E Pluribus Venom: Shepard Fairey Recent Work

E Pluribus Venom collects a large body of work produced by Shepard Fairey and presented at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in summer 2007. The title E Pleribus Venom (out of many, one) is an early motto adopted by the US government, which appears on US currency. The artistic thesis is that many becoming one, or a loss of power and influence of the individual in favour of homogeny is a symptom of a society in decline. E Pluribus Venom is comprised of artworks designed to question the symbols and methods of the American machine and American dream and also celebrate those who oppose blind nationalism and war. Some of Fairey's works use currency motifs or a Norman Rockwell aesthetic to employ graphic language of the subjects that they critique. Other works use a blend of Art Nouveau, hippie and revolutionary propaganda styles to celebrate subjects advocating peace.