LT week 10 – Focusing on Design With A Conscience

Frank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his ‘Andre the Giant Has a Posse’” (…OBEY…) (www.obeygiant.com) sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News.

His work became more widely known in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, specifically his Barack Obama “Hope” poster. The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston calls him one of today’s best known and most influential street artists. His work is included in the collections at The Smithsonian, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Analyse his poster for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election and give your opinion on the use of style and its efficacy. Also critique the use of pastiche and typography. 
Write one page (about 350 words) on your opinion of this design and substantiate your answers with examples.

This poster featuring former president Barack Obama was widely spread around the world in connection with his 2008 presidential campaign. The message is simple. An easily recognizable image of Barack Obama, with the word “Hope” in large print underneath. The colors of the poster are the red, white and blue, much like the colors of the American flag. The image has been simplified, it has a clean look that is striking on a poster.

The artist has stated that: “My historical inspiration was the well-known JFK portrait where he is posed in a three-quarters view looking slightly upward and out into the distance. The image of Lincoln on the five-dollar bill has a similar feel.” (ref. wikipedia.org) Making a connection to the very popular John F Kennedy who tragically was killed, is a smart move.

One might say that Barack Obama is gazing into the future. The word “hope” used in this context to me says that there is hope for the future.

The typography used in this poster is very clean, readable and as it is such a short word it is very easily recognized, almost like an icon itself. Such a strong word in such a strong, clean typeface make a strong impact.