Shepard Fairey's "Two Sides of Capitalism: Bad"

The piece of art I chose to analyze is a 30 x 49 inch screen print on paper signed and printed by Shepard Fairey in 2007. The screen print is titled “Two Sides of Capitalism: Bad” and is from an edition of 89. The screen print is part of a two-part series of screen prints, with the other print titled “Two Sides of Capitalism: Good”. The two prints were meant to resemble the front and back of the US one dollar bill. The “Two Sides of Capitalism: Bad” print resembles the back of the US one dollar bill. Therefore, in resembling the dollar bill note, the screen print is symmetrically balanced in the sense that nearly every shape is mirrored. The color of the screen print is generally light green with shades of cream and black outlined fonts, similar to the US dollar bill. Roman and Greek patterns and shapes are ubiquitous in the print. Fairley replaced the center icon of George Washington with his signature “Obey” slogan. Featured throughout the print are phrases such as “Indiscriminate Capitalism”, “New World Order”, “In Lesser Gods We Trust”, “Obedience is the Most Valuable Currency”, and “Ransom Note”.
Shepard Fairey issued this statement about his artwork, “The OBEY campaign can be explained as an experiment in Phenomenology. Heidegger describes Phenomenology as “the process of letting things manifest themselves.” Phenomenology attempts to enable people to see clearly something that is right before their eyes but obscured; things that are so taken for granted that they are muted by abstract observation”. The title and phrases within this screen print truly set the theme and tone of this screen print and what Fairey is attempting to convey. “Indiscriminate Capitalism” is vastly important because capitalism’s greatest pro is that its indiscriminate therefore eliminates culturally divisive elements in society such as race when it comes to trade. Therefore the best capitalists are those who simply look for the best deals revolving around principles of supply and demand. However, capitalism is indiscriminate to the losers as well. There are winners and losers in capitalism and just as those who win, those who lose have no ethnicity or race making them unified by the principals of capitalism as well. New World Order, is actually featured on the actual US dollar bill note in Latin as “NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM". This phrase is part of the Great Seal of the United States and refers to the “New American Era” as the Declaration of Independence was signed declaring independence from Great Britain. The phrase is powerful; many attribute the phase to a Masonic conspiracy connecting the United States, the dollar, and the Free Masons to the occult with the attempt for world domination. Fairey knew the connections and various interpretations of the phrase and purposely positioned it within the screen print in English. Instead of the Eye of Providence and the pyramid, Fairey featured the Earth with a hand attempting to grab it. Within the hand is the dollar symbol. This seal can be interpreted as the almighty dollar taking over the world. The phrase ransom note draws connections to the idea that we are hostages to money. This phrase coupled with “In Lesser Gods We Trust”, and “Obedience is the Most Valuable Currency” creates the theme of people being subjects to money and capitalism and that we, humanity, are slaves to the system so long as we simply obey, and accept the system. Money and capitalism are almost elevated to deities and religions in a sense that part of faith and believing in God and religion is simply accepting that God exists, by simply accepting the role of money and capitalism in our lives not questioning its motives, role, and purpose we are continuing its longevity, power, and existence in our lives. The bad side of capitalism is that it creates a greed for accumulating money by any means necessary and that quest for money can be dangerous and can change us as humans and turn us into a greedy civilization whose sole purpose for existence is the worship of money.