development is a benchmark with which to measure street art's decline as an underground artistic force.

Shepard Fairey, Obama and the obey sticker

(Australia Street, Newtown, Sydney)

The OBEY brand keeps kicking every decade doesn't it?

New stickers are ALL OVER Melbourne and now Sydney is getting hit hard. Just infesting this planet.

But, um, why isn't the OBEY slogan used with Andre the Giant's face any more?

That's 78 per cent of the reason why the poster became famous in the late 1980s.

The poster's creator, Shepard Fairey, has been a busy boy lately - especially with the Associated Press.

According to his website (link), a settlement was reached recently for a copyright infringement lawsuit over the Obama HOPE poster he created during the 2008 US presidential election.

Apparently Fairey used the highly lucrative image without permission from AP.

(Image source)

But it's OK now, according to a press release on Fairey's site:

The two sides have also agreed to work together going forward with the Hope image and share the rights to make the posters and merchandise bearing the Hope image and to collaborate on a series of images that Fairey will create based on AP photographs.

Great to see both parties are able to work together going forward and come to an agreement that Shepard Fairey is a talented artist who they can co-brand with/milk.

I wish more of us could work together going forward because that would end every war and the pains they create.

Have you ever had to work together going forward with someone you really cared about, but fucking hated?

Is there a more insidiously bureaucratic phrase than motherfucking "work together going forward"?

Melbourne: Hosier Lane street art (pt. 2)

 

Here's the second installment of Hosier Lane stencils and paste-ups from my Melbourne trip.

I'm heading back there in a matter of hours. Hoping I find a few pieces for you.

 

I'm still really into these posters. It's not just that they're anti-consumerist and hilarious. They have presence, and that's saying something, as they are among some of the best street art and graff in Australia.

I'd be curious to know if Steez did this before Prime Minister Julia Gillard knifed Kevin Rudd. I just feel sorry for Rudd. According to this Flickr photo, this paste-up is at least a year old; pre-dating the Rudd-Gillard 'execution'.

This man reminds me of someone. Greens leader Bob Brown? Every other 50+ businessman ever born?

Step back, getting horny.

Yes, some street artists address the fact their works are outside a 'conventional gallery' by using frames.

I've seen these 'found object trash sculptures' in Sydney too.

We live in a fragile world? Shit yeah.

YES.

 
Simple expressionistic posters. Love.

 

Hahaha. Just think of how many people DON'T say this phrase, but think it regularly.

 

For non-Australians, the Banksia is one of our native wildflowers.

More beautiful trash.

A live wheatpaste. 

Here are some more Shepard Fairey pieces. They're permanent, backlit works. I think they add colour and arouse pedestrian intrigue in the lane.

However, I'm tempted to call these advertisements.

Fuck it. These are advertisements.

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Melbourne street art - Hosier Lane

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Melbourne: Hosier Lane street art

Here is a photo gallery I snapped in Melbourne. There isn't much I need to say about it; a number of talented artists have sprayed and wheatpasted their work on the walls of the iconic Hosier Lane.

If you like street art and happen to be in Melbourne, I recommend checking it out. Highly.

This is by Deb. I met her while I was down there. She's nice.

The famous Shepard Fairey and his OBEY poster. The other two posters are more recent work of his.

Milk crates included for scale.

Wanna bang?

 

I really liked these one-line posters. Straight to the point. That point is somewhere up your culo. If anyone knows who did them please comment below.

This is a draft sketch for Grand Theft Auto: Denmark 1628.

This reminds me of Roa.

And again.

GRAFFITI WARS. I find 'graff writers' hitting 'street artists' fascinating. I've lost count the number of times "art fag" has been sprayed on a paste-up or stencil in Sydney. A prime example of this dichotomous relationship is the Robbo vs Banksy saga.

 

Edward Scissorhands. 

 

This piece is called Found Cans in a Bin Yay.