Shepard Fairey's Obama Image Makes History
Shepard Fairey of Santa Ana, Calif.–based Obey Clothing has struck a chord with Washington’s elite that has made its way to the White House.
The WPA-style portrait he created last year of Barack Obama has become part of the collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., just a few blocks from the White House.
Washington, D.C., art collectors Heather and Tony Podesta donated the piece to the gallery.
“This work is an emblem of a significant election, as well as a new presidency,” said Martin E. Sullivan, director of the gallery. “Shepard Fairey’s instantly recognizable image was integral to the Obama campaign.”
The piece has been featured on Obey T-shirts and posters. The mixed-media stenciled collage features Obama’s image with the word “HOPE.”
It has been installed on the gallery’s first floor under the new-arrivals exhibit. Fairey’s work will be in heady company. The gallery houses portraits of every U.S. president, including one of the most famous and recognizable paintings in the world, a portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart.
A retrospective of Fairey’s work will open Feb. 6 at the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art. —Robert McAllister
