OBEY
Is This The End Of Shepard Fairey?
Shepard Fairey, the 38-year-old street artist who has garnered mainstream attention recently thanks to the “Progress” and “Hope” posters he designed for Barack Obama’s campaign, is rapidly losing his vision due to a lifelong battle with diabetes. According to one source close to Fairey, he could be legally blind by the end of the year.
"That's why he's having so many gallery shows and making so many prints," the source, who requested anonymity, said. “The Faireys are trying to pump out as much artwork as they can before he can't see anymore -- time is running out.”
Before his Obama work, Fairey was best known for littering countless urban landscapes with his 'Andre the Giant Has A Posse' wheatpastings and and has been compared to a modern-day Andy Warhol by many in the contemporary art world.
Fairey has never attempted to hide his condition and has mentioned it in several interviews and even spun records at nightclubs under the name “DJ Diabetic"—he's spinning at the Guggenheim tonight.
ANIMAL asked Jonathan Levine, Shepard's NY rep, if the price of his work could potentially fetch more when news like this gets out. "I don't know enough about it. I think it's possible. Even if he's legally blind, it doesn't necessarily mean he's fully blind, so he still might be able to make work," said Levine who refused to confirm or deny Shepard's condition. So those owners of Fairey originals or prints might have an even more valuable piece than they did before. Your choice: sell them off now or keep your investment safe.
UPDATE: Shepard responds.
May 2, 2008
Comments (24)
My heart goes out to him. I've been losing my hearing since I was 15, but that was pretty steady and workable until the last year. I'll be entirely deaf by next year (35). Being in the creative disciplines and disabled is more difficult than perhaps others. I imagine, though, he'll discover another talent. Somewhat related. I've become a keen observer, for instance. God speed to Shepard.
Posted by Christopher | May 2, 2008 5:22 PM
"Is This The End Of Shepard Fairey?"
He's not dying...
Posted by Wrenkin | May 2, 2008 9:12 PM
he should smoke a lot of pot. it will make his vision improve, or at least slow down the blindness.
Posted by Russell Barth | May 2, 2008 9:13 PM
All this means is all the people who create his mediocre prints each week will create every print from here on out with no evolution whatsoever. Which pretty much means DJ Cut & Paste is gonna fade into oblivion, at least we can HOPE...
Posted by Becky | May 2, 2008 10:53 PM
becky must be kinda bored with her life
to help bring her out of her glum stooper i will play with a rattle can and becky in a dark alley behind a dumpster...
Posted by fugg | May 3, 2008 7:20 AM
lil' becky must be kinda bored with her life ;)
to help bring her out of her melancholic dysphoria i will demonstrate some performance art with a rattle can and becky in a dark alley behind a 7-eleven dumpster...
Posted by fugg | May 3, 2008 7:33 AM
how can i reword this again to entice her to call me?
i love you becky you sexy hater you
Posted by fugg | May 3, 2008 7:36 AM
Wow, one of the more tasteless articles I've read in recent memory.
Posted by truthiness | May 3, 2008 10:33 AM
Why don't you go check your facts before you print garbage. Your website is a joke.
Posted by Lindsay | May 4, 2008 3:43 AM
becky = bucky turco shemale
true story
Posted by fugg | May 5, 2008 1:23 AM
Wow, I hope this isn't true. It would be very sad if it was. I have heard from many people that he is a really nice person and a good father and husband. I sincerely wish him and his family all the best.
Posted by Christopher Cox | May 5, 2008 5:24 PM
Any and all people who actually feel the need to express a negative and or hateful opinion about something as awful as an artist losing his ability to see seriously disgusts me. This is the one of the many problematic personalities we face in our society. Somebody tries to live their life to the fullest by doing what they love to do, and on top of it uses their credibility to spread a positive message and all these people want to breed is hate. I'm willing to bet my life that it's pure jealousy too. Maybe if people like you, Becky, had the passion to express yourself in such a way, you might have an inkling of respect for such an artist, and possibly an ounce of real respect for yourself. You've made yourself look like an ass. Lucky for you Becky, you have the ability to see, maybe someday you'll take a good look in the mirror see yourself for who and what you are, and realize that you need to smarten up .
Posted by Professor Hush | May 5, 2008 7:46 PM
I sincerely hope it isn't true... it's really my worst fear as an artist and someone with juvenile diabetes.
Posted by Natalie | May 6, 2008 10:05 AM
FYI Professor Hush is one of Shepard's designers.
: ) dont worry when the Obey gravy train runs dry someone else will hire you to copy and paste, I mean come on its America!!!
Posted by Becky | May 6, 2008 7:26 PM
This story is UNTRUE. The statement about shepard going blind in a year has been pulled out of your ass. Where is your proof?? What do you have do base this on? Unless Shepard himself confirms this, you shouldn't be printing it. You seem like a f*ing toolbag and a hypocrite. Get a clue.
Posted by Lindsay | May 6, 2008 10:43 PM
damn, that's so scary!
is this for real?
Posted by phatbenetar | May 7, 2008 9:47 AM
Obey will go on. The level of work he cranks out can be easily executed by his interns.
Posted by thedude | May 7, 2008 12:11 PM
Becky, get your facts straight. I roll with Josh Wisdumb. I'm not sure what the truth is about this story, I just don't think it's right to lavish in others misfortune.
Posted by Professor Hush | May 7, 2008 4:00 PM
Obey Insulin
Posted by Hank Essay | May 7, 2008 4:01 PM
Sadly, Diabetes Has a Posse.
Posted by Dr. Koop | May 7, 2008 4:02 PM
You asshole! Sheps isn't going to be blind until you're homeless and begging me for change!
Haters need Hobbies!
Posted by stuart | May 8, 2008 6:24 AM
sucks
Posted by sean Davidson | May 8, 2008 4:02 PM
Well whatever you think on the man's work, he affected pop culture and the art landscape in a huge way and whatever the case may be - I don't care if you are someone I hate I wouldn't ever rejoice in you going blind - I agree with stuart - stop hating. The one thing everyone can say about Mr. Fairey is not only that he's talented but he's smart and a crafty business man. I can't put a # on how many talented people I know but I can count the ones I know that have success due to their talent on one hand. I hope he can use that cleverness to further help him be self-sufficient down the line. Maybe some agency will hire him on so he can clue them in on how they can make their clients brands resonate like he did his own. Or not - what ever the case I hope he doesn't suffer - diabetes is no joke. You go blind, you suffer amputations, you die young usually - Andre the Giant died before his time - let's hope the man who made him his muse doesn't as well.
Posted by The Rev.Spyro | May 11, 2008 7:43 PM
good riddance to his sight. he lost his edge when he came out as a barack obama supporter...barack IS an extension of big government and control.
Posted by one of us | May 11, 2008 10:05 PM