"Big Brother is Watching You" is a reference to George Orwell's novel 1984, a cautionary tale about a totalitarian state. In 1984, Big Brother is the supreme ruler, and his image is used to instill loyalty and fear in the populace. My image of the menacing face of Big Brother is meant to remind us that the technology society has grown to depend on is being used to monitor, register and influence our activity. As we consume an endless variety of digital media, citizens should question corporate and state surveillance. Examples such as social media tracking our behavior patterns, the Pegasus spyware scandal, which revealed how governments were hacking journalists, activists, and dissidents, the expansion of AI-powered facial recognition systems used for policing and public monitoring, and TikTok's data collection practices should all raise questions about privacy and influence. Technology provides the ultimate convenience while simultaneously registering our every move and making us more susceptible to misinformation and manipulation. A portion of proceeds from this print will go to Brave New Films to support their important social justice work.
-Shepard
PRINT DETAILS:
Big Brother Letterpress. 11 x 14" inches. Letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 175. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $80.
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