2. Yes We Can – Shepard Fairey, 2008
The artist, Shepard Fairey, has been hailed as a pioneer of effective political propaganda, on par with “We Like Ike” and “We Want YOU, President Roosevelt, to Stay and Finish the Job” in response to the bombing of Pearl Harbour. What just might be the most influential political image in the US in the 21st Century, the official presidential campaign poster for United States President Barack Obama. It consists of a stylised stencil portrait of Obama in solid red, beige and (pastel and dark) blue, with the word “progress”, “hope”, or “change” below (and other words in some versions). It is said that the image has been downloaded more than any other in the last 50 years.