Obey Giant Headlines

PARADISE TURNS

This Paradise Turns print was inspired by some old photos I saw of oil derricks down on the beach at Playa Del Rey and Long Beach. There are still oil drilling platforms visible from the beach in Santa Barbara. Beyond just the environmental hazards of oil spills and climate change, the idea of trouble in paradise is also about our lack of foresight in transitioning away from oil, which is finite, to energy sources which are renewable. The tide will turn, and the question is whether we will be technically equipped to adapt, or will the things oil provides, that we take for granted, halt catastrophically?  A few of my prints recently have dealt with oil and gas, so if you missed them and want to read further explanation, check it out.

Oil & Gas Building Print
Endless Power Print 

Thanks for caring.
-Shepard

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Shepard @ Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art

Arrested Motion posted a great preview for my upcoming exhibition at The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art.  The show is titled The Insistent Image: Recurrent Motifs in the Art of Shepard Fairey and Jasper Johns and it opens May 22.  I am honored and excited to show alongside Jasper Johns.  Check out the article

Click here for details about the show

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Bob Casale funding

DEVO have been one of my favorite bands for many years. I think they are one of the smartest, most creative, and subversive bands ever. I have been fortunate enough to see many DEVO shows and to befriend Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale,  the band’s founding members. Recently Bob Casale of DEVO, Gerald’s brother, died unexpectedly. He leaves behind medical expenses and a family unprepared for the loss or costs. The pleasure and creative inspiration DEVO has provided for me and many others can’t be given a dollar value. Please help to support Bob’s family by making a donation. http://www.gofundme.com/Bob-Casale-Donations
Thanks for caring.
-Shepard

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Oil & Gas Building

Industrial power has been a point of pride in America since the early 20th century, and many  impressively iconic, if monolithic,  architectural landmarks have been erected as symbols of industrial dominance.  The Chrysler building, the General Electric building, and the Sears Tower come to mind. Dominant industrial forces may build great monuments to their success, but those physical manifestations of their power and ego often correlate to the dangerously disproportionate influence they have on politics and policy. This Oil & Gas print is about the volatility of giving an industry with too much power the ability to manipulate politics in its favor despite the dangers to the environment and climate change. The situation is going to blow up in our faces metaphorically, and already has for too many people literally as well(remember the BP explosion and spill?). A lot of people freaked out that the Obama administration lost taxpayers about 600 million  by investing in Solyndra, a solar panel company developing a new technology, which went bankrupt. However, few people seem upset that the U.S, govt. gives approximately 25 billion in tax breaks and subsidies to the highly profitable oil and gas industries. The Solyndra investment did not work out, but the need to fund new, renewable technologies, should be obvious when the rapidly depleting oil and gas sources become more difficult and dangerous to extract every passing day. The only reason the govt. subsidies are so disproportionate is because of the massive power the dying oil and gas industry still has.

The Oil & Gas industry, which includes multinational and independent oil and gas producers and refiners, natural gas pipeline companies, gasoline service stations and fuel oil dealers, has long enjoyed a history of strong influence in Washington. Individuals and political action committees affiliated with oil and gas companies have donated $238.7 million to candidates and parties since the 1990 election cycle, 75 percent of which has gone to Republicans.

Though oil is finite, our reliance on it is so extreme that the power wielded by those who control oil is virtually unlimited. Oil and gas companies and the car manufacturers who profit heavily from gas powered engines used their power and influence to overturn a zero emissions law in the state of California, effectively delaying electric cars arriving on the market accessibly for ten plus years. It is dangerous for an industry to have that much power.

We need to cultivate renewable alternatives, and for the sake of the future, we need to push the govt. to support the developers of new technologies rather than subsidizing old fossil fuel models moving toward obsolescence .

Check this article on the political influence of the Oil & Gas industry.

Thanks for caring
-Shepard

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NEW STICKERS ARE HERE!

We just received a new order of stickers!  Many new designs to collect and stick. More details below.

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Cleon Peterson | End of Days | New Image Art

My good friend and co-worker Cleon Peterson is doing a show of his awesome dystopian paintings at New Image Art on Feb. 22. These paintings look amazing in person, so if you are in LA check it out!

-Shepard

CLEON PETERSON / END OF DAYS
NEW IMAGE ART / OPENING 22nd FEB 7-10PM
22nd FEBRUARY – 22nd MARCH, 2014

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Tim Hussey: True Story

My friend since middle school, Tim Hussey will be doing a show on March 8 of his new paintings at Launch LA.  Tim and I skateboarded together and compared drawings in Charleston as teenagers and then we both attended RISD and majored in Illustration. I’ve enjoyed watching his work evolve in many great directions over the years. Tim’s new body of work is great, so check it out in person, but you can get a taste in this interview by Mark Murphy.
-Shepard

Opening Reception:

LAUNCH LA Gallery
170 S. La Brea Ave., 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA
323. 899.1363

Hours: Thursday – Saturday, 12 – 6pm
and by appointment

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HOME INVASION

This image is about privacy and freedom from digital surveillance. If you didn’t notice, there is a camera aperture in the gun barrel. I think the right to privacy is paramount to the concept of freedom. Fear tactics have always been used to erode freedoms and increase the power and reach of government. Abuse of power is far more likely to happen if structures are in place that make abuse easier. The Patriot Act and the NSA surveillance program are examples of overreach under the guise of “protecting” us from terrorists, but they leave far too much room for potential abuse. Pervasive surveillance, even if intended for law enforcement,  gathers data that is far too easy to abuse for a personal or political agenda.  I respect due process and I think our government should too. Civil liberties are hard to recover once they are surrendered. The Worldwide Wave of Action opposes the NSA spying and  many other areas of injustice and inequality. Check it out here.

My friend, David DeGraw, just weighed in with his thought that Fight For the Future & EFF are two of the best orgs on the NSA  spying issue. Check them out!
-Shepard

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Pieces of Heaven | Auction to benefit The Art of Elysium

I’ve been working with The Art of Elysium for some time because I believe in creating harmony and working together to inspire one another.  “Elysium” is defined as a place or condition of ideal happiness and the mission of The Art of Elysium is to encourage artists of all mediums to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions.  Art is tangible and whenever kids make art it gives them something to hold and be proud of.  In this sense, it’s a form of therapy.  When I see kids make art, I see them dream.  I’m happy to be a part of The 7th Annual Charitable Art Auction PIECES OF HEAVEN that is going on right now to benefit these kids and inspire them to imagine a better world.


You can preview and bid on items from over 70 artists, including myself by visiting:  www.paddle8.com/auctions/theartofelysium
All proceeds from the auction will benefit Elysium. Bidding will end at 12:45 AM EST February 27 (9:45 PM PST February 26).

 – Shepard

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Shepard Fairey x RISK x Skid Row Mural

I finished a new mural yesterday, with the help of my crew, that is my third collaboration with RISK. This mural builds upon the approach RISK and I took for the Peace & Justice mural we did in Miami, but pushes the collaborative process further. This time RISK painted the backgrounds and I painted the foreground, but we collaborated on the foreground imagery and concept. RISK is a big Led Zeppelin fan(as am I) and since the mural is on LA’s Skid Row,RISK wanted to include “GOOD TIMES – BAD TIMES” as a Zep reference and comment on the unstable nature of good fortune known too well by the residents of Skid Row. I followed suit by incorporating “JUSTICE TONIGHT” a reference to the Clash’s cover of Willie Williams’ “Armagideon Time” with its lyric “A lot of people won’t get no supper tonight, a lot of people won’t get no justice tonight”. RISK also did me the honor of drawing OBEY letters in his graffiti style to go alongside his RISK lettering and create a symmetry with the frame elements I designed. Our mural is permit number 1 after the lift on the mural maratorium facilitated by Daniel Lahoda and the Skid Row Housing Trust. I’m proud to be supporting the Skid Row Housing Trust and hopefully encouraging more property owners to provide walls for artists. Thanks to RISK and my crew of Nic Bowers, Z Bomit, Rob Z, and Dan Flores. Jon Furlong took some great photos.
-Shepard

Check out this article on the mural collaboration in the LA Times

Obey X Risk Mural from jon furlong on Vimeo.

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