Shepard Fairey "Jumps The Shark"

[raiden]

Even as one of the boards fiercest defenders of Shepard Fairey, this time I'll agree, he's "Jumped the Shark" with this print...

First:

JUMP THE SHARK (def from Urban Dictionary)

"A term to describe a moment when somethin that was once great has reached a point where it will now decline in quality and popularity.

Origin of this phrase comes from a Happy Days episode where the Fonz jumped a shark on waterskis. Thus was labeled the lowest point of the show."

"The precise moment when you know a program, band, actor, politician, or other public figure has taken a turn for the worse, gone downhill, become irreversibly bad, is unredeemable, etc.; the moment you realize decay has set in."

muttslikeme.adoptapet.com/

From the site:

"Now, Shepard Fairey, the man Time Magazine named “Icon Maker” of the year, has used his talents to help shelter pets! The artist who made Barack Obama's face an icon through his stickers and posters has now made an icon out of the American mutt, proving that every mutt is truly a masterpiece!
Help spread the word on behalf of the millions of furry U.S. ‘residents’ currently waiting to be adopted!

Click here to get the image and spread it around.

Whether you want a specific breed or a marvelous mutt, you can be sure to find your new best friend at a shelter or rescue group near you. And if you can’t adopt a pet, there are plenty of other ways you can help our four-legged friends.

So add your voice…or bark…and let’s save some lives. Pet adoption is the way to go, and the homeless dogs and cats of our country need positive change too!"

Are you kidding me??!

This sounds like the promotional verbiage for a Thomas Kinkade print!

Ugh...

I am such a huge fan of Shepard, but seriously!?!??

[Winter]

A quality post.

[timba82]

wow......
thats all i have to say about that.

[bonesy]

How can producing something for a charity (which will raise alot of money) be viewed as negatively ?

[raiden]

Believe me bonesy, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt by saying "well he did it for charity" or "he releases 30 prints a year, he's entitled to a miss" but look at it.

Its a bad imitation of himself. And I'm saying this with a giant Obey poster right next to my computer.

[solar77]

It sucks as a print, but it was a quick way to donate thousands of dollars to a worthy charity.

[bonesy]

If it was a cheesy play on his most famous image as a cash grab for himself then I would def agree with you, but I dont think he'd ever do that. It took him no time to do (Im sure) and will generate cash for a good cause so I dont see it as jumping the shark.

[Karl Read]

It's for a good cause! How many other big artists do you see doing that. Fair play to him.

[kennas]

I agree with the sentiments. However in my opinion it does devalue what came before it. He could have done a new print for the charity and it would have still sold out!

[raiden]

Agreed Kennas. My thought is that pet adoption is such a big area, he could have just as well taken pictures of strays and done his graphic design Obey flourish without referencing the Obama print - and further cheapening it - especially in terms of significance.

Let me also point out, before the Obama print, blue was a relatively little used color in Shepard's palette.

I'm the first person who has applauded Shepards use of print releases to raise money for worthy causes, but this time, I think he sacrificed his artistic credibility with his choice of composition.

[giiiant]

here's to hoping he's in on the joke

[mose]

Jan 9, 2009 0:46:48 GMT 1 raiden said:

Agreed Kennas. My thought is that pet adoption is such a big area, he could have just as well taken pictures of strays and done his graphic design Obey flourish without referencing the Obama print - and further cheapening it - especially in terms of significance.

Let me also point out, before the Obama print, blue was a relatively little used color in Shepard's palette.

I'm the first person who has applauded Shepards use of print releases to raise money for worthy causes, but this time, I think he sacrificed his artistic credibility with his choice of composition.

Raiden, the whole thing is a play off of the famous Obama "mutt like me" statement from his first press conference as President-elect that received tremendous media play worldwide. It deserved the play as well, a definite brilliant way to address lingering racial issues. Really savvy.

Riding the wave of publicity from that + the inevitable swell of mutt adoptions that will follow the Obama's selecting a '1st pet' = logical. Besides, the free media is way, way more valuable to the cause then the actual money that will be raised here.

Honestly, I see nothing at all wrong with this other than the fact that it is an unattractive print.

[jonvespa]

a). clearly a "publicist" wrote that statement.....i would think someone associated with the adoption agency.
b). the obvious relation to obama appears to relate to his statement that the campaign is based on
c). this campaign is clearly geared towards the general american public and not art afficionados. i am going to assume that most americans have never heard of shepard fairey, but most recognize the obama image...and the obvious similarity will bring more attention to the cause.

shep donates art/images/time to quite a few charities. i absolutely applaud him and studio one for this.

jon

[jamesreeve5]

he also donated his time to the Charity of Saks 5th Avenue...



www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/fashion/08ROW.html?_r=2

[raiden]

I got that it was a statement referring to Obama being a mutt. Its not like it was that obtuse in anyway - he wrote it on the tag!

Ultimately, I guess I'm glad my opinion isn't unanimous on this one, because I really have immense respect for Shepard, his career, and his work - and am glad my opinion wasn't met with complete unison!

Still, this print is a "groaner" - no matter how you cut it. (much like the 1,000 other take offs on Shep's original image)

I do want to give Shep the benefit of the doubt that he's being coyly self-effacing of his own masterwork, but still, he was so utterly humorless in discussing it on his official website...

The day Obama stated his interest in adopting a dog from the shelter was a slightly brighter one for the approximately 7 million adoptable dogs & cats killed each year in this country. The staggering reality is that for each one sold at a pet store or by a breeder, another perfectly worthy one is killed. Our nations shelters are filled to capacity with all kinds of amazing adoptable animals including, as Obama put it, “Mutts like me.”
On the heels of Obama’s comment, I got a call from Pia Salk, an animal advocate who works with North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, Adopt-a-Pet.com. Pia simply asked if I might be willing to collaborate on a way to have my art help these animals.
As most of you know, I’m a big believer in speaking up for all who suffer injustice, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation or in this case, species! And I’m all for adopting from the shelter. My wife and I share our home with 2 pooches, George and Weezie, who is a rescue. They are the happy canine siblings to our 2 human daughters.
The image I created for this print reminds me of a dog I had as kid, a mutt named Honey.
We have created a limited edition run of 400 signed and numbered silk-screen prints that will be available at: www.muttslikeme.com. The January sale date will be announced soon and proceeds will go to getting the furry non-partisan U.S. residents, who share our country, saved and into homes through: www.Adoptapet.com
Check out the site and search for adoptable animals in your area or other ways to help.

I personally still can't get around thinking that he tarnishes and cheapens the "Obama Hope / Progress" image by so clearly doing a farce of his own piece.

PLEASE Shep, put the Obama image to bed!

Granted, one transgression into the corny, campy, and hoaky is forgivable, but this is exactly the sort of thing causes artists to go stale - namely the needless recycling of one's "greatest hits" imagery. (Jumping the Shark)

I obviously know Shep's art well enough to dismiss this as a "groaner," or the "Ebony & Ivory" of his prints.

[raiden]

Far simpler, I think we can all agree that this is the print.... That Went to The Dogs!!! (yuck, yuck, yuck!)

[snausages]

Wow! Good cause or not, that's bad on so many levels. One of the worst prints I've ever seen. And taking the 'revolution' to 5th ave! Wow! That's some serious "art!" This has got to be the funniest thread I've seen here.

[Francis]

This thread shows the major superficiality of the forum. Almost all of you are unable to look beyond the surface of this print and why it was made and for what reasons. There is a reason he designed and illustrated it this way.

Shepard Fairey has paid enough dues that he can do whatever the fuck he wants and he wants to support the things he believes in. I applaud him for that.

It's pretty transparent that you all constantly try to bring down this guy simply because he isn't well represented in your collections.

[Poppy Sunshine]

I agree.

What a bunch of a**holes.
Can't you lot just stop slagging people off and get a life and support the man in his decision to do something nice for the dogs etc etc.............

Only Kidding! It's so bad I thought it was a joke and I've still not ruled out that possibility.

[Poppy Sunshine]

Forgot to mention I have never heard the shark jumping thing and think it's brilliant.

Reminds me of my own personal favourite lowest point of the A-team when they saved Boy George.

I'll never forget Mr.T with face wide grin and two thumbs up saying "I lerv culture club, they're grrrrreat", a la Tony the Tiger.

If anyone finds this episode please let me know as I keep looking through the repeats with no success.

Perhaps we can have a dedicated thread to career low points.

[onemandown72]

Jan 9, 2009 9:48:54 GMT 1 Poppy Sunshine said:

Forgot to mention I have never heard the shark jumping thing and think it's brilliant.

Reminds me of my own personal favourite lowest point of the A-team when they saved Boy George.

I'll never forget Mr.T with face wide grin and two thumbs up saying "I lerv culture club, they're grrrrreat", a la Tony the Tiger.

If anyone finds this episode please let me know as I keep looking through the repeats with no success.

Perhaps we can have a dedicated thread to career low points.

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=47puweMw9Wk

Best I could find - I now want to see this episode in all its glory

[manchestermike]

An expected return to form for Shep after the Orwell pair of prints

[Poppy Sunshine]

After all these years of searching onemandown.
Thanks for that glimpse of top quality world class entertainment.
The full episode is now on my birthday wish list.
So not only has Shep "jumped the shark", he's also "saved Boy George".

[achtungbono]

Erm.. surely he jumped the shark when he produced the Obama image initially?

[raiden]

Francis... "It's pretty transparent that you all constantly try to bring down this guy simply because he isn't well represented in your collections." What are you talking about? I have a ton of Shep prints, if you count the collabs with Blek, maybe 8-9 total, (plus more framed Shep prints than any other artist) that's partly why I'm saying this was bad. This print has none of the edginess of any of his other work.

Secondly, achtungbono -- my short response is "Shut up, you're from London, you couldn't possibly get it - and that goes for the rest of the Brits who criticize the Obama print."

But my more thought out response, achtungbono.... I couldn't disagree more - the Obama image was brilliant. From the moment I saw it, I knew it was brilliant. Lets not forget, that when he first released the Obama image, Obama was trailing Hillary Clinton by 20 points and have probably $40million less than Hillary.

He was legitimately the first major artist (or any artist to my knowledge) I know of to do an Obama image tied to the 2008 race. The print marked a radical leap in American iconography in many, many ways - frankly, I found its vague referencing to the Che portraitures subversive in a way that I thought could actually back fire for the campaign. Plus, it really was a major progression for Sheps art for many reasons I can explain at another point.

[achtungbono]

discussing politcs with an American is an oxymoronic excercise ( or should that be exercize ? )








See how a bit of national stereotyping make you look a bit silly ?

[Poppy Sunshine]

Maybe he could shelve this print for now until the next elections.
If they decide to go along the film star lines for candidates again then perhaps Lassie will get a look in and "ADOPT" is a perfect slogan.

[Deleted]

Jan 9, 2009 15:19:12 GMT 1 Poppy Sunshine said:

Maybe he could shelve this print for now until the next elections.
If they decide to go along the film star lines for candidates again then perhaps Lassie will get a look in and "ADOPT" is a perfect slogan.

;D

[micko]

Regardless of the subject matter in the print, and its worthy cause, I think the re-use of the style diminishes and dillutes the original Obama campaign where that style was first featured. those were special. and they were a great campaign. "extract head shot and insert dog picture into existing template" ha ha.

[rosstierney]

uk.youtube.com/user/SannieGirl5

search 'cowboy george'