Shepard Fairey Obey Giant: A Look at Contemporary Screen Printing Art

The Obey campaign can be explained as an experiment in Phenomenology. The first aim of Phenomenology is to reawaken a sense of wonder about one's environment. The Obey campaign attempts to stimulate curiosity and bring people to question both the campaign and their relationship with their surroundings. Because people are not used to seeing advertisements or propaganda for which the motive is not obvious, frequent and novel encounters with Obey propaganda provoke thought and possible frustration, nevertheless revitalizing the viewer's perception and attention to detail. The medium is the message.

Biography Grew up in South Carolina Graduated from Rhode Island School of Design Became interested in graffiti through his love of skateboarding and punk rock music Fairey felt that graffiti was an unpretentious art, not about money, but a small fame, a sense of recognition.

Biography Fairey became interested in silk screen printing through his time spent in Providence. He started by printing and selling bootleg punk t-shirts. He then began printing stickers of Andre the Giant. The stickers sold quickly and eventually started to see them in other towns and states.

Biography He moved from the stickers to posters. He began to start printing larger posters and placing them on billboards. The billboards started to get noticed and soon, Shepard Fairey had made a name for himself and began receiving art shows. Shepard Fairey currently lives and works in Los Angeles. His work shows all over the country.

Handout for Relief Curving Choose one of the following current issues which you feel strongly about and list the positives and negatives of the issue in a Multi-Flow thinking map. Peoples’ natural rights: Currently many people feel that national security measures are taking away our basic freedoms. Children’s’ rights: Today, many children are removed from the care of their parents because of the government’s decision that the parent is incompetent. Teenage motherhood: Some feel that children born to teens are more likely to have difficulty in life and that the cultural habits of promoting giving birth at a young age should be dissuaded. Culture in America: America for the last 200 years has been founded on the mixing of cultures where for good or for bad. Education in America: All children are required to attend school until the age of 18 with or without the child’s consent. Drug Use in American: Some feel that drugs should be legalized even with give facts about the death, both individually and culturally, brought by through their usage. Late Term Abortion: When does a life begin? Today many politicians are arguing against late term abortion based on the idea that the fetus feels pain. Legislation has been put into motion that would ban late term abortion. Usage of the body to sell wares: Many advertisers use the human body to sell goods without consideration to how it might effect perception by those who see it.