Critique #2

Shepard Fairey’s iconic “Hope” poster of President Barack Obama is a symbol of freedom, change, and the values of the United States of America. Fairey gives his work a patriotic tone though his use of simplistic colors, identifying the president using only the three colors of the American flag. Surrounding the president in the background and on his suit are solid, bold colors, putting emphasis on Obama and his facial expression. Contrasting with the dark red to its right, the light side of Obama’s face immediately attracts the eye of the viewer. The lines which create his face are also over simplistic, using only what lines are necessary to form his recognizable facial features. The simplicity and repetition of colors contributes to the overall effect of the image, for it represents President Obama in a bold and iconic way.
By including the word “Hope” underneath President Barack Obama, Shepard Fairey in indicating that he intends for this piece to be inspirational. He shows that he believes in the president through the way in which he presents him. With his head held up confidently and a calm, reassuring gaze, president Obama is portrayed as a strong and courageous leader. The inclusion of the word “Hope” also classifies him as a bold individual, for it associates him with the emotion that most people strive to find. Shepard Fairey accurately depicted his positive personal views on President Barack Obama though the way in which he chose to show him.