Shepard Fairey is an American street artist, graphic designer, and illustrator. He rose to notoriety for his now iconic “Obey Giant” street art in the late 80’s early 90’s. Breaking into the mainstream when he designed for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.
In the late 1980s while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. He initially gained recognition for his “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” which featured the image of the wrestler taken from a magazine originally mean just to create something cool between friends. Influenced by Barbara Kruger, understanding how her work was eye-catching and could make art a powerful tool to address social issues. Combined with the social commentary from the film ‘They Live’. This evolved into the “Obey Giant” which featured an updated stylized image of Andre the Giant’s face with the word “Obey” underneath. ‘They live’. The repetition of Sherpards posters comments on the idea of propaganda and social conditioning through societal norms such as advertisement.
Fairey’s street art and poster designs often incorporate political and social commentary. His work consists of bold graphics with vivid colours becoming a distinctive style that is widely recognizable. His first solo show was at Stolen Space Gallery London in 2007 and continues to exhibit in London as a part of Beyond the Street at Saatchi Gallery.
Shepard Fairey’s coming from street art has managed to create a significant impact on contemporary art and design. Influencing artists and activists through his strongly politically charged artwork. He is one of the biggest artists to find commercial success from creating art in the streets. To this day he continues to work on large-scale murals, still holding the integrity of his original Obey paste-up poster.
