Robot Monkeys

Shepard Fairey is over. In fact, the whole Soviet Propaganda styling is over.

I discovered Fairey back in 1999. I discovered him as part of my fascination with Soviet Propaganda. I liked the colors, the big bold lines. It was stark. Powerful. Ominous. Even back around the turn of the 20th century, there was a bit of mainstream buzz about him. I remember seeing someone on tv with an “Obey” t-shirt, but that was it. Fairey was still below the radar. But now, he’s everywhere.

It seems like everyday, I see someone wearing a t-shirt. He’s making movie posters, campaign posters, even book covers.

He’s moved from artist to brand, and that’s the death of an artist.

Fairey was always a bit of a hack, but then again so was “acclaimed artist” Andy Warhol. Fairey just showed what some guy with photoshop, four colors, and Google could do. Hell, I own scans of most of the original Soviet art.

Hell even the whole Soviet art thing is passe. If I see “shouting girl” one more time, I’m going to shout.

Yeah, yeah. The intersection of the-things-I-like and the-things-you-like, is the-things-I-used-to-like. Call me an elitist, a snob, even a hipster, I don’t care. Fairey is done.
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