GREETINGS FROM OBLIVION

My friend and one of my artistic heroes, Winston Smith, is having a show in San Francisco on Friday, and as a fellow thought criminal, I’m proud to be a guest artist in the show. I’m a huge Orwell fan and OBEY was in part inspired by 1984. If you are in the Bay area, check it out!  -Shepard

Indian Alley

My Friend Stephen Zeigler who curates the art at Indian Alley Sent me this great 360 degree art animation in the alley.
Check it out and support the treaties.

-Shepard

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ZEITGUIDE to Global Warning

Most of you know that I am very concerned about the dangers of climate change.  Dick Cheney said “if there is even a 1% chance of a terrorist attack, we must do everything in our power to be prepared”. 95% of the scientific community agrees that climate change is happening, and is a dramatic threat to the planet, yet far less is being done to fight climate change than to fight terrorism.  My friend Brad Grossman  just put out a new Zeitguide that shows a correlation between climate change and terrorism, or at least, political and economic instability. Please check it out. Thanks for caring.   -Shepard

Americans are coming around to the view that the climate is indeed changing—but a majority still don’t see it posing a serious threat in their lifetime, according to Gallup.

But three articles and reports we tracked in the past week said we better start worrying.

Not because of melting glaciers, species die-off, acidifying oceans, or super storms—among the aspects we discussed in ZEITGUIDE 2014—but because climate change will certainly hurt businesses, the global economy, and political stability.

In sum, because global warming increases the likelihood of war…

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Esquire magazine interview

It makes me very happy when art, music, and politics come together. I was first moved by the powerful combination of those elements on the “Let Them Eat Jellybeans” hardcore compilation with music by Black Flag, Bad Brains, The Dead Kennedys, and the Circle Jerks, with art by Winston Smith. The Circle Jerks soon became a favorite of mine and I found out that their vocalist, Keith Morris, had been the first singer of Black Flag. I saw the Circle Jerks many times over the years in S. Carolina, Rhode Island, and LA.  A few years ago, Keith formed a new band, OFF! with guys from other bands I like including The Burning Brides, Red Kross, and The Blackheart Procession. OFF! totally rock and have a killer vintage hardcore sound, but they sound fresh. I was incredibly honored that after visiting my studio, Keith and Dimitri from OFF! suggested that we collaborate on a 7″ where they’d write a song inspired by my art.  I was blown away by the idea, but instead, they ended up writing the song inspired by the themes in my art first, and then I created the art to fit the song! The result is the Learn To Obey 45 that comes out on Record Store Day. I’m also doing a poster that will come out around the same time. I love the way the music turned out, and I’m proud to have my art associated with OFF!, especially since art genius Raymond Pettibon, one of my favorites, usually does the art for OFF! I kept my approach to the art reverent to Pettibon, but irreverent to greed. Read more and hear the song here.

and don’t miss Record Store Day.

Dennis Morris | Bob Marley opening at Known Gallery

This Saturday, March 29 check out the Dennis Morris | Bob Marley opening at Known Gallery.  I created a Bob Marley print for this show that will be for sale there with only a limited number to be released on our website on Tuesday.  The Bob Marley print is an edition of 450.  Hope to see you there!

“I bought Bob Marley’s Rastaman Vibrations shortly after I started skateboarding in 1984, purely because the only good skateboard ramp where I lived was called “The Rasta Ramp.” I had mostly been listening to punk rock, but I was excited to discover reggae, which even more boldly embodied many of the same elements of social protest as punk but in a way that was much more palatable to my parents. I think my parents bought me Bob Marley and the Wailers records for every Christmas or birthday until I had accumulated their entire catalog; my very conservative grandmother even bought me a Bob Marley shirt from Jamaica. I leaned more towards punk, but some punk bands, most notably Bad Brains, embraced both punk and reggae. Bob Marley’s music always cheered me up during my high-school years of personal struggle. I’m always inspired by how steadfast and positive Bob was.” (quote from Shepard’s 20th Year Supply & Demand)

-Shepard

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Writers Bloc Presents Bob Mankoff with Shepard Fairey

I’m excited to join Bob Mankoff, renowned cartoon editor at The New Yorker, to speak at the Writers Bloc Presents event at The Los Angeles Theater Center in downtown LA on April 29.  We’ll be having a conversation about public art, political cartoons, and whatever else we feel like talking about.  If you’re in LA it would be cool to see you there!

Check out more information about tickets here – http://writersblocpresents.com/main/bobmankoffshepardfairey/

-Shepard

Library Foundation of Los Angeles 6th Annual Toast Recap

My wife Amanda and I believe in the value of libraries to provide resources for the public, especially those who can’t afford decent computers or an extensive book collection. When I was younger, I did most of my research for art and design at the library. The LA Public Library system also has great tutoring and summer reading programs that are free to the public, and a needed supplement to our underfunded school system. We have worked with the Library Foundation of Los Angeles to raise money for their programs for the last 3 years. This year’s event was a blast with a great group of people. Check it out.

-Shepard

http://laist.com/2014/03/25/librarians_with_libations_young_lit.php#photo-6

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Blériot / Don’t Panic Interview

BNE x OBEY Charity:Water T-Shirt Update

For everyone who supported and purchased the t-shirt I designed in collaboration with BNE for charity:water, please know that the shirts are being produced and delivered in the coming weeks.

I know firsthand that the charity endeavor is legitimate and that you will all get your Obey Water T-shirts. Beyond that, I will let BNE speak for himself.

Please continue to support and raise awareness of World Water Day and the message behind this project!
-Shepard

World Water Day x BNE.org

Tomorrow is World Water Day.  Visit BNE.org at 12Noon PST to help solve a crisis that kills more people than all forms of violence, including war. Among other things, the orginal illustration from the “Water Crisis” print that BNE and I did for charity: water will be for sale. I did the illustration based on a photo that BNE shot in Indonesia. For anyone who does not know, I cut my illustrations out of a material called Rubylith with an X-acto knife. Rubylith is a dark orange gelatin on an acetate backing used for screen-printing. In this case the Rubylith is mounted on collage. The art is 10.5 X 23 inches.. Support this cause!
-Shepard

Water Changes Everything. from charity: water on Vimeo.

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