For the 2008 presidential race, artist Shepard Fairey created an image for then presidential hopeful Barack Obama. The image recognized the world over is a simple portrait of Mr. Obama ascribed with the word ‘Hope.’ In a 2015 interview with Esquire magazine, Fairey looked back on that image with a new perspective, one that did not see the president living up to the promise the poster made, “Obama has had a really tough time, but there have been a lot of things that he’s compromised on that I never would have expected. I mean, drones and domestic spying are the last things I would have thought [he’d support].”
For the inauguration of 45th President Donald Trump, Fairey took a far different route for his new trio of politically-minded posters titled ‘We The People.’ Trump takes office with a 41% approval rating (data averaged by FiveThirtyEight from polls taken by CNN, Gallup, ABC News / Washington Post, Quinnipiac University, NBC News / Wall Street Journal) amongst polled Americans, coupled with scheduled protests and marches for his inauguration, Trump is a highly divisive figure. Rather than focus on the negative aspects of the 45th president, Fairey brought the people to the forefront of the political conversation, as he told CNN, “I think the campaigns were very divisive, more from one side than the other. But (it’s) just reminding people to find their common humanity, and look beyond maybe one narrow definition of what it means to be American.”
Fairey’s ‘We The People‘ series is not 100% devoid of antagonism. The women — Mexican, Muslim, African-American, represent only a few of the minorities and communities threatened in Trump’s America. ‘We The People‘ minus all of the people. Working class citizens are not represented and some may wonder why there are no steelworkers, carpenters, or farmers present in the series, or vacant corporate cogs for that matter. Still, Fairey’s trio of posters are designed to be inclusive, a change from his more schismatic political work that caters to those that already share similar views. This is inspired growth for the artist — the attempt at positive engagement opposed to demonizing and hero-worship.
‘We The People’ is meant to be downloaded and shared, printed and plastered across cities, hung on walls, in windows. Art for everyone. We are all Americans, we, each of us, are ‘…we the people.’
Shepard Fairey’s ‘We The People’ Posters are available as a free download HERE
‘We The People: Are Greater Than Fear’ by Shepard Fairey
Greater Than Fear
Artist: Shepard Fairey
Photographer: Ridwan Adhami
‘We The People: Defend Dignity’ by Shepard Fairey
‘Defend Dignity’
Artist: Shepard Fairey
Photographer: Arlene Mejorado
‘We The People: Protect Each Other’ by Shepard Fairey
‘Protect Each Other’
Artist: Shepard Fairey
Photographer: Delphine Diallo
