[Whitefish]

American Rage

2020

Signed and Numbered

Edition of 550

This “American Rage” print, based on a photo taken during the LA riots of spring 1992, is my second collaboration with photographer Ted Soqui. I was introduced to Ted’s work when I made an illustration based on one of his photos of an Occupy Wall Street protester. Ted has a long history of photographing activists and protests, which began in the aftermath of the “not guilty” verdicts on April 29, 1992, for the four officers who severely beat Rodney King. I remember at the time, 28 years ago, feeling enraged that such a blatant act of police brutality was going unpunished when it was clearly captured on video. It is heartbreaking to me how frequently similar acts of violence and abuse of power by law enforcement have gone unpunished, even when caught on camera. I don’t ever condone violence or looting, but I understand why LA erupted in riots and protests after the King verdict. When people feel that the American system has failed them over and over, things can reach a boiling point. The urge to protest injustice and the right to do so are legitimate. Looting is not legitimate. The LA riots were a tragic mixture. However, beware of those who try to conflate protest with “criminal agitation” or “inciting a riot.” When the system fails the people, it is nothing short of patriotic for the people to protest for a solution. Ted Soqui and I sign the “American Rage” print. A portion of proceeds will benefit WLCAC (Watts Labor Community Action Committee). Edition of 550. $70. -Shepard

The Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) has been working with people in Watts to improve the quality of life since 1965. They hold the hands of people in need by providing a place to sleep, food to eat, and money to earn. Through the commitment of dedicated staff and volunteers, the WLCAC has helped more than 30,000 people in need over the last 45 years.

Flag Bandana and the L.A. Riots

In April 1992 I photographed week of rage. The Los Angeles Riots was the culmination of institutionalized police violence and a justice system that failed to represent minority and working class residents.

At the time I had been covering the shooting death of 15-year-old African-American girl Latasha Harlins by a Korean-born liquor store owner, and the beating of Rodney King by LAPD officers. Both of those events had been taped and were being constantly replayed in the media. I photographed several resulting protests against the police in South Central Los Angeles, most of them calling for the removal of then L.A. Police Chief Daryl Gates and all of them including chants of “f**kTHE POLICE” taken from song “f**kTha Police” by NWA.

On the afternoon of April 29, 1992, I was at the courthouse in Simi Valley awaiting the verdict of the four LAPD officers who beat King. The verdict dropped — not guilty, times four — and the city burned into the night. For three days and nights I roamed the streets of L.A. trying to cover the mayhem of a large-scale rebellion. I attempted to cover everything I could without getting attacked and robbed for my cameras; many of my colleagues were beaten and robbed for their gear. I photographed during the daytime and early evenings, and processed my images at home in a makeshift darkroom at night. Most of the camera stores and labs were closed burned or looted, and a dusk to dawn curfew had been imposed on the city.

Aug. 21, 2014: The flag bandana wearer was someone I found as a popular subject. Days before this demonstration in South Central Los Angeles., there had been a police shooting in Ferguson, Mo. That city was about to experience rebellion much like L.A. had 22 years earlier.

Many of the protests and demonstrations I now photograph are related to what was happening back in the early 1990s: police violence against young black men, lack of minority and working class representation in the criminal justice system, poverty and lock of quality education and jobs for the residents of South Central Los Angeles.

I was drawn to the striking visual of this young demonstrator speaking out against a rise in shootings of black men by LAPD officers and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies. Often protests have an anonymous core of participants who wear bandanas not only to protect themselves from tear gas but also to make a visual statement. Movements around the world, from Chiapas to Hong Kong, have adopted mask-wearing for the same reasons. This particular mask was both a cover and a shield, and a direct reflection of the events I witnessed in 1992.
-Ted Soqui

KNOWLEDGE + ACTION

2018

signed and numbered

edition of 350

I created this art previously but never released it as a print until now. For this new version, the message reads Knowledge + Action = Power. The text, ”The Future Is Unwritten” was inspired by a quote from Joe Strummer of The Clash. The flower growing from the barbed wire in my art piece is symbolic of the negative being overcome by the positive, a visual metaphor for hope in the unwritten future. - Shepard

LATE HOUR RIOT
2017
Signed by Shepard Fairey and Dennis Morris
Edition 450



I’ve been a fan of Dennis Morris’ photography of people like the Sex Pistols and Bob Marley for many years but I only recently discovered the photos from his series “Growing Up Black.” I love Dennis’ photos from his neighborhood in London so when he asked me to collaborate on a piece inspired by a song by his band Basement 5, I wanted to find a connection between a Basement 5 lyric and a photo from the “Growing Up Black” series. The lyrics to the song “Riot” made sense with his photograph of Sista Cool anxiously living in a world of police and thieves reflected in her glasses. Check out Basement 5 if you can… the great tunes are in the spirit of the Slits, the Clash, and Public Image Ltd (PiL). Art and music are great on their own, but even better together! – Shepard

In the small hours of the night,
With unrest on the streets,
Sista Cool will pray for your soul,
There is a riot going on,
Kids on the street, with itchy feet.

With the reissue of my Basement 5 album, this title is a reference to a diary of events that happened in my youth from 1965-1980. Shepard and I collaborated to create a poster that refers to a track from the album called “Riot.” – Dennis

Basement 5 were a reggae punk band from London founded in 1978. In 1979, legendary photographer Dennis Morris took over as creative force, lead vocalist, lyricist, and designer of the Basement 5 logo and branding. Fusing their own experiences with punk rage and dub-wise rhythms, together the band explored themes of alienation, 70’s inner-city existence, and what it was like to be a second-generation immigrant.
Their debut album, 1965-1980, takes its title from the year Morris arrived from Jamaica to its recording in 1980. Although reissued on CD some twenty years ago, the album has since languished in the vaults until now. 1965-1980, including its companion In Dub, was released through label Play It Again Sam (PIAS) in October of 2017.








Artist For Freedom

Screen Print signed and numbered

edition 400
released 5/12/15

"Philippe Vergne from MOCA asked me if I would be willing to work on not only the graphic design identity system for the MOCA/Sotheby’s Spring auction, but to also create a fine art piece for the auction that relates to the design for the auction itself. I was excited to explore this concept because we live in a culture of compartmentalization but I believe that things are far more fluid between the fine art and design worlds than many gatekeepers are willing to acknowledge. Of course all of this was in service of an institution I believe does a lot for artists and should be supported by artists. This led to the concept of symbiotic support and creative freedom for the institution and the artists themselves facilitated by this symbiosis. My screen print is based on the painting I created for the auction, once again playing into the concept by yielding a more graphic version of a fine art piece but with a clear relationship to it and a lower price tag. I’m a populist so all of this works for me, hope it does for you."

– Shepard

[lollo88]

mmm I'm kind of diggin the blue one

[Hubble Bubble]

And I like the grey... very much

[shygetshigh83]

Thanks for share it! I'll try for the blu one!

[wakeskater]

Is it just me or has he done this same if not similar image several times?

[thewral]

Mar 30, 2016 11:38:25 GMT 1 wakeskater said:

Is it just me or has he done this same if not similar image several times?

Pass... waiting on the lenticular color change from blue to black/oil version.

[Giramondo]

Very Nice!

[Phat Spider]

Keen on the blue but thats 3am here in Aus

[stillborncrisps]

Mar 30, 2016 11:38:25 GMT 1 wakeskater said:

Is it just me or has he done this same if not similar image several times?

It's similar to that recent Paradise one, but only in colour and how he's done the sea.

What's the other artist's contribution/influence?
It looks like a regular Shep image to me??

[gmidd]

He's done a few wave prints in the past that look very similar to the black image. Slick New Wave (2014) was the most recent and there was also the Jaws Wave (2009) and Dark Wave (2010) prints.

I do like the blue version of this one though.

[Daniel Silk]

Mar 30, 2016 11:38:25 GMT 1 wakeskater said:

Is it just me or has he done this same if not similar image several times?

Yeah If you were only gonna have one or two Shepard Fairey pieces up on your wall, its hard to believe this would make it.

[wakeskater]

Mar 30, 2016 15:46:54 GMT 1 stillborncrisps said:

Mar 30, 2016 11:38:25 GMT 1 wakeskater said:

Is it just me or has he done this same if not similar image several times?

It's similar to that recent Paradise one, but only in colour and how he's done the sea.

What's the other artist's contribution/influence?
It looks like a regular Shep image to me??

http://instagram.com/p/6qoy3gpaMk

I believe this his second wave print that does nothing for me. Easy pass. Which has been the case for most his recent works.

[savannahsam]

Mar 30, 2016 15:55:54 GMT 1 Daniel Silk said:

Mar 30, 2016 11:38:25 GMT 1 wakeskater said:

Is it just me or has he done this same if not similar image several times?

Yeah If you were only gonna have one or two Shepard Fairey pieces up on your wall, its hard to believe this would make it.

reminds me of this beauty I just have sitting in a flat file!  This will make a nice companion piece to the Jaws Print from 2009  Hope the colors will match up!

[randomname]

I have a few of his better prints. He puts out one or two a year that I like. Or at least he used to. Been a while since I've seen anything I like.

But anyway, I'd say this print is a little more similar to this one.



And this one...




And this one...







And this one...



And this one...




Can't fault him on his environmentalist credentials. If nothing else, he does recycle. 

[bigv]

Mar 30, 2016 16:21:35 GMT 1 randomname said:

I have a few of his better prints. He puts out one or two a year that I like. Or at least he used to. Been a while since I've seen anything I like.

But anyway, I'd say this print is a little more similar to this one.



And this one...




And this one...







And this one...



And this one...




Can't fault him on his environmentalist credentials. If nothing else, he does recycle. 

I'd love to get my hands on a Jaws. I've got the Dark Wave in cream and the Dark Wave Japan version, but that jaws would look great on a wall.

[belsan]

These are nice but he can do better imo

[My Name is Frank]

All the waves together look pretty nice to me, would look great on a wall

[james10]

looks like he is releasing a new print every two weeks or so.. Is he always been so productive?
what is actually 10am PST on CEST time?

[Aza]

Waves look pretty good, but yeah he has done quite a few of them.

[scarylarry]

I passed the first 5 times on this print, nothing will change on this upcoming release....

[Con Art Studio]

Mar 31, 2016 17:09:36 GMT 1 james10 said:

looks like he is releasing a new print every two weeks or so.. Is he always been so productive?
what is actually 10am PST on CEST time?

there was a very long stretch where he would release a print every week... He's been this productive for over 20 years.

[Whitefish]

Apr 1, 2016 1:45:23 GMT 1 Con Art Studio said:

Mar 31, 2016 17:09:36 GMT 1 james10 said:

looks like he is releasing a new print every two weeks or so.. Is he always been so productive?
what is actually 10am PST on CEST time?

there was a very long stretch where he would release a print every week... He's been this productive for over 20 years.

It has been an incredible run...  The one thing I appreciate about the artist is that he refuses to stop provided affordable pieces to his following.  That says alot.  His clothing line generates 30 times the income that his art sales produce, and he still holds true to what he initially set out to do, even though we pay thousands at the drop of the hat when the OGs come up as available.  The days are approaching when the screen prints will stop...   

Fairey will be looked upon in our kids future as the OG of why we all started collecting.  You don't have to like or love him, but we must all appreciate what he has done to change the game of "ART."  If you have not studied his legacy, just youtube some videos of his testimony. 

[tommyb]

I do like this print but it is a Shepard Fairey, it is too nice, if I have a Shep on the wall I want to be reminded how terrible the world is and that we are all doomed. This makes me want to have a beer or a cider on the beach on a sunny day with my mates like I did in my teens, a real Shep makes you want to drink two bottles of wine alone in a dimly lit room, listen to the smiths and watch 911 conspiracy videos.

[thisisit]

I missed the wave in 2015 because I was on holidays!
So I feel the need to get this one just to make up for that.

But I really can't tell which one of the two colours I prefer this time! Will have to make my decision till the day of release.

Maybe blue? (since I do not own other wave prints..)

[Whitefish]

NEW RELEASE
These prints will be available exclusively through posterchildprints.com
Thursday April 7th at 10am PST

http://instagr.am/p/BDgRrPSSNGi

Looks like a set of 3

[Howard Johnson]

Apr 1, 2016 2:12:02 GMT 1 Whitefish said:

Apr 1, 2016 1:45:23 GMT 1 Con Art Studio said:

there was a very long stretch where he would release a print every week... He's been this productive for over 20 years.

It has been an incredible run...  The one thing I appreciate about the artist is that he refuses to stop provided affordable pieces to his following.  That says alot.  His clothing line generates 30 times the income that his art sales produce, and he still holds true to what he initially set out to do, even though we pay thousands at the drop of the hat when the OGs come up as available.  The days are approaching when the screen prints will stop...   

Fairey will be looked upon in our kids future as the OG of why we all started collecting.  You don't have to like or love him, but we must all appreciate what he has done to change the game of "ART."  If you have not studied his legacy, just youtube some videos of his testimony. 

I agree with your post, but as a massive Shep fan I really do hope that he slows down his output sometime soon. Some of his older works are hands down the best thing to come out of the street art movement, and far better then Mr. B IMHO. That being said, the last 5 years have not been good to Mr. Fairey. Aside from a few really good images (like "POW(ER)") the majority has been just alright. I salute the man for his work ethic but part of me thinks he's diluting his legacy by producing so many lackluster prints. 

[jmds]

Sold out. Is it just me or is stuff going a lot quicker nowadays, compared to even 12 months ago.

[docean]

picked one up. great image and the blue looks awesome.

I'm not concerned with Shep's output. mostly because I buy Sheps for my wall but also because great artists of the past produced boatloads of work (Picasso comes to mind first; notorious for producing a ton) and it didn't dilute their legacy.

[Whitefish]

TOMMY COLLAGE Prints Red & Gold

Both red and gold 18 inches by 24 inches Screen Print
Numbered edition of 350
Signed by Shepard Fairey $50.
Available Tuesday, April 12 at 10AM PST here store.obeygiant.com/collections/prints

[Whitefish]

APRIL 06, 2016
TOMMY RAMONE PRINT RELEASE & RAMONES EXHIBIT OPENING IN NYC!

"I first got into the Ramones in 1984 through my new circle of skateboarder friends and they quickly became one of my favorite groups. I saw them live in 1988 and 1989 and the shows were non-stop blistering action. I am honored to show portrait paintings of the four original Ramones at the Queens Museum exhibition Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk, up April 10 through July 31 and then moving to the Grammy Museum in L.A. in September. This is my first portrait of Tommy Ramone, the original drummer and sometimes producer for the band, which I created as a painting to complement the other three for the museum. I was pleased with the results and decided to make this into a screen print based off of the fine art painting which I’m releasing in two colorways – a black and gold version and a black and red version.

I’ve seen the Ramones three times in my life, but the show in the fall of 1988 at the Living Room in Providence, R.I. was the most intense. The Living Room should have held 500 bodies, but in Providence the clubs paid off the cops and there were easily 1,000 people in the venue that night.

Jane’s Addiction opened the show and raised the energy level, and when the Ramones came on everyone was going nuts. I was positioned close to the front of the stage and the crowd surged forward compressing everyone so tightly that I thought my ribs would be crushed; I could actually pick my feet off the ground without using my hands and be elevated by the fans around me.

The Ramones played non-stop, no breaks between songs for about two hours. The band was super tight. Johnny leaned into the crowd and didn’t even take his leather jacket off for an hour even though it was sweaty as hell in there. Joey’s hair was in his eyes but he stayed planted in front of the mic and sounded great. Providence loves the Ramones, so the energy never waned.

At certain points of the concert I felt like I was going to suffocate or be crushed, but I refused to give up my front and center spot. It may seem weird to say I was having the time of my life while fighting for my life, but that’s the only way I can describe that show."

-Shepard