Spotlight Artist: Shepard Fairey

Welcome Visitor Shepard Fairey Silkscreen and Mixed Media Collage on Paper 2018

Synopsis

Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, illustrator, and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campaign while attending the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

He became widely known during the 2008 U.S. presidential election for his Barack Obama "Hope" poster. 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.

Fairey is known for his "bold iconic style that is based on styling and idealizing images." (exerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepard_Fairey)

Links and Readings

Essential Questions

-How does the artwork of Shepard Fairey communicate to a large, diverse audience?

-What materials are valid in making artwork?

-Does an artwork being public (as opposed to a museum or gallery) change it?

-What is the difference between grafitti and art?

Video