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Shepard Fairey better known by his psuedonym, Obey is one of the most prolific contemporary graffiti artists in the US and a key defining figure of the street art movement, globally. Famed for his 2008 Obama ‘hope’ poster, his work is influenced by and informs a critique of both advertising and propaganda, featuring politically charged images of consumer culture in a graphic, retro aesthetic. His ‘ICA Retro Series’ draws on images from Soviet propaganda an important legacy for Obey, representing the dawn of advertising and graphics tipping into the realm of art. With the familiar palette of red, black, and sepia beige, ‘Printing Press’ depicts a print machine, surrounded by flames and churning out Obey’s iconic image of Andre the Giant. The words ‘Think Create, Print Destroy’, which sit at the bottom of the print like a slogan, make clear Obey’s caution on the commercialisation of art a message that he ironically perpetuates through that very machine. The work is powerful in its political drive and deft historical appropriation but, beyond all else, is an aesthetic triumph, striking and beautiful to behold.
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