Getting bored with Shepard Fairey. He’s been recycling the same ideas and aesthetics of years. That’s totally permissible on the streets, but once you enter gallery space and fine art world, you’re expected to stay fresh conceptually and visually. Look no further than Barry McGee for that.

thoughts?

@nickpeden

phenomenology kind of doesn’t work though when you have a huge brand using the same name (OBEY) I don’t think the phenomenology argument can be used any more.

most artists don’t change their style radically over time, it just looks that way in hindsight.
these days, with blogs such as this, we see every new piece an artist like Shepard makes, and so it’s very difficult to see a progression.
I’m sure if we only looked at a new piece every five years we’d notice the difference.

also, by comparing Shepard to an artist from history (I’ll choose Francis Bacon as I just read about him two nights ago) we’re comparing completely different worlds. Shep is a commercial artist, who releases new products, or works for clients, every week. Francis Bacon didn’t do this. Most artists don’t do this. They make a handful of paintings a year. I was recently in an artists studio and he only had 12 finished pieces from three years work. Art takes time. Which is why I feel most of what is called “street art” is not art, it is design, illustration, craft, or something of that kind.
of course, art can also be made in an instant, but rarely does this happen.

This work pictured above is not art, it is interior design. Looks like a high-class vietnamese restaurant to me…

I disagree. Phenomenology works when an images or idea is permiated through exposure and repetition. Starting with his Andre the Giant sticker and evolving into his brand “Obey”. So Obey is the center of his idealology (which should be perpetuated through this branding) and this is a direction he established, much like Takashi Murakami pioneered the Superflat movement. Whether or not I find some of his images appealing is besides the point. As RJ has stated, he has a certain style/asthetic that’s repeated and alternated, but doesn’t mean he isn’t growing or lazy. Take Warhol, many people criticized him for his silkscreening and swapping out colors. His Marilyn and Maos may have seen redundant, but ultimately his pop alternates gave us a unique by creating multiples and overlapping redundancies. Shepard does his own thing and sticks to his guns. Barry also has a series of go to faces and characteristics he goes through. Like RJ said look at his panels and street art. Every artist has his signature and style. Evolution comes in many forms. Looking at the picture above is also a 1/2 way completed piece in progress. His murals are layered and hand painted, it’s quite nice once you see them in person. Much better than prefabricated wall paper or “it” colorways of the season for interior design.

I do agree that artists don’t change their stripes overnight and takes time to notice change by sampling over a long period of time. If you look at Shepard and how he started with prints in a mail order catalog to his earlier fine art works to this retired stencils, HPM albums, canvases and murals, you would see he isn’t shy about experimenting with mediums. RJ and I just cover alot of his murals and fine art of late as you stated so everyone has been stuck on this “Obama/Deitch” period of his artwork. I think he’s progressing fine as an artist.

Absolutely true RJ. Phenomenology has taken a huge part of advertising because Shepard’s Studio Number One is a graphic design firm, but he still has his personal art half in Studio Number Two. So it’s 50/50 – half ad & half personal/artisan views. Ironically the ad’s fulfill the phenomenology (Also Obey’s) goal in full circle as it’s based on the “they live” movie where the aliens hide their messaging in everyday billboards/ads. Only now Shepard’s guerilla tactics have graduated to the mainstream advertising media which basically is one of the most effective ways to reach the broad population (no art crowd) and achieve phenomenology. So think of the ad business as a method to sustain (monetarily) your personal goals to spread your ideals. Phenomenology is basically advertising… it’s just that Shepard started with Guerilla campaigns with Andre to propel his inside joke… only now he’s gotten to a level where he can contribute to a presidential election or to build environmental awareness.

which you honestly need in today’s day and age to get