Shepard Fairey on Art, Activism, and the 'Out of Print' Exhibition

'Out of Print' Exhibition Overview

• 🖼️ The "Shepard Fairey: Out of Print" exhibition at Beyond the Streets Gallery features a survey of over 420 prints from his 35-year career.
• 📍 It is the largest exhibition of his screen prints ever held in the United States and runs through January.
• 🎁 Attendees visiting during the initial weekend receive a striking poster titled "Fall of Freedom."

Art as Activism and Challenging Authority

• 🎯 Fairey's work consistently challenges authority and consumerism, aiming to question aspects of the system that don't provide a level playing field.
• ✊ He strives to empower marginalized voices and make art accessible and democratic, using images to crystallize his ideas.
• 🗣️ His message is about provoking thought and making people consider what they want the world to look like, touching on environmental issues, equality, and abuse of authority.

The Evolution of the 'Obey' Campaign

• 🛹 Starting with a simple sticker of Andre the Giant in 1989, Fairey realized the power of seeing images in unexpected places to make people ask questions.
• 📚 Inspired by dystopian literature like "1984" and the movie "They Live," the "Obey" campaign evolved into a call for people to question everything they are inundated with.
• 🎭 This questioning ethos has informed subsequent campaigns, including the 2008 Obama "Hope" poster, the 2017 "People" series, and works for the Women's March.

Inspiration and Artistic Philosophy

• 💪 Fairey is inspired by anyone who stands up for their beliefs with conviction and integrity, citing figures like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Barack Obama.
• 🎨 He is also inspired by visual artists, musicians, and writers who effectively marry artistry with a strong point of view.
• 💡 While acknowledging artists like Andy Warhol, Fairey emphasizes his own drive to create art with activism in mind, even when it goes against the grain.

The Enduring Power of Prints in the Digital Age

• 📱 In an age of social media and short attention spans, Fairey believes physical prints resonate due to their tactile nature and the way light interacts with their surface.
• 🌍 He stresses the importance of navigating the real world and not losing sight of physical interactions, even while utilizing social media tools.
• 🌐 Social media is used to direct attention to real-world actions like murals, street art, and voting, allowing him to reach a bigger audience.