“MY VIGILANCE ABOUT SOCIAL AND POLITICAL THINGS IS ALWAYS HIGH BUT MORE DURING THE [THIS] ADMINISTRATION.”

SHEPARD IN THE STUDIO

ABOVE: Courtesy OBEY GIANT ART

© Jonathan Furlong

RIGHT: Courtesy OBEY GIANT ART

© Jonathan Furlong

SHEPARD FAIREY ON FIGHTING POWER WITH SEDUCTIVE, POLITICAL ART

LA-based street artist Shepard Fairey, a regular presence in the South Florida art and mural scene, gained new recognition this January for his We the People screen print series disseminated via newspaper ads and downloads (funded by a Kickstarter

campaign that raised $1 million) for the Women’s Marches.

Strong political messages with bold, pleasing images characterize Fairey’s work. Making the political sexy is a longtime path he has explored, capturing hearts along the way with his red, white and blue Obama Hope poster as well as his street art,

Obey clothing line and stickers.

At the recent Art Wynwood fair, Fairey’s work was displayed at the Jacob Lewis Gallery booth where he took time to reflect on his popularity and his outlook as an artist activist who invests his profits into civic causes as well as the impact of being honored with the Art Wynwood Tony Goldman Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award.

By Dina Weinstein

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How would you describe your role as an artist in this political climate?

My role as an artist is the same as an artist [in all political climates]. I was making a lot of art that was questioning the agenda of [George W.] Bush during that presidency. And even though I supported Obama I also made images that questioned the drone program or the domestic spying program or the lack of oversight on Wall Street or the fossil fuel industry. My vigi-lance about social and political things is always high but more during the [this] administration. The difficulty is to make work that is thoughtful and not just a caricature.

Why did you want to create the We the People protest poster for the inaugu-ration and the Women’s March?

We the People came from [this] election. I felt I really needed to create something that says that Trump’s vision of who counts in America is not OK; to say, there are a lot of groups that have been attacked and disparaged by Trump and we think it is un-American to not count them.

The idea of democracy is about everyone’s voice. Free-dom of religion was one of the main principals in the founding of the nation and yet the president is talking about a Muslim ban. We [Artists Ernesto Yerena, Jessica Sabogal and the Amplifier Foundation] looked at messages of inclusion and groups that [we felt] were most threatened. We tried to make images that spoke to the beauty, validity and general American qualities of Blacks, Latinos and Muslims.

Public opinion was that the We the People posters were beautiful and accepted.What impact did you hope they would have and how did you feel when people adopted them and used them?

With every project I do I’m trying to make sure that I am tuned into the zeitgeist – [the spirit of our time] - and I am trying to make sense of the broad conversation in our society. We the People happened to resonate on a larger scale than I could have imagined. What I was so moved by, was that people all over the country and world used those downloads to make their own posters.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of seeing your images every-where…to see something you made [with a message], used on that scale.

Talk about this show, Art Wynwood, and what role South Florida plays for you.

In 2004, Books Bischof - who started Primary Flight, a public art project in Wynwood - brought me here and introduced me to the neighborhood. I kept coming back for Art Basel. I have a fond relationship with Miami because I feel that I have been able to do a lot of public art that is part of the landscape.

What mural of yours stands out to you?

The portrait I did of [Tony Goldman in the middle], when you walk

into Wynwood Walls is kind of ground zero for art in Wyn-

wood. And I also did the installation in the interior of Wynwood Kitchen & Bar that’s got a place in my heart.

What’s significant for you about receiving the Art Wynwood Tony

Goldman Lifetime Artis-tic Achievement Award?

Real estate developer Tony Goldman was a genuine lover and

supporter of the arts. He had a real vision of how he could bring a lot of great

artists together. A lot of the reason Wynwood has turned into one of the most spectacular outdoor

galleries in the world is because of Tony Goldman’s vision. He built a cultural enclave that rivals some of the coolest neighbor-hoods.

What are you currently showing here and what can we expect from you in the future?

Here at Art Wynwood I’m with the Jacob Lewis Gallery who I show with in New York City. There are a lot of works about the environment and about peace and justice. All my works are po-litical. What I am trying to do is find the balance of work that is beautiful, powerful and seductive [and] that also has a message. The themes I deal with on a regular basis are the destruction of the planet, the abuse of power, the need to respect human rights and corporate meddling in the democracy. None of it sounds sexy but I try to make it sexy.

“THE THEMES I DEAL WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS ARE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PLANET, THE ABUSE OF POWER, THE NEED TO RESPECT HUMAN

RIGHTS AND CORPORATE MEDDLING IN THE DEMOCRACY.”

1.Photo Courtesy of Jessica Rivas; 2.Photo Courtesy of Cece Feinberg PR; 3.Photo Courtesy of Cece Feinberg PR; 4.Photo Courtesy of Cece Feinberg PR; 5.Photo Courtesy of Cece Feinberg PR; 6.Photo Courtesy of Cece Feinberg PR; 7.Photo Courtesy of Jessica Rivas; 8.Photo Courtesy of Jessica Rivas; OPPOSITE PAGE: Photo Courtesy of Sara Boni

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