Shepard Fairey (Born Charleston, SC in 1970) is one of the most influential and prolific street artists of the twenty-first century. In 1989, while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, Fairey created a stencil of the wrestler Andre the Giant, spawning his Obey Giant campaign that eventually touched metropolises across the world. Renowned for his poster of former President Obama, titled Hope, Fairey continues to make street art and graphics with Andre’s likeness, and has added a graphic design firm, clothing company, lifestyle magazine, and commercial gallery to his ever-expanding repertoire.
Screen prints are the basis of his artistic practice, as the motifs and styles serve as source material for later works. The prints within the ICA Collection showcase the scope of Fairey’s artistic vocabulary and varied inspirations—from hip-hop stars to Andy Warhol to political revolutionaries. While all of Fairey’s works express political viewpoints, examine historical styles, or offer social commentary—overtly or otherwise—, his use of graphic elements and motifs that reappear across his practice challenge viewers to more deeply examine seemingly mundane imagery. In Andre the Giant’s initial iteration as stickers littering cities, Fairey considered image and text—in this case, the word “Obey”—as meaningless. The nonsensical nature of the Obey Giant sought reaction and reflection. This incitement continues throughout his oeuvre, from the raised fist to his characteristic “Make Art Not War” to Art Nouveau stylistic qualities referencing ‘anti-Vietnam War’ posters, these works are imbued with symbols of protest, rejecting hegemonic constraints. The process of commercializing alters their reading “obey”becomes an advertising command to purchase products. Fairey appreciates this ambiguous realm between street-art and commercial, stating “I refuse to stay in my assigned lane as an artist and commentator… I hope I’m breaking someone’s rules.”