Artwork Description
People’s Discontent Silkscreen Print by Shepard Fairey- OBEY Hand-Pulled Screen Print on Cream Speckletone Fine Art Paper Limited Edition Pop Street Art Artwork.
2021 Signed & Numbered Limited Edition of 550 Artwork Size 24x18 Silkscreen Print of CHild Spray Painting Back of Bus With Graffiti
"I teamed up with my good friend and documentary photographer, Martha Cooper, on a new print release called “People’s Discontent.” Martha Cooper has been photographing creative kids in action on city streets since the mid-1970s. I remixed one of Martha’s iconic photos from her book, Street Play, titled “Hitchhiking a Bus on Houston Street” that she shot in 1978 in the Lower East Side of New York City. There was no advertisement on the back of the bus in her original photo, and since disco was the rage in the late ’70s, I thought it made sense for me to add a disco radio station with the slogan, “Listen To The Sounds of People’s Disco.” I added the “DISCO-ntent” and the spraypaint can in the kid’s hand as if he sprayed that on there. It’s a nod to that era but also to what’s going on now with the unrest around social justice issues. This limited edition print was first released through Urban Nation Museum in Berlin as part of their current show “Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures” curated by Jaime Rojo and Steven P. Harrington of Brooklyn Street Art." -Shepard Fairey
People’s Discontent Silkscreen Print is a powerful example of the intersection between pop art, street art, and graffiti art. Shepard Fairey, better known by his moniker 'OBEY,' collaborated with renowned documentary photographer Martha Cooper to create this piece, drawing inspiration from the vibrant street culture that emerged in New York City in the 1970s. This print showcases Fairey's creative remix of an iconic photo by Cooper, titled “Hitchhiking a Bus on Houston Street.” The print is an intricate hand-pulled silkscreen creation on cream Speckletone Fine Art paper. Fairey added his own touch to the original photograph by inserting a disco radio station advertisement and a spray paint can in the child's hand, evoking the rebellious spirit of graffiti art. The juxtaposition of the disco radio station and the defiant "DISCO-ntent" slogan signify the sociopolitical unrest of the period, with a particular nod to the burgeoning disco movement. Fairey, while staying true to his street art roots, successfully adds a layer of pop art through the use of vibrant, mass-culture imagery, capturing a transformative period in urban history. By contextualizing this piece within the larger narrative of social justice issues, Fairey's artwork exemplifies the power of pop and street art to comment on, challenge, and shape societal norms. This limited edition print of 550 is a part of Urban Nation Museum's exhibition “Martha Cooper: Taking Pictures," curated by Jaime Rojo and Steven P. Harrington of Brooklyn Street Art. People’s Discontent Silkscreen Print represents a fusion of artistic styles, functioning as both a snapshot of a moment in time and a commentary on social issues, making it a unique and coveted piece among collectors and enthusiasts.
