bibliostructures

I had a bldgblogian-like flash of insight when I read about the Obama street art posters that are visually unforgettable. I’ve been inspired by Outside.in’s new storyspace feature, a way for writers to present their story archives as points on a dynamic map. What about taking that one step further, instead of just indexing blogs and twitter messages and online newspaper articles, what about geotagging graffiti and op-art so that the city becomes a giant publication?

This article today, in Wired, about the street art of the Obama campaign is fascinating.

Before going into production on his first Obama-inspired print, Fairey, a fan of the senator after seeing him speak in 2004, was careful to seek approval from the campaign. “I didn’t want anything I did to be a liability or an unwanted endorsement,” said Fairey. “We had the unofficial wink and nod to do an image.”

Fairey looked to Alberto Korda’s famed shot of revolutionary Che Guevara to create his red-white-and-blue print of Obama with the slogan “Progress.” When the first edition of posters went on sale in January, the limited run sold out in minutes.

Schiller said he wasn’t surprised the Obama posters were a runaway success.

“Shepard captures an energy in his work that is extremely powerful and unexpected,” said Schiller. “When you apply it to a political campaign, the results are like magic. There’s nothing like it.”

After the success of the “Progress” print, Fairey says he was contacted by the Obama campaign to create an officially sanctioned poster in the same style — only this time with a campaign-approved photo and slogan. The new artwork featured the now-famous “Hope” slogan.

“They said ‘progress’ sounded too Marxist,” laughed Fairey, who estimated the profits from his Obama-themed merchandise topped out around $400,000. He says he donated the entire amount to the campaign.

“I have not kept one dime from the Obama [posters],” Fairey said. “I’m at a surplus; I’ve given the max amount to the campaign. Now we’re just buying billboards and postering.”

Fairey’s transition from rogue street artist to art professional hasn’t diminished his radical edge. He recently added an arrest to his already sizable rap sheet, this time for papering Denver with Obama- and Obey-themed stickers and fliers during the Democratic National Convention.

There’s a unmistakable note of glee in his voice when he describes “bombing” — or shimmying up drain pipes and scaffolding to illegally paste posters — in nearly 40 public spots around San Francisco.

“When you walk down the street and see something in a crazy spot, there’s something powerful about that,” said Fairey. “The street will always be an important part of getting art out there for me.”