Shepard Fairey - Agent of Change

In 1989 At the Rhode Island College of Design Fairey first learned about the power of street art when he posted what is known as the 'Andre the Giant' image around the skate shops and streets of Rhode Island. Pre-internet, the image was spreading via word-of-mouth and news. It was causing people to ask, "What does this mean?" and "Who put it there?" This sparked Fairey's want to challenge the status quo and make people think.

His images and website have the slogan, "OBEY". Fairey's concept behind 'OBEY' is, people usually follow path of least resistant and are not happy with their lives. When confronted with idea to obey and disobey, they will have an inner dialogue to do things they way they think should be done rather than what told to do." Fairey has traveled the world to post his Obey artwork in public places and challenging all cultures and countries to think.

Towards the end of January 2008, Fairey challenged status quo by deciding to create an image to support Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama. Fairey was known for his anti-government designs including and anti-George W. Bush policy artwork. His motto is, "Do it now, and ask forgiveness later." His thought was that the Obama Campaign would not want to associate with a street artist who has been arrested several times. In one day he created the image and the next printed 700 posters and posted the image to his website.


Interesting facts - The first Obama posters had the Obey logo on them instead of the official Obama Campaign logo and had the slogan 'PROGRESS'

January 2008 - It was two weeks before Super Tuesday. Fairey posted 350 posters of the Obama image around LA, sold 350 posters for $45* on his website and put the image on his website for anyone to download.

*He used the money from the 350 prints to print another 10,000 prints mailed to people over the country who had not had caucuses yet.

Change Happened Here
By posting the image on his website for anyone to copy for free, people started downloading and sharing the image at alarming rates. People were using the image as their Facebook photo, at the bottom of their signature, printing out additional posters, creating a mash up of the artwork, etc.

Another way the image was able to spread rapidly was he was able to get it into the hands of mavens and connectors. The people reading Fairey's website, attending the rallys and noticing the posters around LA were what Malcolm Gladwell refers to his book, The Tipping Point, as connectors and mavens. Connectors are the people who "link us up with the world ... people with a special gift for bringing the world together." Mavens are "information specialists", or "people we rely upon to connect us with new information." They accumulate knowledge, especially about the marketplace, and know how to share it with others.

Early February 2008 - Obama campaign called asking if he would donate his work to be the 'unofficial poster' and they could control how it was altered. They changed the slogan to read, 'HOPE.' They try to regulate the sale of the posters so the money will go towards the campaign and not people who counterfeit and sell for their own well being.

Fairey did not make any money from the sales of the Obama Hope image. All proceeds went to making additional hope posters supporting the campaign or the campaign itself. Today there are thousands of counterfeiters. Since the image is free, this is allowed, they just ask that people pay it forward and donate some of the proceeds back to the Obama campaign.


February 22, 2008 - Letter received from Barack Obama
" I would like to thank you for using your talent in support of my campaign. The political messages involved in your work have encouraged Americans to believe they can change the status quo.
Your images have a profound effect on people, whether seen in a gallery or on a stop sign. I am privileged to be a part of your artwork and proud to have your support. - Barack Obama,"

June 24, 2008 - Met President Barack Obama at a dinner for the Obama Victory Fund. Fairey and his wife used the funds from the sales of the posters to buy seats to the event. Obama asked, "How he got the image to spread so fast."

November 26, 2008 - Fairey selected as GQ Magazine Man of the Year.

December 14, 2008 - The image was used for the cover of TIME Magazine Person of the Year 2008.


January 19, 2009 - The iconic Hope poster original was inducted to the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. It marked a momentous occasion not only for Fairey but also for the entire street art/contemporary world.

January 29, 2009 - Barack Obama was inducted as the 44th President of the United States."

February 4, 2009 - Shepard Fairey accused by Associated Press of copyright infringement. (read more below and voice your opinion)