Shepard Fairey, Facing the Giant: 3 Decades of Dissent

“Whether the reaction be positive or negative, the sticker’s existence is worthy as long as it causes people to consider the details and meanings of their surroundings. In the name of fun and observation.” – Shepard Fairey, 19901

In 1989, at the age of 19, Shepard Fairey created a sticker campaign featuring Andre the Giant for his “clique of art school and skateboard friends” at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).2The image of the 7’4” World Wrestling Federation (WWF) star caught the attention of more than just Fairey’s peers and grew to become a worldwide street art phenomenon.

Fairey saw the potential of a simple image to provoke, subvert, and delight; and he began a career in graphic design and guerilla marketing that has since made him one of the most recognizable street artists living today. Shepard Fairey, Facing the Giant: 3 Decades of Dissent presents 30 silkscreen and mixed collage works that feature not only those early depictions of Andre the Giant but also subsequent work from the last 30 years that highlight Fairey’s use of art to push back against dominant systems of power. 

This exhibition was organized by the Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA in association with OBEY GIANT ART.

Artwork: Shepard Fairey, Defend Dignity (detail), 2019. Silkscreen & mixed media collage on paper, HPM, edition 1/19.