Obey and Cheap Monday's Future!

I foresee both Obey and Cheap Monday having a long successful future ahead of them. Cheap Monday will need to prove to the world their brand is more than just a pair of trendy straight leg jeans and focus on the many other great aspects the brand has to offer. As long as Sheppard Fairey can stay out of Jail Obey will go far as a brilliant mixture of street style and art. They should stay close to their roots while continuing to bring awareness to their costumers about political and social issues.

Obama + Obey

The Obama image did come with its share of CONTROVERSY. Fairey’s bashers claim that he stole and then repurposed other artist’s work and ideas for his own gain – a stigma that has dogged him over the years. Months after the election and long after the OBAMA HOPE image became a lasting cultural icon, the Associated Press threatened to sue Fairey seeking credit and compensation. Fairey freely admits his portrait was based on a photograph taken by the AP’s Manny Garcia, but argues that his version’s authenticity is protected under “fair use” law. Rather than get bullied by the media giant, Fairey sued it. He’s asking a judge to rule that he did not infringe on a copyright because the nature and meaning of the photograph were dramatically changed. A landmark legal battle is now pending. Fairey also acknowledges that to create the Obama portrait he borrowed from themes Emory Douglas explored in The Black Panther Newspaper during the civil right’s struggles of the 1960’s. Some cite it as another example of thievery; others call it a clear indicator that Fairey supports domestic terrorism. He thinks the criticism is crazy citing a newfound appropriateness to the REVOLUTIONARY power of the Black Panther art and the relevant symbolism of the group’s “do it yourself” mentality.

Jail Time..Wah Wah

The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston hosted a 20 year retrospective of Fairey’s art on February 6, 2009 (quite impressive considering it came just nine days before his 39th birthday). Thousands showed up for opening night, including Fairey wearing an OBEY sweatshirt and carrying a stack of stickers. He was supposed to deejay the event, but didn’t even make it through the front door. Instead, PISSED OFF police were waiting outside with an unwelcome present – handcuffs. Even though he shared smiles with Boston’s mayor earlier in the week, Fairey was hauled off to jail and charged with the vandalism of buildings that he’d tagged much earlier in his career. Apparently the admission to a history of graffiti in the Boston area during the media blitz promoting the ICA show didn’t sit well with law enforcement. It was Fairey’s 15th and most sensational arrest. He’s fought the law before and vows that CENSORSHIP will never win.

“I’ve always gotten a rush from the idea that I’m doing something that you’re not supposed to do,” Fairey says. “I’m communicating with people when usually the corporations and government have all these forms of communication locked down. I still enjoy inspiring people to think they can express themselves any way they want. It’s so fulfilling knowing that anything I put up on the street is going to be seen by hundreds of thousands of people. Also because it’s illegal, I’m saying that I believe enough in what I’m doing to take a risk of getting arrested. The older I get, the more legal outs I have, but I still think it’s just as important to work both inside and outside the system. It’s not like I’ve been absorbed or co-opted, I will forever have the ability to say what I want on the street.”It’s influence that drives Shepard Fairey, much more than the projection of his image. His music posters praise revolutionaries and inspire people to LISTEN! Instead of promoting pretty sunsets, Fairey demands that we WAKE-UP to climate change. His message about Iraq: “Next time there’s a war for sale, it’s alright to say, ‘No thank you!’” Attacking politics as usual is usually what Fairey does, but in 2008, he saw HOPE on the horizon and created what became an iconic piece of art that had as much meat in the presidential election as a heaping pot of Oprah Winfrey’s chat stew.

One of the reasons “YES WE CAN” turned into “YES WE DID” elect our nation’s first African American president was Fairey’s Obama poster series. The red, white and blue images appeared on countless home windows, computer screens, billboards and street signs across the country. They became portraits of CHANGE, symbols of HOPE and PROGRESS reports on America’s dying prejudices. Voters associated the posters, and more importantly, Obama’s message, with strength, courage and leadership. In the end, Barack Obama, “a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant,” stood before 1.8 million people on a frigid January afternoon and took our country’s most sacred oath.

Far less significant, but stunning in its own right, is the ride that street art took during the election. An often overlooked and marginalized subset of creative minds suddenly became RELEVANT and INFLUENTIAL to our mainstream culture. Fairey was already an urban LEGEND. He had been creating anti-Bush posters for years, and was no stranger to political art. But this election was different. Instead of REBELLING against government, he helped lead a REVOLUTION that believed in its potential. By definition Fairey’s Obama images were still propaganda, but because the thinking behind them was spun 180 degrees, they launched him and his genre into the artistic stratosphere. Fairey’s art made the front page of the New York Times, Esquire put one of his Obama images on its cover and Time commissioned its own version for the magazine’s “Person of the Year” issue. Fairey made GQ’s “2008 Men of the Year” list along with Obama, Michael Phelps, Sean Penn, the Boston Celtics and others. Then, the true indicator of Fairey’s success – a booking on “The Colbert Report.”

For as entertaining as his appearance on Comedy Central was, the connection between Obama and Fairey is even more amusing. That’s because Shepard’s rap sheet is nearly as many pages as the president’s economic stimulus package. While their methods may be different, the common bond that links the artist and politician is community ACTIVISM. Obama rallied for laid off factory workers in Chicago’s South Side and helped Bill Clinton carry Illinois in 1992 by registering 150,000 new voters. Fairey has donated his work, time and money to gay rights, animal adoption and energy efficiency causes, and his poster campaign, complete with video postcards, bumper stickers, t-shirts and other merchandise is credited with helping Obama reach The White House.

CHEEEEAAAAPPPP MOOOONNNNDAAAAYYYYY! Pictures

Going Green for Cheap Monday and Obey!

Cheap Monday and Obey are already brands that makes conscience efforts to help the environment, but they could improve upon this by having a system of recycling with their clothing. They could have a turn around with past seasons garments and trade them in to receive a discount on their next purchase. 

Obey could start a trash pick up campaign..considering Obey's initial success came from tagging the streets.

Cheap Monday should continue to strive to use organic cotton in their products as a way of staying green. 

A third way that Obey could go green would be to use Organic cotton and dyes in their tshirt design. 

Power Switch

Swedish high street retailer Hennes & Maurits, announced signing Fabric Scandinavian AB. The privately owned fashion company is behind store chains Weekday and Monki. The Swedish fashion group also designs and sells fashion through a number of own brands, such as Cheap Monday. The turnover for the financial year 2007/08 is expected to reach approximately SEK 400 million. The company will be run as a stand alone subsidiary within the H&M Group.

 

The subsidiary Weekday Brands designs, produces and runs wholesale selling of young fashion. Its largest own brand is Cheap Monday, primarily a denim line. The idea behind Cheap Monday is fashion at good prices, similar to H&M's business idea; fashion and quality at the best price. Cheap Monday is sold in more than 1,000 stores globally. Among the brands are also MTWTFSS Weekday and Sunday Sun.

H&M acquires 60 percent of the shares in Fabric Scandinavian for SEK 564 million in cash. Sellers are the founders Adam Friberg, Lars Karlsson, Örjan Andersson and Linda Friberg. They will all continue to work within the company. In connection with the transaction the parties entered into agreement according to which H&M has the possibility/obligation to acquire the remaining shares in the company within three to five years. The total turnover of the Group's business was approximately SEK 250 million during the financial year 2006/07, with an operating result of SEK 67 million. The expected turnover for the financial year 2007/08 is approximately SEK 400 million with continued good profitability. The employment conditions for the 300 employees will not change as a result of the transaction. The transaction is conditioned by acceptance of relevant competition authorities.

 

Art and Politics

Political Power?

It has been said the Shepard Fairey is destined to be the new Andy Warhol as a pop cultural icon. Fairey has enjoyed overnight fame with his Obama campaign posters which are now being snapped up by collectors. His signed limited edition Obama posters, which Fairey issued almost weekly during the campaign and sold for $45, now fetch thousands on eBay. For example, a stencilled "Hope" poster sold for $60,000. His posters now hang in the Smithsonian and his images have graced the cover of Time and Esquire.

Fairey's posters look like a cross between Soviet propaganda and a Warhol silkscreen. During the inauguration thousands of spectators snapped up the Obama images. Fairey said, "I don't do any of it for the money." The key benefit was to support his man to get to the White House.

It seems fitting that Obama's reliance on democratic, grassroots organization and communication is now best immortalized by a street artist. The Fairey images go beyond likeness to become an expression of the shared conviction between new leader and those he has inspired.

Shepard Fairey's innovative website Obeygiant can be perused here. The site has a slogan, "Manufacturing quality dissent since 1989 with propaganda engineering."

Recently Fairey created an image for Google for Martin Luther King Day on January 19. Also he designed new shopping bags and billboards for Saks Fifth Avenue and their "Want It" campaign for the spring. His distinctive constructivist art style is seen here:Any thoughts about Shepard Fairey's iconic style? Why is it receiving enthusiastic attention?

Political Power?

Most heard opinion why Obama won the presidential election last year is because of the effective use of social media. True. But also very important was the Hope-poster made by Shepard Fairey. How a piece of design went viral. 
Now Shepard Fairey made new stunning work portraiting imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma.

“This Human Rights cause is something I believe in strongly,” said Fairey. “I created this portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi to raise awareness of her on-going house arrest and the oppressive nature of the military regime ruling Burma.”

“Aung San Suu Kyi is the Nelson Mandela of Asia,” said Jack Healey, the head of the Human Rights Action Center. “Shepard’s tribute to her will remind the world she is the rightful leader of Burma in a powerful way. I always felt it was his image that galvanized the Obama movement, God willing, it will do the same for Aung San Suu Kyi and those fighting for human rights in her name.”

”In a world in which we all too often focus on differences, Aung San Suu Kyi is a unifying figure that people of all political persuasions can work to support. Shepard’s image encapsulates that very point beautifully,” said Jeremy Woodrum, director of the U.S. Campaign for Burma. “The Burmese people have appealed for our help – let’s give it to them.”

The “Freedom To Lead” campaign has partnered with Causecast, an online global community and social action network. 
More at the dedicated website from Causecast, and Twitter.

L.E.A.D UGANDA AUCTION

Social Responsibility

SHEPARD X L.E.A.D. UGANDA

Stephen Shames, and his art dealer, Steven Kasher, approached Shepard Fairey earlier this year about creating artworks to support L.E.A.D. Uganda, an educational leadership program founded by Shames that locates vulnerable children with innate talents and molds them into leaders.

Fairey agreed to create and donate two unique mixed media collages, valued at $12,000 each, and two editions of 450 prints, which sell for $75 each. The collages and prints will be auctioned off on November 12 at the Steven Kasher Gallery, 521 West 23rd Street, New York, along with works by other noted photographers, among them Joyce Tenneson, Dan Winters, Michal Chelbin, and Lynn Bianchi. The Fairey prints are based on Uganda photographs by Stephen Shames. Fairey had previously created a suite of works based on Shames’ iconic portrait of Angela Davis, which is in the National Portrait Gallery. Fairey received acclaim for his iconic poster of President Obama.  THE PRINTS ARE ON SALE NOW at www.leaduganda.org

ART AUCTION TO RAISE FUNDS FOR L.E.A.D UGANDA
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12 , 6:30 PM
Steven Kasher Gallery, New York

“My work is about trying to make striking, provocative images that can lead people to take an interest in social issues that I care about – whether it is what is going on in Darfur or Uganda or any other form of injustice that is happening around the world,” said Shepard Fairey. “When Stephen talked to me about his foundation, I thought this is an incredible mission. If I can help raise money for L.E.A.D. Uganda, and also have the chance to make some beautiful artwork based on Stephen’s compelling photographs – this is a very symbiotic situation.”

“I have long admired Shepard’s work and commitment to social justice. I am delighted to collaborate with him to help our children,” said Stephen Shames. “I’d like to thank Shepard and all the photographers who donated prints to the auction, for their generosity. Their support makes it possible for L.E.A.D Uganda’s children to attend the best schools, where they earn high marks and gain self-esteem. Our scholars experience the healing and transforming powers of education. They will become leaders in the country they love. They will help Africa and the world.”

L.E.A.D Uganda, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, locates children living on the edges of society – AIDS orphans, former child soldiers, child laborers – and gives them the world class, 21st century skills necessary to lead Africa into the future. The goal is to help Africans become equal partners in a world of democracy and prosperity. All proceeds from the event will go towards the education L.E.A.D Uganda’s students.

This event is open to the public and admission is free. Stephen Magezi, Deputy Director of L.E.A.D Uganda in Kampala, Uganda will speak briefly about L.E.A.D Uganda. There will be music by saxophonist Hayes Greenfield. Steve Shames will sign copies of his new book Transforming Lives: Turning Uganda’s Forgotten Children Into Leader (Star Bright Books). The book tells the inspirational stories of thirteen children in the program.