Shepard Fairey’s work goes beyond traditional methods of appropriation and referencing. Some of these are exact replicas of previous works, with just a subtle color change. It wouldn’t be an issue if this work only existed in the streets as a form of political guerilla art. However Shepard profits greatly through museum shows,a multi-million dollar apparel line, and inflated art sales as the result of this decade long art project. More and more this seems like a genius marketing plan aimed at angry teenagers rather than creating a body of original artwork that opens up a dialogue about politics. Read this in-depth article by Mark Vallens and decide for yourself.
