"This dollar is worth exactly what you are willing to give in order to get it. Obedience is the most valuable currency."
This 24 x 31.5-inch "This is Your God" fine art print was produced in collaboration with Hecho Con Ganas and includes three screen-printed layers with a hand-stenciled star to achieve unique variations in color and sheen on each print. I originally produced the 18 x 24-inch version of this print for my "This is Your God" show in 2003 at the Six Space gallery in downtown L.A., for which I sent out 800 hand-stamped dollar bills with the show invitations. The show was an opportunity to explore the sociopolitical message of the Obey campaign by paying homage to John Carpenter's "They Live," a major source of inspiration and the basis for my use of the word "Obey." The movie has a very strong message about the power of consumerism, the lure of status symbols, and the way that people are seduced by advertising. One of my main concepts with the show (and the campaign as a whole) was that obedience is the most valuable currency. People rarely consider how much power they sacrifice by blindly following a self-serving corporation's agenda, and how their spending habits reflect the direction in which they choose to transfer power. In "They Live," the protagonist discovers hidden messages lurking behind billboards and anything commercial, and the money says "THIS IS YOUR GOD" on plain white paper. I designed a graphic that looked somewhat like real money but with that slogan, which was used for the invitations, and a billboard I rented on the corner of Sunset and Hollywood to confront the public. If your money would be better saved or spent elsewhere, please refrain from buying this print. If you genuinely like the art and message and purchase this piece, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the righteous work of Brave New Films, I thank you for your support!
-Shepard
This Is Your God HPM. 24 x 31.5 inches. Screen Print on Crane's Lettra Ecru 100% cotton rag paper with hand-deckled edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 100. Hecho Con Ganas publishing chop in lower left corner Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $600.
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