Graphic artists and Levi’s collaborator Shepard Fairey gets the cover treatment on L’uomo Vogue.

Shepard Fairey (the man behind Obey), teamed up with Levi’s to do a small capsule collection.

Obey is the L.A.-based line designed by Shepherd Fairey, the internationally renowned graphic artist who created the famous Obama “Hope” poster.

Artist and graphic designer Shepard Fairey, famous for his Barack Obama “HOPE” propaganda poster, celebrated his career retrospective last night at Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. The artist plans to team up with Levi’s to create customized propaganda jeans this May! 

Thanks Pipeline!

Andy Warhol’s overrated and we can prove it. Here are five up and coming artists who are establishing their position in the art world as contemporaries who will stop at nothing to get noticed. 

Banksy – Little is known about the elusive graffiti artist (who till this day hasn’t been officially identified) and his criminal nature is what has drawn so much attention to his work. A modern day anarchist, Banksy’s subjects covers a multitude of daily vices drawing inspiration from pollution, African poverty, governmental influence, the war on terror, and adultery.  A true artistic renegade, Banksy’s work and history will one day resonate as the true start of the modern anti-art movement. Recently, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt put down $400,000 to own a Bansky piece a sign that this artists work will only appreciate in value. Suddenly makes you want to rip down some of his wheat pasting that line the Lower East Side, eh?

Terry Richardson – The photographer which questions the sexual depravity of todays youth, Terry Richardson’s kick to the balls style has garnered attention from mainstreamers looking to connect to indies everywhere. Often the subject of his own work, Terry explores the dirty little things that turn us on, the celebrity figures that influence our popular culture, and takes fashion photography to new heights with a gritty perversion that blurs the line between art and pornography.  A rebel without a cause, Terry’s own addiction level involvement with sex and his own phallus has given us some of the most controversial pieces every developed from a cheap little Sure Shot. 

David LaChappelle – One of the most visually engaging artists of today, David LaChappelle is a true voyeur of celebrity culture.  Transcending photography his feature film Rise was a stunning orgasm for the eyes and his continued shoots and fashion spreads have changed society’s perception of Hollywood. And how can you not love the man that put Amanda Lepore on the map.

Shepard Fairey - Andre the Giant has a Posse may remain the defining piece for this artist, but his more recent work focussed around Barack Obama is what will cement Shepard as a true creative for indies everywhere.  The founding father and mastermind behind OBEY, Shepard has taken the merger of art and commerce to a new level by forgoing the galleries for the runway with a collection of graphic tees that have allowed thousands to wear their art on their sleeves. 

Takashi Murakami – While it’s his collaboration with Louis Vuitton that has garnered this artist the most statewide praise, it’s his years as a contemporary craftsmen in Japan that will deserve this indie his memory.  Exploring themes in anime and sex, Takashi’s work has created a tailspin of interest in Japan’s hypervisual culture.  With a new collection on the horizon with Marc Jacobs and a highly successful exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, Murakami will most likely become a major influencer on style and the art scene.

Shepard Fairey is by far one of my favorite graphic artists in the game. His contemporary pieces are legendary (Andre the Giant Has a Posse, OBEY) and his take on Obama has created on of the most iconic campaign images in recent history.  Well, thanks to a request by Russell Simmons, Fairey is auctioning off one of three HOPE posters for Art For Life, an annual event which benefits Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation.  So far the poster has raised over $35,000 for the charity, but I’m sure the number will creep over $50,000 by tomorrow when the auction ends. 

All I know is that if I had the cash, the poster would definitely be hanging in my home.