So your probably wondering why this is a building snowmobiles topic? The concept of what Shepard Fairey is doing, and has done, is absolutely radical and powerful. He is the guy that made the Obama posters and the Obey stickers, if you want to know what he is famous for, and his art and ideas take on a life of their own. But there is a method, and Shepard started all of this with a manifesto he created in 1990.
Personally, I am not really into the guy’s politics or his ‘save the whales’ mindset, but I am into his concepts and methodology. In this war of ideas we are having with radical Islam, it takes thinking outside of the box, and this kind of propaganda could be very helpful in combating our enemy’s ideas.
Imagine if a guy like Shepard Fairey, or similar artist using the same modus operandi, was able to make a piece of art that would shake the world of radical Islam and force them to question why they do what they do? That Danish cartoon depicting Muhammad with a bomb on his head was somewhat viral, but it only infuriated and unified Islamic extremists. We want an idea that will make them want to stop, or at least question what they are doing. What we need is something more like the Obey Giant campaign, and something that people want to download and make stickers out of and plaster them all over place. Because that is what happened with the Obey stickers–they were plastered all over and it became a cultural phenomenon.
Now the meaning of the message ‘Obey’, is a way of telling you to obey and kiss the ring of your masters or big brother or whatever authority figure–and with that simple order, that inner rebel inside you says ‘no way’. So it is a concept of dissent and questioning authority that makes it so powerful. And when a supporter of Obey slaps a sticker up, in essence they are acting out in defiance.
The sticker is also a pain in the ass to remove. Some people were even trying to find ways of putting the Obey sticker in really impossible places, just so clean up crews could not get rid of the thing. The sticker also dares you to question the environment that it has been placed, or for you to question some commercialized ad right next to the sticker. If you see a Marlboro ad, and someone just plastered an Obey sticker over the cowboy’s face or somewhere near the poster, then you are forced to look at it and also you subconsciously read the sticker. So now you have two images and two messages competing for your conscious.
The idea of Obey, also gets ingrained into the landscape. Some look at it as vandalism, others look at it as art. Others who get the message, might like the idea of that thing up there on the light pole–others might not.
Either way, these concepts need to be looked at for possibly combating our current enemy. Of course this has another name for it, like propaganda, but this is definitely a modern day twist on propaganda and it needs to be looked at.
So how could this be used by a field commander in Afghanistan, trying to conduct counter-insurgency? The key is to get a good artist and a creative idea, and think like Shepard Fairey to promote your idea. Shepard has the working model for such a thing, and he obviously is doing something right. He built that snowmobile by using the concepts of phenomenology and art, to promote and spread ideas like a virus. He has made a ton of money with his viral art, fueled numerous calls to action, and helped elect a US President with an inspirational poster. We need to learn from this, and apply it to the war effort in some way. –Matt
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Shepard Fairey – The Obey Manifesto
the logic behind the sticker and stencil campaign
The OBEY sticker campaign can be explained as an experiment in Phenomenology. Heidegger describes Phenomenology as “the process of letting things manifest themselves.” Phenomenology attempts to enable people to see clearly something that is right before their eyes but obscured; things that are so taken for granted that they are muted by abstract observation.
The FIRST AIM OF PHENOMENOLOGY is to reawaken a sense of wonder about one’s environment. The OBEY sticker attempts to stimulate curiosity and bring people to question both the sticker and their relationship with their surroundings. Because people are not used to seeing advertisements or propaganda for which the product or motive is not obvious, frequent and novel encounters with the sticker provoke thought and possible frustration, nevertheless
revitalizing the viewer’s perception and attention to detail. The sticker has no meaning but exists only to cause people to react, to contemplate and search for meaning in the sticker. Because OBEY has no actual meaning, the various reactions and interpretations of those who view it reflect their personality and the nature of their sensibilities.
Many people who are familiar with the sticker find the image itself amusing, recognizing it as nonsensical, and are able to derive straightforward visual pleasure without burdening themselves with an explanation. The PARANOID OR CONSERVATIVE VIEWER however may be confused by the sticker’s persistent presence and condemn it as an underground cult with subversive intentions. Many stickers have been peeled down by people who were annoyed by them, considering them an eye sore and an act of petty vandalism, which is ironic considering the number of commercial graphic images everyone in American society is assaulted with daily.
Another phenomenon the sticker has brought to light is the trendy and CONSPICUOUSLY CONSUMPTIVE nature of many members of society. For those who have been surrounded by the sticker, its familiarity and cultural resonance is comforting and owning a sticker provides a souvenir or keepsake, a memento. People have often demanded the sticker merely because they have seen it everywhere and possessing a sticker provides a sense of belonging. The Giant sticker seems mostly to be embraced by those who are (or at least want to seem to be) rebellious. Even though these people may not know the meaning of the sticker, they enjoy its slightly disruptive underground quality and wish to contribute to the furthering of its humorous and absurd presence which seems to somehow be antiestablishment/societal convention. Giant stickers are both embraced and rejected, the reason behind which, upon examination reflects the psyche of the viewer. Whether the reaction be positive or negative, the stickers existence is worthy as long as it causes people to consider the details and meanings of their surroundings. In the name of fun and observation.
Shepard Fairey, 1990
Obey Giant Website
Shepard Fairey Wiki
The Giant Blog