Shepard Fairey was drawn to making art since he was young. A curious mind, a strong work ethic, an inspired creative spirit, a growing compassion for the situations of others, and a deepening understanding of the intricacies of how our world works (and yes, more than a touch of a 'rebel spirit' nurtured by skateboard culture and punk rock) has shaped the work of that young artist into some of the most powerful, most well known, and most consequential art of our time. Art that matters!
Do you know his work? Yes, absolutely you do, although you may not know it, because for Fairey - pronounced as you would the "tooth-_____" (no relation) - the goal has never been acclaim or notoriety. His effort always leans - and more often, strides - toward problem solving, commentary, action, and urging, more often pushing us to think and care about others, to care about democracy, and justice, to care about the growing privilege of some often at the expense of others.
Is there more to say? Yes, of course! Here's what Wikipedia begins with
"Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989 he designed the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campaign while attending the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)."
"Fairey designed the Barack Obama "Hope" poster for the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, has described him as one of the best known and most influential street artists. His work is included in the collections at The Smithsonian; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Modern Art in New York City; the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego; the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond; and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London."
But that barely scratches the surface.
I had a wonderful conversation with Shepard. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
https://obeygiant.com/
https://obeyclothing.com/
