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Obey: Supply and Demand
Supply and Demand is the book that finally does justice to Shepard Fairey's entire body of work, a massive retrospective covering 17 Years of this groundbreaking artist's prodigious output. Through the lens of esteemed writers and critics such as Carlo McCormick, Steven Heller and Roger Gastman, Fairey's work is seen for all its depth and placed in context as art, design, social experiment and "getting over". This massive book pulls no punches and all areas of the enigmatic artist's work, travels and travails are illuminated; from exhibitions, posters, flyers, silkscreens and stickers to high altitude pursuits, citations and police beatings, it's all documented in a museum quality layout and binding. The evidence is in, and it's clear that Shepard Fairey is not one to rest on his laurels, the work must go on. For both long time fans wanting the complete collection and those just curious to know what this OBEY business is all about Supply and Demand is the answer.
349 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2006
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2,322 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 6, 2012
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I like the cover treatment for this book. The spine part is clothed, but the cover is clad with nice textured canvas. This book is really thick at 446 pages and there's a poster provided, the one with roses in three guns.
This is also the 20th anniversary edition, which expands upon the 2006 version of Supply and Demand by 96 pages. It includes art created for, but not authorised by, the Obama campaign.
Compared to the other book I have, E Pluribus Venom, this book has a more extensive writeup on Sheppard Fairey, his work, music and influence. There are also a couple of interviews. You'll get to read all about his work on Andre the Giant, and how it increased his exposure in the art industry.
This book has a lot of art and photos. The photos are of his posters pasted all over cities in different countries. And the art are his iconic posters. Note that many of the illustrations from E Pluribus Venom can be found here. So if you just want to grab one book on Sheppard Fairey, this is the one.
The art work is great and plentiful. I love the textural feel created from from collages behind the black inked drawings. You can check out more work at obeygiant.com and
This book should appeal to graphic designers and illustrators.
July 4, 2009
Although I was familiar with both the Obey and the Obama campaigns, what actually got my attention and led to buying this book was the Orwell paperback covers that Fairey recently did for Penguin UK. The whole run of black/red political currency posters that are like a cross between Constructivism and William Morris are consistently stunning. The printing quality of the book itself is pretty shoddy, however. By the time I was done reading it, the back cover and the spine had completely come away from the text block. It's an unusually heavy book, but there are ways to accomodate that.
October 7, 2012
A well produced book with very good reproductions. The text is a collection of short essays regarding Obey Giant, Fairey, and his heroes written by various authors including the artist himself. This provides an interesting and entertaining review of his career.
All of the artwork is engaging and beautiful. He is extremely good at what he does. Unfortunately, a book of this scope reveals an apparent reluctance to move too far outside the brand he created for himself twenty years ago. That's the only thing that prevents my rating from being 5 stars. (un?)fortunately, this works well with his overall message and approach, combining irony, coup, and sociopolitical commentary. Interestingly, the limited consistent color palette (red, cream yellow, black and white) used in most of the work enhances the power of his rare uses of blues and greens.
One of the things I applaud him for being a man in his 40s making a living by essentially remaining that talented kid in the class that draws punk rock band logos on everything. That's not a slight, I think it's awesome.
All of the artwork is engaging and beautiful. He is extremely good at what he does. Unfortunately, a book of this scope reveals an apparent reluctance to move too far outside the brand he created for himself twenty years ago. That's the only thing that prevents my rating from being 5 stars. (un?)fortunately, this works well with his overall message and approach, combining irony, coup, and sociopolitical commentary. Interestingly, the limited consistent color palette (red, cream yellow, black and white) used in most of the work enhances the power of his rare uses of blues and greens.
One of the things I applaud him for being a man in his 40s making a living by essentially remaining that talented kid in the class that draws punk rock band logos on everything. That's not a slight, I think it's awesome.
October 1, 2013
Supply and Demand is a biography about the artist Frank Shepard Fairey. The book follows Fairey throughout his life from childhood to current career. The biography talks about the messages behind his art and the recent, "Obama 08" fiasco. The book is a must read for all street art fans and has an inspiring story.
The reason I love this book so much is because I invest a majority of my time in the arts and I think that art is something that people cant live without and the history behind the work is just as important as the work itself.
All thought the book is one of my favorite pieces of writings, i wish the book included more of the process of making his art. The book mostly goes over Shepard Fairey's life and work, but not his creative process which is one of the things that interests me the most.
The reason I love this book so much is because I invest a majority of my time in the arts and I think that art is something that people cant live without and the history behind the work is just as important as the work itself.
All thought the book is one of my favorite pieces of writings, i wish the book included more of the process of making his art. The book mostly goes over Shepard Fairey's life and work, but not his creative process which is one of the things that interests me the most.
February 3, 2011
... The Big Swindle, if you are a Rebel you are also part of the SISTEM, Just OBEY.
September 25, 2020
I love this book and I recommend it
January 2, 2024
cool pictures
September 28, 2023
"Obey: Supply and Demand" by Shepard Fairey is a visually striking and thought-provoking exploration of street art, activism, and the intersection of art and politics. This book showcases the work of Shepard Fairey, a renowned artist and activist known for his iconic "Obey Giant" campaign and his "Hope" poster for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
July 9, 2016
A gorgeous collection of iconic street art.
If you only know him from the Obama posters, you've missed a whole other side of Shepard Fairey. The "Obey" project began as a joke which then took on a life of its own as people wondered where the stickers came from and what they meant. Growing into the ultimate exercise of phenomenology, "Obey," with its central image of Andre the Giant, has influenced other street artists, drawn praise and criticism from a variety of circles, and landed Fairey in hot water--and sometimes jail--with the authorities.
The centerpiece here is the seemingly endless array of stunning images, which incorporate celebrity faces, propaganda images and slogans, and a variety of gorgeous colors (even the black and white images are beautiful in their starkness). Sprinkled throughout are Fairey's comments on his own work / adventures, and essays from people who admire him, including Henry Rollins. It's hard not to want to cut this book to pieces and make your own collages out of them; I have a feeling Fairey wouldn't mind all that much. Recommended for art libraries and large public libraries with comprehensive art collections. I myself will be picking up my own copy, for the express purpose of owning the gorgeous Joe Strummer poster on page 182.
If you only know him from the Obama posters, you've missed a whole other side of Shepard Fairey. The "Obey" project began as a joke which then took on a life of its own as people wondered where the stickers came from and what they meant. Growing into the ultimate exercise of phenomenology, "Obey," with its central image of Andre the Giant, has influenced other street artists, drawn praise and criticism from a variety of circles, and landed Fairey in hot water--and sometimes jail--with the authorities.
The centerpiece here is the seemingly endless array of stunning images, which incorporate celebrity faces, propaganda images and slogans, and a variety of gorgeous colors (even the black and white images are beautiful in their starkness). Sprinkled throughout are Fairey's comments on his own work / adventures, and essays from people who admire him, including Henry Rollins. It's hard not to want to cut this book to pieces and make your own collages out of them; I have a feeling Fairey wouldn't mind all that much. Recommended for art libraries and large public libraries with comprehensive art collections. I myself will be picking up my own copy, for the express purpose of owning the gorgeous Joe Strummer poster on page 182.
October 16, 2013
One of the best graffiti artists out there with a distinct mind to acompany the book. You get to understand the mind of the artist as he develops over time into one of the best and most important political artists of our day. He basically made Obama president with his Hope poster, which he was later sued by the judges under Obama administration. This works show the true power of propaganda type work and the dangers of advertising. If you ever get to see the work in person, I would highly recommend it as there are numerous layers to his monumental work.
August 23, 2014
This was a pretty cool way to read about how the Obey campaign started and evolved. I loved getting Shepard's side of how murals were created and how this global entity came from making stickers.
There's 20 years of art work in this book and I'm sure it's not even close to everything he's produced. I was really surprised to see that Shepard is the greater of some mainstream work that in familiar with.
All in all, it was informative and fun to look at.
There's 20 years of art work in this book and I'm sure it's not even close to everything he's produced. I was really surprised to see that Shepard is the greater of some mainstream work that in familiar with.
All in all, it was informative and fun to look at.
December 28, 2008
I enjoyed reading about the origins of the Andre the Giant sticker and its evolution. There's a nice amount of text, it doesn't bog down the book. The content is well organized in that it shows the evolution of Fairey's style, yet groups works on similar topics from different points in his career to show their enduring influence.
July 30, 2007
I just can't miss anything from Shepard Fairey. It's a photo book from one of the most influential artist in the century, a killer photo collection. A grade, as always!
October 5, 2007
superrrrrr
December 12, 2007
Just a beautiful and exceptionally thorough overview of an amazing artist's work.
August 30, 2008
I have a love/hate relationship with the idea of Shepard Fairey. This book is cool though. I suppose if you want an all-in-one item that will quell your Obey hunger forever, this is the jam.
January 9, 2009
really good graphics art, lots about obey
Want to read
April 15, 2012I own a signed copy dedicated to me. How can I not give it 5 stars. Thanks Shepard!
Read
January 27, 2012fantastic art. I keep this book at arms length and constantly flip through it for inspiration.
January 19, 2014
What a treat! Very thorough glimpse into the art of Shepard Fairey. Makes me want to go out and sticker bomb my neighborhood.
May 14, 2013
it's not about shit tag, it's real street art
it's a campaign & propaganda for world peace
it's a great book (i mean actually great book)
it's a campaign & propaganda for world peace
it's a great book (i mean actually great book)
February 20, 2015
The monograph provides a thorough examination of the artist's sensibility.
June 9, 2016
Amazing art and awesome info about Shepard's ideas/work. The entire book is gorgeous. 5 stars.
October 9, 2007
think (sm)ART...!!!
November 9, 2009
Reviewed on the ABC Blog: < >.
Want to read
August 7, 2017positive
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