Message on a bottle

Message on a bottle

The man who designed the iconic Obama poster on his recent collaboration with Hennessy V.S. and the future of street art

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Message on a bottle

In 2008, Barack Obama wrote in a letter: "Your images have a profound effect on people, whether seen in a gallery or on a stop sign. I am privileged to be a part of your artwork and proud to have your support. I wish you continued success and creativity."

Shepard Fairey's art design for a limited edition Hennessy V.S.

This was addressed to Shepard Fairey, an American contemporary street artist, illustrator, graphic designer and activist. This letter was to thank him for his series of posters made to support Obama for his 2008 presidential candidacy, including the iconic Hope portrait, which the mass audience have come to know him by.

Starting out from an underground skateboarding and punk scene, the 44-year-old's campaign stickers like Andre The Giant Has A Posse and Obey have over the years extended beyond a street art phenomenon through his prints on posters, clothing items and many different other types of collectibles.

The latest addition to his art platform is a collaboration with Hennessy V.S., the luxury cognac brand. Fairey has designed the bottle for the "Hennessy V.S. by Shepard Fairey" edition, following successful collaborations with other renowned artists like KAWS, Futura and Os Gemeos. 

At the launch event in Tokyo, Fairey talked to Life about his collaboration with the brand, his career and how street art has developed over the years.

Why did you decide to work with Hennessy V.S.?

Hennessy has such a strong following that it's an opportunity for me to put my art in front of people who might not already know it. This is a mutually beneficial collaboration. To me, it's the same philosophy of finding a way to get art to the people. The street is a great way to get art to people because it's free. T-shirts are also a great way to get art to the people. For this bottle, people say, 'Oh Hennessy is a luxury brand, it's not consistent with your philosophy'. But the bottle is very inexpensive compared to my paintings. This is much more accessible, my paintings are a luxury brand compared to it. I do look at the economics of sharing art with people.

What's the inspiration for your art?

I love so many different things. I'm always going out to see art shows, what's happening on the street, going out to listen to music. I love music, skateboarding and fashion. I also collect a lot of books, old and new art, design, architecture and photography. I look up stuff on the internet too, like everyone. But sometimes I find that on the internet, unless I'm specifically searching for something, I only get the surface. When I go out to bookstores or junk shops, I find things that I might not discover through the internet because they are probably not high on any search engine. So even though I think it's a great tool, I think it's important not to just rely on the internet.

Where do you think street art stands in the world of contemporary art?

The great thing about street art is that it's always changing. People have said that because there have been museum exhibitions of street artists, that it's going to ruin or tame street artists. No, it won't. Street art isn't in a museum, street art is on the street. The thing I love about it is that the only barrier to admission into street art is courage, you have to have the courage to do it. I'm always seeing younger people coming out and maybe they are only around for a little while because they go out, they do a bunch of stuff and then they get caught and they stop. But for that one moment, it's amazing. The way I feel about street art right now is it's becoming, in a way, a global culture because people are able to see through the internet what people are doing in Europe, Asia, the US etc. I think there's more inspiration than ever.

How do you explain the relationship between your art and politics?

I think that a lot of my art has a social point of view. Even if it doesn't have one, a lot of it is about encouraging people to just question everything and question authority. Sometimes I make things that are specifically political, like the Obama posters, I did a lot of anti-George Bush and also anti-Iraq war posters, but sometimes it might not be about a specific topic, but it's just about cultivating a better side of humanity.

Shepard Fairey.

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