Artwork Description
Cream & Gold Sedation in Bloom Silkscreen Print by Shepard Fairey- OBEY Hand-Pulled on Cream Speckletone Fine Art Paper Limited Edition Artwork Obey Pop Culture Artist.
2021 Signed by Shepard Fairey- OBEY & Numbered Limited Edition of 150 Artwork Size 18x24 Sedation in Bloom Silkscreen Print Series.
"I originally worked on this poppy pattern art as part of my collaboration with artist Gordon Cheung. In our piece, we addressed the tragic murder of Vincent Chin and the historical use of anti-Asian imagery and symbols in Western culture. The poppy is a beautiful flower with many symbolic interpretations, including peace, death, sleep, and sedation. I often weave floral and decorative patterns into my art to draw viewers in and make challenging concepts more digestible. However, decorative appeal can sedate people and distract them from more important social issues. Whether in entertainment, alcohol, drugs, or conspicuous consumption, I think sedation is a major cause of social and political complacency and ignorance. These Sedation In Bloom prints serve the dual purpose of a decorative escape and a reminder to stay awake and aware!" -Shepard Fairey- OBEY.
The Lustrous Intersection of Street Pop Art and Activism
In the pantheon of contemporary street pop art, Shepard Fairey's Cream & Gold Sedation in Bloom silkscreen print emerges as a piece that is as visually arresting as it is conceptually profound. American artist Frank Shepard Fairey, born on February 15, 1970, in Charleston, South Carolina, stands as a towering figure in this art movement, melding his graphic design expertise with a keen sense of political engagement. The artwork in discussion is among the limited edition Sedation in Bloom series, distinctive for its hand-pulled quality on cream speckle tone fine art paper.
Symbolic Resonance in Fairey's Silkscreen Series
Shepard Fairey's work often harnesses symbols' power to communicate complex social narratives. The Cream & Gold Sedation in Bloom is no different, with its canvas of 18x24 inches richly adorned with poppies in a striking gold hue against a cream background. This color choice is not merely aesthetic; gold conveys a sense of value and rarity, juxtaposed with the notion of sedation, prompts a deeper contemplation on what society deems precious versus what it uses to escape reality. Each of the 150 pieces in this series carries the unique signature of Shepard Fairey, assuring collectors of its authenticity and the artist's direct involvement. The theme of sedation, reflected in the poppy imagery, is a metaphor for how society becomes anesthetized to pressing social and political issues.
Creative Collaboration and Social Critique Through Art
The genesis of the poppy pattern art sprang from Fairey's collaboration with British-Chinese artist Gordon Cheung. Their collective efforts sought to comment on the tragic murder of Vincent Chin and confront the enduring use of anti-Asian imagery in Western culture. This backdrop illuminates the Sedation in Bloom prints as more than just decorative art; they are a conversation piece, challenging the viewer to wake up to the undercurrents of cultural complacency and xenophobia that still pulse beneath the surface of contemporary society. The Cream & Gold Sedation in Bloom thus represents a potent dualism inherent in street pop art and graffiti artwork – a vehicle for beauty and a tool for awareness. Shepard Fairey's work stands as an emblem of street art's potential to function as a clarion call for social vigilance, beckoning the public to a state of heightened awareness amidst a cultural landscape often too willing to lull them into passivity with its gilded distractions. Through this print series, Fairey reminds us that the actual gold is found in the collective awakening and the pursuit of truth in the face of societal sedation.
