Published on Monday, April 26, 2010 by NBC- New York
In creating his now iconic Obama "Hope" poster, Shepard Fairey went from being a cult street art figure to an artist synonymous with Barack Obama's revolutionary 2008 presidential campaign.
Fairey, who is engaged in a lawsuit with the Associated Press over the use of one of the news agency's photos as a reference for the artist's iconic work, is pleased, however, with the role his art played in the Obama campaign.
"I'm very proud of the Obama poster ... because it's an image that showed that someone outside of mainstream politics, outside of corporate lobbyists could do something that affected what's going on in politics," Fairey said. "I think what really is the problem with the two-party system is that it's very difficult for people without power to make a difference unless they try very hard. But the more people that do try, the easier it gets."
The artist Shepard Fairey is proud of his iconic poster, but is not overjoyed about Obama's performance as President. "I think what really is the problem with the two-party system is that it's very difficult for people without power to make a difference unless they try very hard. But the more people that do try, the easier it gets."(Mawuse Ziegbe)
While the Obama poster made him household name, the underground spirit of his Obey stickers and posters, which have been plastered around the world, is what endears Fairey to the work that initially made him a street art star.
"I'd say the grassroots, do-it-yourself ethos of the Obey campaign is what's more important to me because it's about doing something with very little resources and building a following and building a platform to communicate," he said.
