Tucked inside a gallery house on the Glendale Central Library is artist Shepard Fairey’s newest exhibit, Peace is Radical.
Fairey is greatest recognized for his iconic design of the Hope print for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential marketing campaign. His work first gained worldwide consideration within the Nineties — along with his Obey Big avenue artwork marketing campaign that includes the picture of Andre the Big.
I spoke with Fairey about his exhibit, together with a restricted version library card he designed for the library that is present accessible. Listed below are edited excerpts from our dialog:
Why collaborate with the Glendale Central Library
“ I really like doing issues that interact civically… areas just like the library are very democratic. And [it shows] that authorities can assist the humanities in significant methods.”
Restricted version Glendale Library card designed by Shepard Fairey
Courtesy of the Glendale Library
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The that means of ‘Peace is Radical’
“I’ve executed a variety of work through the years about selling peace, concord, diplomacy and used a variety of totally different symbols. However the peace signal with the peace fingers is one thing that is been a recurrent motif as a result of I feel it is understood throughout many cultures and nations. It is particularly related proper now with what is going on on within the Ukraine and in Israel and Palestine.
The entire idea of peace being radical to me is that too many individuals take the reactionary path of resorting to violence quite than taking a deep breath and placing their ego in examine for a second and discovering a compromise that avoids violence. That may be a extra sadly radical [way].”
![A guest with long hair in a baseball cap has her back turned to the camera looking at a set of prints. The most prominent is a framed design with a hand making a peace sign with the words "peace is radical"](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/23f6d24/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x1600+0+0/resize/792x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F45%2F50%2F91ac7a4b44f99e444acf13e60bf8%2Fglac-shepard-fairey-2024-guests-left-09815.jpeg)
Glendale, CA: opening reception of Peace is Radical
Glendale Public Library
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![A large mural covers an entire gallery wall includes the words "peace and justice for humanity" and "peace is radical." the right side shows geometric patterns and large black-outlined flower. Repeated prints of scales of justice is on the left side and in the middle, a woman's face and two peace-sign hands.](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b45f7b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x1600+0+0/resize/792x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F4a%2Fb7%2Fe4a0af19409b8aae3ed4bb950820%2Fglac-shepard-fairey-2024-exhibit-center-09717.jpeg)
Glendale, CA: Shepard Fairey mural, Peace is Radical exhibit
![A corner of the gallery: on the left; a larger, rectangular print featuring two contrasting woman and the words "for your convenience - idealized optics!" On the right, two rows of different prints including a portrait of Ai Weiwei and a piece with an outlined peace sign made by a hand and the words, "Obey. Peace is Radical. Violence is Weak."](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9f2400c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x1600+0+0/resize/792x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F43%2Fd2%2Fe28cbf55443b9d5fe683f5ae52a3%2Fglac-shepard-fairey-2024-exhibit-left-09712.jpeg)
Glendale, CA: Shepard Fairey’s Peace is Radical exhibit
Why display printing is Fairey’s most popular medium
“Display screen printing has been the cornerstone of my observe for over 30 years as a result of it’s so efficient and environment friendly in making graphic photographs that may be advantageous artwork, or they are often put up on the road. They are often disseminated. They are often bought inexpensively.
So display printing actually aligns with my philosophy that artwork must be accessible. It must be democratic. And after I say accessible I imply, experiencing it firsthand outdoors of simply elite areas like galleries and museums, but in addition accessible pricewise.
And it isn’t a brilliant tough approach. I began to learn to do it in center college. So I do know from my very own expertise how empowering it’s so I’m utilizing it as a part of a template of empowerment for different folks.”
How he conveys a message with a picture
“In the event you can affect the viewers emotionally — that the mental aspect of the message might be one thing that their emotional aspect needs to reconcile and justify if it offers them a optimistic, sturdy feeling — then that may break by predispositions, any kind of barrier they may have put up as a result of it would not align with the best way they determine politically or socially.
And so I am all the time in search of what’s the imagery? What’s the textual content? What’s the colour scheme that is going to attain that? It’s not a exact science in any respect. A whole lot of it’s primarily based on feeling and trial and error. And typically I’ve an concept and after I render it, I understand it isn’t succeeding and I hold pushing. I hold tinkering and experimenting till it is giving me the sensation that I hope it’ll give to different folks.
We aren’t a monolithic species so it’ll by no means have the identical desired impact on everybody. However I do belief that we as people have so much in widespread. And that if it strikes me, that it’ll at the least transfer another folks. I am not an individual pushed by religion usually however I do think about that precept.”
Fairey’s new work
“I am engaged on a variety of items to advertise civic engagement and voting. assume civic engagement means extra than simply voting however I’m very involved in regards to the preservation of democracy. So it is a huge focus of mine between now and the election.”
Shepard Fairey’s Peace is Radical is on the Glendale Central Library’s ReflectSpace by April 14th, 2024.