It is quite the irony that on that day that Kamala Harris leaked out some of the details of her communist-leaning economic policies Shephard Fairey unveiled his new version of the Obama "Hope" poster, this time for Kamala Harris. 

Fairey's work has it roots in socialist realism, a form of art that developed during the Stalinist era of communism, and when he brought his work to Russia in 2018 the profile the Moscow Times did of him leaned very heavily on the communist influence on his work. 

On the cusp of WWII and in the face of fascist and communist threats, George Orwell wrote, “We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.” 

Although 2018 is not 1939, the American street artist, Shepard Fairey, sees rising inequality, corporate greed, environmental degradation, digital disinformation, and resurgent nationalism as reason enough to indicate what all can see if they take the time to look: the abuse of power in an age of consumerism and complacency.    

Fairey’s method for delivering this message in his “Force Majeure” exhibit at MMoMA is as brilliant as it is blunt. In a series of 400 stencil and silkscreen prints that take-up the entire museum, Fairey draws on Russian constructivism, socialist realism, and the masters of Soviet propaganda to illustrate American excess. His rationale for presenting the United States in communist colors is to show that even though the exercise of power in America is often overlooked, it can be just as sinister as it was in the Soviet Union. As Fairey told the Russian press: “Manipulation and control may take subtler forms in the US, but that doesn’t make it less nefarious than the deception that was happening here, and I’ve tried to highlight that by depicting American themes in Soviet-style.” 

Now Fairey sees himself as anti-authoritarian, but as you can tell from his selection of socialist candidates to lionize he has remarkably bad judgment when it comes to sorting candidates. It would be one thing if he were just anti-Trump, but his embrace of candidates who lean into government control of our lives shows that his problem with Stalinism wasn't its goal, but its methods. 

He wants communism with a happy face, or perhaps liberal fascism. 

#KamalaHarrisForward I believe VP Kamala Harris and her VP pick Tim Walz are our best chance to move forward. They are our best chance to push back on encroaching fascism and threats to democracy, and our best chance for creating the world we all desire and deserve. Politics is… pic.twitter.com/8tTuLfIbEw

— Shepard Fairey (@OBEYGIANT) August 15, 2024

I see this as the same irony as "Antifa" standing for "anti-fascism"--pure propaganda based on the inversion of the truth. It would be as though Fauci went out and pushed himself as a lover of bodily autonomy, freedom, and beagles. 

Fairey's dedication to freedom is best exemplified by his line of art entitled "Obey." Whether he considers that ironic or not, it is a genuine expression of the leftist tendencies he so embraces. 

I’m excited for the release of the OBEY Playing Cards, produced in collaboration with @theory11. Not only do these cards represent three eras of my art, but they also represent the highest quality craft when it comes to the details of printing and production. I’m super impressed… https://t.co/ofUQ1F2CQR

— Shepard Fairey (@OBEYGIANT) July 19, 2024

Perhaps the next theme in his artwork will be titled "Or Else."

It is perhaps noteworthy that the more Establishment leftists at The Washington Post even sees Harris' extremism and leaning into communism. 

From @crampell: When your opponent calls you ‘communist,’ maybe don’t propose price controls? https://t.co/MvL8aYstCZ

— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) August 16, 2024

As the left has become culturally and often politically ascendant in the United States the mask has been slipping off. They are more Hugo Chavez than Bill Clinton, and it shows.