Shepard Fairey Mr. Spray

I've never understood why artists who have no connection or interest in toys start making 'em. (oh yeah, to make money.) Say what you will about Kozik, he has always been a toy collector, and the style of his work lends itself to toy design.

In Shepard's case, this seems like exactly the kind of calculated consumer con/moneygrab that his work is supposedly philosophically opposed to.

And yes, Shepard is a very nice, friendly guy. I just think that for someone with such a big political element to his work, he doesn't have a consistent philosophy about what he does or does not do. This gets him into hot water sometimes, like when he painted his studio with graffitti-resistant paint, to cite a recent example. Fighting against "The Man" seems a bit insincere when you earn most of your bread from huge corporations, and you helped elect a president.

 

Maybe his philosophy has evolved. To good old American greed and hypocrisy....

How many crappy spraycan-guy toys does the world need?

 

Just one . . . but I'm having trouble finding one that stands straight and isn't scuffed-up to hell!

 

this "toy" is lame.
the barry Mcgee toy is sick. I have one. I found some of these years ago at this streetwear store here and sold like 2 on ebay for $750 a pop.
I used that money to buy other junk I didnt need. The cycle continues.

 

That's what always chapped my hide about him; the political stuff.
It never really bothered me that his stuff was 99% rehashed from old designs (there's a website somewhere out there that breaks down some of his more famous imagery to it's... borrowed from.. source) or of a deceased giant wrestler.... it's the commie-core "give art to the people" (ps: will that be cashier's cheque or credit?) while collecting money from marketing giants.

I've never heard a negative things said about the guy on a personal level; he just wheatpasted the side of my screen printer's building and they said he was really friendly and enthused about the work.... but the whole phenominology "the brand IS the art" thing never sat right with me.

At least you appreciate big boobies, Coop. Hell, one time I threw an art event across the hall from your studio and a few girls with ample assets kept going on parking lot errands to give you something to look at should you be staring out the window while taking a break.

 

shep's work is completely contradictory to his actions as a business person. who cares if he's a nice person, george bush is probably a nice guy to your face also. shep sells you one idea & then uses those funds to bankroll something completely contrasting. "hey fuck war & the government but hold up vote for my boy who happens to be a democrat & works for the same false democracy pedaling globalists as his predecessor, he's different from the other ones somehow". what a dick. lame toy too.

 

Is there anyone who actually thinks war is good?!? Way to take a controversial stand, Shepard.

 

Do you own a TV ?

 

^^This totally reminded me of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08S4poMGvwA

Hey...if ya wanna work your politics into your toys and artwork, that's fine...but don't be fucking two-faced about it. Hate capitalism but still wanna make a toy? Okay...produce it entirely in the US and sell it at cost.

 

One of my favorite toys, I ordered mine from Tokion when they first released that series (Neograffiti Project 3D they were dubbed). The Barry Mcgee and the Margaret Kilgallen toys were definitely the best executed, the Shepard Fairey contribution fell short in my opinion.