Artist Shepard Fairey has created a new cover for TIME magazine's "Our America" special project, coinciding with the United States' 250th birthday. The artwork features a reimagined Statue of Liberty, draped with imagery and symbols representing touchpoints from the nation's history, including the civil rights movement, jazz, the space program, and the automobile.
Fairey stated that his interpretation of the Statue of Liberty is meant to embody "the promise of pluralism in a more fair and just society." The cover also acknowledges contributors to the special project who shared the places and things that define America for them. Fairey himself selected a work by conceptual artist Barbara Kruger as representative of the current moment.
This marks Fairey's fourth collaboration with TIME. He previously created Person of the Year covers for Barack Obama in 2008 and "The Protester" in 2011, as well as the cover for the magazine's 2020 election issue.
Fairey, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, began his career in the 1980s designing skateboards and T-shirts. He maintains a commitment to challenging norms, believing that conversation can be more effective than confrontation.
TIME has a history of commissioning artists for significant American anniversaries. For the 1976 bicentennial, illustrator Louis Glanzman painted a portrait of Thomas Jefferson for the cover. That special issue was notably written as if it were published in 1776.
Earlier, for America's 150th anniversary in 1926, the magazine briefly noted the milestone in its National Affairs column. The report detailed President Calvin Coolidge's participation in commemoration events in Philadelphia, including remarks on "inalienable rights . . . idealism . . . destiny." The President also visited Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
Fairey expressed a hope for more art and media that emphasizes commonalities and the benefits of societal cooperation, rather than promoting fear and division. "We are all in this together!" he stated.