Shepard Fairey's "E Pluribus Venom"
A Provocative Coffee Table Book From the Popular Street Artist
Who will love E Pluribus Venom? Fans of Shepard Fairey’s Obey Giant and Barack Obama Hope posters; collectors of beautiful books on contemporary street art and of limited-edition Shepard Fairey prints and those by other top contemporary artists; liberal, politically aware pop-culture fans.
Who will hate it? Political conservatives; those who don’t “get” street art, graffiti, or other gritty aspects of pop culture; those who object to Shepard Fairey’s borrowing and manipulation of existing images.
From Obey Giant to Barack Obama
Talented young street artist Shepard Fairey brilliantly burrowed into the public consciousness with his campaign of Obey Giant street posters and graffiti art featuring the close-up face of the late pro wrestler Andre the Giant.
Next, Fairey became a familiar name in the press when he created the now-familiar Hope poster for Barack Obama. Featuring a close-up of the Democratic presidential candidate rendered in deep blues and reds, the Obama Hope poster became an instant icon of his presidential campaign, sold out almost instantly when a numbered limited-edition version inaugurated the Artists for Obama section on the candidate’s website; and immediately skyrocketed in price on eBay, a phenomenon to which Shepard Fairey unequivocally objected on his obeygiant.com website.
The Meaning Behind the Title
What all the publicity misses, and what is overlooked by regular criticism of his work’s appropriation of already-existing images, is that Shepard Fairey is a serious artist making serious statements about our world today. That fact is abundantly clear in the latest book published by Fairey, E Pluribus Venom.
A play on E pluribus unum (From Many, One), the Latin phrase that appears on U.S. currency, the title translates as “From Many, Venom.” Fairey’s intended meaning is obvious: That the myriad strands of American society, culture, politics, business, and media today conspire to create an environment that, both literally and figuratively, is poisonous.
Fairey gave the name to a mammoth exhibition of his work he staged in 2007 at two New York venues, the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Chelsea and a temporary space LeVine set up in a warehouse in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn. The personal intention, says Fairey in his introductory essay to the book, was to convince LeVine “that my art was no longer just street art and posters but had evolved into a more diverse and sophisticated body of fine art.”
That impression comes through clearly in page after page of color images from those dual shows—some showing the exhibitions themselves, many others full-page color plates of the artworks—along with documentary-style black-and-white photos of Fairey’s works on the streets and information about “Splasher,” the notorious New York-area defacer of street art and longtime nemesis of Fairey. Two additional essays, one by Sarah Jaye Williams, the other by LeVine, add still more critical perspective to Fairey’s body of work. As Williams sums it up, “to be vital, artists must be a big pain in the arse while employing the core imagery that tries men’s souls.”
The Core Imagery
Shepard Fairey’s core imagery can be trying: a sweet little girl holding a rose and a hand grenade in “War By Numbers”; portraits of revolutionary women from the Arab world, Asia, and Mexico, brandishing weapons with flowers in their barrels; in “Proud Parents,” a new mother lovingly cradling a bomb in her arms, and Dad cooing at the precious bundle while holding a bouquet of flowers and a briefcase stenciled with the seal and name of the U.S. Treasury; a young couple holding hands on a riverbank admiring the distant evening view of a city and its pollutant-spewing factory smokestacks, above the slogan/title, “These Sunsets Are to Die For!”
Still other pieces offer plays on U.S. currency in which Fairey replaces familiar images and words with more mordant choices: a buzzard in place of the bald eagle’s head; a bomb in place of the arrows in one eagle claw, an ugly weed in place of the olive branch in his other; a skull and crossbones in place of the 13 stars above the bird’s head; and the slogan “More Militerry Less Skools” where the name of Federal Reserve System usually goes.
Yes, it’s strong, biting stuff. But it’s executed with the vivid style and skill that now makes Shepard Fairey’s work almost instantly recognizable. As a result, the tough messages might just work their way inside you while you’re admiring the beauty of the images.
- Title: E Pluribus Venom
- Artist/Author: Shepard Fairey
- Coauthors: Sarah Jaye Williams, Jonathan Levine
- Publisher: Gingko Press in association with Obey Giant
- Specifications: 9 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches, 144 pages, full-color throughout
- List Price: $29.95
E Pluribus Venom
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Visual & Performing Arts
Latest Articles