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these are unfortunate, i usually really like fairey's designs.

Although I don't think I'd ever purchase these, I have to admit, they look A LOT better than A LOT of the Obama themed goods on the market.

Also, kudos to Future Perfect and Shepard Fairey for doing such a timely piece and keeping the ObamaRama going!

How about we wait to see how he does as a president before we memorialize him in merchandise? The man hasn't been in office a full month yet. I'm very supportive of him and his mission, but all of the paintings, plates, coins, tattoos, etc. that I've read about strike me as a bit premature.

Mindless MERCH

i used to go to shep fairey's parties when we both attended RISD back in the 90's. too funny to see his stuff making the rounds - how things have changed since i bought a sticker off of him outside of the metcalf.

anyway - about the plates. it's ok - i'm not a fan of collector's edition plates of any kind, really. i'd be more into this being a button or a t-shirt maybe.

Design-wise, the hatchmark patterns make it look like obama is wearing a bonnet.

i like the HOPE painting - he should stick with it, but i guess he's dealing with copyright infringement on that design.

I am beginning to wonder whether history will be kind to these plates. I haven't seen too many Jimmy Carter plates on display lately...

Oh, no, not this. Didn't Shepard make alot of loot off the sale of his litho to the Nat'l. Portrait Gallery? Um, I have a few Andre the Giant stickers from when I lived in Charleston (his hometown) and it was cool to see Andre plastered on billboards and telephone poles etc. But it's time for him to find another gimmick already.

hejiranyc,

Quite true, though every so often when a toothbrush surfaces that may have been used by JFK it goes for $12,000 on auction. Objectively speaking, JFK was not a very good president, but people have become caught up in the 'Camelot' mythology and what he once represented... so people still buy shit with his face on it. Perhaps Obama will, in the future, not so dissimilar? Hence, people using his face to sell dinnerware.

Commemorative plates?

they look silly. what do you do with this? hang it on your wall...cuz no way i eat on this stuff.

I saw this website today and it takes a bit of the sheen off of Fairey.

http://www.art-for-a-change.com/Obey/index.htm

It may be from the hipper-than-thou Future Perfect but that doesn't keep it from being just another piece of cheesy Obama commemorative crap. Disappointing.

Can't stand everyone trying to make a buck off the whole Obama thing.

Plus Fairey's talentless.

Jon_B, I think that article misses the point -- Fairey's art, for better or worse, is a deliberate mashup/remix of borrowed iconography placed in a new context to provoke thought. He assumes people recognize that the images come from elsewhere and have been tweaked to kinda, y'know, invert the original message.

As for the plates... I have a terrible confession to make. I find Obama's face so aesthetically appealing it's hard to not squee a little every time I see it. Yeah. It's a problem.

Or I could just take a lighter and burn my money.

"a deliberate mashup/remix of borrowed iconography placed in a new context to provoke thought."

(emphasis mine) - you mean profit and make a name for himself? My thoughts have been provoked and that's what I ended up with.

K T G -- I was thinking more of his earlier posters, which was the focus of the article linked to by Jon_B. The plates are an entirely different matter.

Quite ironic, since apparently Obama is "not really a plates kind of guy."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29whitehouse.html?_r=1

I find it rather funny.

And seriously, Shepard Fairey? Seriously? Give it a rest, man.

Does anyone know the details about the first baby born in 2009 named Barack?

Oh I think they are cheeky... A commemorative plate... in the 2000s... Don't take it too seriously, people! People are so quick to stone fellow artists, designers, and musicians for anything.

Shepard Fairey is to Art what Chef Boyardee is to Italian food.

Ack. Ack. Ack.

If someone served me food on these, it could really put me off my appetite.

All of this commemorative stuff gives me the creeps- I admire the guy, but I'd prefer not to worship him.

What LilyC said.

Still laughing at EasilyAmused's comment...

Just say NO to OBEY. If you are interested in examples of how he plagiarizes other artists and movements, read all about it at www.art-for-a-change.com/Obey/index.htm or google "Shepard Fairey plagiarism".

That link to the site calling Fairey a plagiarist is a one-sided rant, at best. Just cuz it's got a WHOLE web page devoted to it doesn't make it true.

I have no real feelings about the plates. If they sell, more power to Future Perfect and Fairey.

All of this commemorative Obama junk gives me the sort of headache normally reserved for "Keep Calm and Carry On" rubbish.

I'm sorry, but he's barely been president a month and I'm already sick of seeing his face...EVERYWHERE!

As for the plates... I have a terrible confession to make. I find Obama's face so aesthetically appealing it's hard to not squee a little every time I see it. Yeah. It's a problem.

I had to smile at this mental image. At least you're honest about it, rosenatti.

As for the plates themselves, anything that encourages people to treat Obama as an icon or a cipher rather than a man or a politician is very unfortunate.

Well SydneyBristow, I'm feeling so sorry for Mr. Fairey now. And here I thought he was a hack, but now I see he's a plagiarist hack! I guess all that art history at RISD gave him lotso material to copy. Well at least the Obama poster got ripped off all across the world, so I guess that was payback of a sort. But it made him even more famous and more money. Dohh! Funny thing, his dad was my dentist a long time ago and his name is Strait Fairey.

Chelsey B "Sully" Sullenberger is truly a man of the people. Where is his nifty commemorative red ,white and blue treatment?

This just in...the Associated Press is now suing Shepard Fairey for unauthorized use of the original (and copyrighted) photo their staffer took that Shepard Fairey modeled his poster's image on. But he says it's "fair, limited use " of the image so he's fighting the lawsuit and so the copyright doesn't apply. Oops.

Those interested in the pros and cons of the AP vs. SF copyright suit will find lots to debate in this post on BoingBoing.

Me, I just like looking at Teh Pritteh.

No! Commemorative plate art is a very bad thing. Right at home hanging alongside the Pope's Visit to NYC plate, etc.

is this the change we were looking for? enuf already.

p(too), well of course that site is one-sided. I was just introducing a counterpoint. I must admit that I mainly looked at the illustrated comparisons and read the captions below them.

I guess it's hip in that sort of college freshmen / Urban Outfitters sort of way... if that's Fairey's goal with these plates then I suppose he's achieved it. He's a commercial pop artist, like his mentor Andy Warhol. It is what it is.

Not for me and I don't want a plate with the Queen or the Pope on it either.

i wouldn't and don't buy commemorative plates. and i really don't like when people hang plates on walls. IMO plates are for eating.
i think the poster was really nice. if i had like a basement or mudroom, maybe i'd hang the poster for decor.

but, i voted hot for these plates cas they are different and modern.
GO OBAMA!!!

I volunteered on the campaign and am terribly excited that he is our president. I also understand there is danger in idolizing a person, especially a politician. I understand that these plates are a bit of pop culture and cheekily nostalgic, but I had hoped that the enthusiasm people had for obama the candidate would transition into enthusiasm for working to make the promise of change a reality (all of us getting involved in government and community) and not idolizing a person and buying plates.

More on Fairey...
http://favianna.typepad.com/faviannacom_art_activism/2009/01/a-critical-look-at-shepard-fairey.html

after the age of 8, eating off of a plate with a face on it is weird.

a response to mark vallens claims:
http://www.supertouchart.com/2009/02/02/editorial-the-medium-is-the-message-shepard-fairey-and-the-art-of-appropriation/