In 2008, artist Shephard Fairey became inextricably linked with then-Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign—and his subsequent victory, which made him the first African American President of the United States. Fairey based his original stencil portrait on a photograph taken of Obama by Associated Press photographer Mannie Garcia, making the design in a single day and then, with the blessing of publicist and Obama campaign media consultant Yosi Sergant, distributing it in the form of street posters. In 2009, the Smithsonian Institute’s National Portrait Gallery acquired a mixed-media version of the work from Fairey for its permanent collection. Today, Fairey’s iconic image and its many adaptations and imitations are evocative of a unique and significant era in U.S. and global history.
Auction Results Shepard Fairey
