Imperial glory shepard fairey professional#

It was also gratifying for the artist to see elements of his brand, his signature black, grey and red color palette – beginning to grow along with the popularity of his work. The stickers were being placed in public spaces, including on street signs and building, initially in the area of Providence, RI, but shortly thereafter in various northeastern cities.Ī key takeaway for the artist was that Fairey’s intuition about the appeal of fringe crossover ideology could indeed communicate something intrinsically fascinating – capable of fueling viral advertising.

For Shepard Fairey, this experimental campaign became an overwhelming success.

Fairey’s design added the words, “Has A Posse” beneath wrestler’s name – lending a potential of the cryptic words alluding to a larger meaning.

Imperial glory shepard fairey professional#

Shepard Fairey produced stickers featuring an Illustration of professional wrestler “Andre the Giant” sourced from the Weekly World News tabloid publication. Obey Giant Campaign Flexes Street Art MuscleĪs a student at RISD in 1989, Shepard Fairey developed a grassroots sticker campaign designed to gain the artist notoriety and demonstrate to the power and reach of street art. By the mid-eighties, Fairey was applying his own designs to skateboards and t-shirts.ĭuring this same time, Fairey also took note of the works of famous Pop and Contemporary Artists – such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg – appreciating the artists’ abilities to provide social commentary, hold a mirror to American culture and push the boundaries of art.Īfter graduating from California’s Idyllwild Arts Academy in 1988, Shepard enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he would graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1992. Street art (graffiti), skateboard graphics and punk rock album covers all would have a strong influence on the emerging style of Shepard Fairey. For Shepard Fairey, there was a keen awareness of the power of the art that accompanied and fueled the scene. Shepard describes his powerful Charleston influences to be those developed as a part of the “skateboard” scene – a culture that included a passion for punk rock bands and a bend toward anti-establishment political views. Born in 1970, the artist grew up in a relatively conservative home, with his father a practicing doctor and his mother, a realtor. The roots of Shepard Fairey’s artistic inclinations took shape during the 1980s, as a teenager on the streets of Charleston, SC. National Portrait Gallery acquired HOPE, where it resides as part of the gallery’s permanent collection. Following the election, the Smithsonian Institution’s U.S. The argument that most lawmakers make about graffiti is that it’s illegal because it’s an eyesore, but you could easily argue that a lot of advertising is an eyesore.”ĭue in large part to the enormous success of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, Shepard Fairey’s HOPE poster became an American classic, earning its place in history as an iconic piece of presidential campaign art. Other versions of the unique portrait were created with the words “PROGRESS,” “CHANGE” and “VOTE” used in place of “HOPE.”ĭue in large part to the enormous success of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, Shepard Fairey’s HOPE poster became an American classic, earning its place in history as an iconic piece of presidential campaign art. At the time, “hope” was considered to be a cornerstone of the Obama campaign and Fairey’s poster quickly became the predominant visual element used by Obama supporters – as campaign posters, bumper stickers, t-shirts and other forms of paraphernalia. For the majority of people, Pop Artist Shepard Fairey appeared to become famous “overnight,” as the highly stylized Barack Obama HOPE poster he created during the 2008 presidential election season went viral and became omnipresent as the campaign gained momentum.