Obey (Shepard Fairey)

[sleepboy]

[meatbag]

anyone know where the next Shepard Exhibition is going to be?

[rizza79]

i hear April at Deitch?

[highbrow]

Ive heard the same( wow first post in a long time where have i been )

[richardtharbaugh]

laist.com/2009/08/14/street_fight_shepard_fairey_and_eas.php

[sleepboy]

Source for his Vote image revealed. This time it was given to him by the Obama campaign.

[sleepboy]

New piece for the Sea Shepard Benefit.

[sleepboy]

Guess he's not just a fan of Kobe.

[evilchoy]

the soup can 3 is very "lowkey"

but pricey will pass.....

[devours]

Big fan of M.J, I assume Obey will do some cool closeups.

[steveinca]

Sept 9, 2009 10:04:21 GMT -8 evilchoy said:

the soup can 3 is very "lowkey"

but pricey will pass.....

yeh...i'm curious to know if the original price earlier today was $150, as was the case with the past soup can releases.

[LeBasse Projects]

Sept 9, 2009 14:32:22 GMT -8 steveinca said:

Sept 9, 2009 10:04:21 GMT -8 evilchoy said:

the soup can 3 is very "lowkey"

but pricey will pass.....

yeh...i'm curious to know if the original price earlier today was $150, as was the case with the past soup can releases.

i think Iconoclasts said it started at $250, but i think went up quickly. i got one and it was more than $250...

[evilchoy]

I was able to get the 250 button right away but when i went to check out it jumped to 750 I thought it was an error so I refreshed and got 950...so I walked away...Now it is back to 750... I was so going to break my no print rule oh well at this point I will wait to see if I can get the whole set at auction in a few years....

[steveinca]

There's a big discussion about the shady tactics that iconoclast is supposedly using in this sale, over at ebeans. It's a bit suspect, considering the fact that many are claiming to have gotten the "secret" password from icono an hour before it dropped. Once they went to check out it was priced at $750 instead of $250.

[gildoinc]

Sept 9, 2009 15:54:42 GMT -8 steveinca said:

There's a big discussion about the shady tactics that iconoclast is supposedly using in this sale, over at ebeans. It's a bit suspect, considering the fact that many are claiming to have gotten the "secret" password from icono an hour before it dropped. Once they went to check out it was priced at $750 instead of $250.

I know Iconoclast had a bunch of issues with the last release. Apparently a lot of people put the last print in their cart and waited for the price to go up before finally purchasing it. The print sold out but their cart still showed they could go ahead and purchase it. I think as a consolation these people were also offered the "secret" password. I think a lot of people had the "secret" password and that's why the price went up so fast.

[svenman]

shady business practices by the sounds of it.

didn't similar stuff happen last time around too?
i wonder why shepard associates himself with the publisher? smacks of greed in the way this was released.

why do people suppport these business practices? oh i know - eveyone wanted to get one at 250 (top dollar for a shep print anyway?) and ride the hype so they could flip it for 750.

i wonder how many people buy his prints and actually frame them?

[steveinca]

Sept 10, 2009 4:09:24 GMT -8 svenman said:

shady business practices by the sounds of it.

didn't similar stuff happen last time around too?
i wonder why shepard associates himself with the publisher? smacks of greed in the way this was released.

why do people suppport these business practices? oh i know - eveyone wanted to get one at 250 (top dollar for a shep print anyway?) and ride the hype so they could flip it for 750.

i wonder how many people buy his prints and actually frame them?

Couldn't have said it better myself sven....

[bdeek]

I'm getting sick of seeing Shepard Fairey exploit images of political prisoners, dissenters and freedom fighters for his own financial gain. Can that dude even draw? If he can, why doesn't he try it sometime instead of taking AP photos off the web and running them through Photoshop and Illustrator to achieve his goals. At least Banksy makes me laugh with his absurdest view on soci-economic and political issues versus Fairey who conveys simplistic if not sophomoric messages like "HOPE" through methods best described as propagandist in nature. Ironic once you consider that Fairey started his street art campaign as a form of anti-propaganda messaging that slowly evolved into a brand name like any other, complete with Chinese made clothing and a marketing scheme based on saturation principles. Oh snap! I just came up with his next piece: a multi-colored stencil of a bunch of over-worked, under-paid Chinese laborers sewing together Obey hoodies with flowers in their hair.

[sleepboy]

Do you have confirmation about the Chinese laborer thing? From what I hear, he's pretty careful about that sort of thing. But your opinion about his art skills definitely isn't new... Seems that there are plenty of people in the other camp too.

[bdeek]

If you click this link you will find Obey's official response to the ethics involved with their production methods.
obeygiant.com/headlines/obey-clothing

Here is a quote from said response, seemingly backing up my Chinese laborer comment, "...yes, some Obey clothing is made in China." He goes on to say, "Many of the items like jackets, jeans, hats, etc.. are made in Asia."

Thank you for critically thinking my comments though. I love having open discussions about art with those who really want think about it.

[sleepboy]

Sept 15, 2009 7:53:51 GMT -8 bdeek said:

If you click this link you will find Obey's official response to the ethics involved with their production methods.
obeygiant.com/headlines/obey-clothing

Here is a quote from said response, seemingly backing up my Chinese laborer comment, "...yes, some Obey clothing is made in China." He goes on to say, "Many of the items like jackets, jeans, hats, etc.. are made in Asia."

Thank you for critically thinking my comments though. I love having open discussions about art with those who really want think about it.

Actually, I was wondering about your "underpaid" comment and the link you gave me seemed to say that Shepard is actually very conscious of avoiding "sweatshops."

Also, some additional Jordan x Shepard images although the signed ones by both are pricey.




“The initial offering consisting of just the high-end, 26” x 36” silk-screened master prints signed by both Jordan and Fairey (limited to 50 versions each) for $4,499.99 collectively. For anyone who purchases the three-part master print series, they will receive the same edition number in the limited-to-50 series for each print (UNC, Bulls and the HOF induction). Additionally, on Sept 17th the three-part sets signed by Fairey-only, which also measure 26” wide x 36” high and are limited to 123 apiece, go on sale for $1,349.99 collectively.

On Sept 22nd, individual versions of the dual-signed master prints will go on sale for $1,499.99 each, with the Fairey-only signed versions also being made available for $499.99 apiece. Lastly, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, an 18” wide x 24” high Fairey-signed print that’s limited to 523 will be made available. Complete sets of the three single-signed, 18″ x 24″ prints will retail for $215.99 each with individual pieces listed for $79.99.”

[mike]

He's just a money machine.

I see precious little art in his art these days.

[bdeek]

I think Shepard should tell us the names of his manufacturers so that we can research them ourselves. Sadly in his huge paragraph of rationalizations not a mention of where exactly or with whom he is doing all this "ethical" manufacturing with.

If anyone thinks the Chinese laborers are paid equal to American laborers then you are just being ridiculous. Our own Department of Labor has indicated that the Chinese laborer on average makes a $104 per month. That's how costs are kept down. www.manufacturingnews.com/news/06/0502/art1.html

But I would have to know what provinces and companies Obey works with to find out exactly how bad it is.

The bottom line is China does not consider labor rights, civil liberties or the environment when they produce goods for the West. And that is ok with Shepard as long as he can get is "art" (aka jeans, hoodies and t-shirts) to the people.

"We are all doing it for the creativity, not the money." Then why doesn't he manufacture in the US and provide jobs for Americans if money doesn't matter? Is it because our minimum wage is actually inching towards a livable wage? Reason would indicate that the money does indeed matter.

On another note: That first MJ print looks more like DMX then Jordan. We need another image of an already iconic basketball player like I need a hot pepper enema. I guess you gotta cash in while MJ's retirement while is still fresh in our minds.

[sleepboy]

Sept 17, 2009 7:08:26 GMT -8 bdeek said:

I think Shepard should tell us the names of his manufacturers so that we can research them ourselves. Sadly in his huge paragraph of rationalizations not a mention of where exactly or with whom he is doing all this "ethical" manufacturing with.

If anyone thinks the Chinese laborers are paid equal to American laborers then you are just being ridiculous. Our own Department of Labor has indicated that the Chinese laborer on average makes a $104 per month. That's how costs are kept down. www.manufacturingnews.com/news/06/0502/art1.html

But I would have to know what provinces and companies Obey works with to find out exactly how bad it is.

The bottom line is China does not consider labor rights, civil liberties or the environment when they produce goods for the West. And that is ok with Shepard as long as he can get is "art" (aka jeans, hoodies and t-shirts) to the people.

"We are all doing it for the creativity, not the money." Then why doesn't he manufacture in the US and provide jobs for Americans if money doesn't matter? Is it because our minimum wage is actually inching towards a livable wage? Reason would indicate that the money does indeed matter.

On another note: That first MJ print looks more like DMX then Jordan. We need another image of an already iconic basketball player like I need a hot pepper enema. I guess you gotta cash in while MJ's retirement while is still fresh in our minds.

Well, I think your points about labor can be discussed ad nauseum and Shep is definitely not the only one who manufactures in China. The MJ print doesn't look like Jordan that much I think. But, this is definitely not Shep's strength, he was probably asked to do this, I don't think he approached them. They gave him a photo and told him to do it.

His strength is taking older images and re-appropriating them to mean other things.

[blah2u]

MJ pieces are up. anyone biting? seems like the 20% discount is working for first timers at upperdeck.