Face-to-Face, from the National Portrait Gallery

Shepard Fairey, artist interview


Listen Later

The portrait that came to symbolize the historic campaign of President-elect Barack Obama is now on display at the National Portrait Gallery. This large-scale mixed-media stenciled collage is on view in the "New Arrivals" exhibition, on the museum's first floor. Fairey's Barack Obama "Hope" poster became the iconic campaign image for the first African American president of the United States. Early in 2008, Fairey produced his first Obama portrait, with a stenciled face, visionary upward glance, and the caption "Progress." In this second version, Fairey repeated the heroic pose and patriotic color scheme, substituting the slogan "Hope." Recorded at NPG, January 17, 2009. Image info: Barack Obama / Shepard Fairey, 2008 / Hand-finished collage, stencil and acrylic on paper / Gift of the Heather and Tony Podesta Collection in honor of Mary K. Podesta / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution / Copyright Shepard Fairey/ObeyGiant.com
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Face-to-Face, from the National Portrait GalleryBy National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution