Short Answer Human Culture

Short Answer: Human Culture 1. Identify a creator from the twentieth or twenty-first century who impacted society. Shepard Fairey. Shepard Fairey is a twenty-first century contemporary American street artist, graphic designer, activist, and philanthropist. He is most famous for his sticker work “Andre the Giant Hass a Posse” and his clothing brand OBEY. His artistic style is a hybrid of graffiti street art, pop art, and graphic design. Fairey is a supporter of the Democratic party, a human rights activist, LGBTQ+ ally, art education supporter, and donates to medical research for juvenile diabetes as he is Type 1 diabetic himself (Moll, 2017). 2. Describe one of the cultural works they created and the medium. In 2008, Shepard Fairey created a series of posters supporting former President Barack Obama’s candidacy. The most iconic of these posters was the “HOPE” portrait. The poster is a pop art style portrait of Barack Obama in shades of blue, red, and white. On the bottom of the poster is the word “HOPE” in all capital letters and the iconic “O” symbol for Obama. During the duration of Obama’s campaign, the “HOPE” poster was turned into stickers, digital images, and various other prints. It can be described as the most iconic campaign poster since the “Uncle Sam Wants You” posters during World War II. It is now a permanent fixture in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery located in Washington, D.C. It was also quite controversial as Fairey went to trial over copyright infringement of the image of Obama used which was taken by the Associated Press (Moll, 2017). 3. What questions about human culture does this work prompt? Are campaign posters still relevant? Do campaign posters influence and encourage the general public to vote? Is voting in the United States on the decline? Do political images inspire citizens to use their voices, and does it promote citizens to use their voices to elicit social change? What was Obama’s campaign platform and what did the Democratic party stand for in 2008? What kind of hope was the United States looking for out of Barack Obama as president? 4. What big questions do you think influenced the cultural work you selected? Consider addressing how this connects with the larger human need to express. Who was Barack Obama running against in 2008 and why is Obama the better candidate? Shepard Fairey is anti-war. A question he may have asked, Will Obama end the war in the Middle East? Will the street art vibe of the poster be problematic? Are the colors used de-racializing or patriotic? What values does Obama stand for and how are they similar or different to the artists?