Shepard Fairey’s early works in Vienna

As with most street artists, 41 year-old Shepard Fairey is a controversial person. Some may accuse him of selling out or being no longer “true”, others think he was the most important factor in Barack Obama’s election in 2008 (aside from Obama himself) and consider him one of the most important modern artists. Here are three things that point in the second direction:

1. André the Giant
In 1989 Shepard Fairey started a sticker campaign that grew into a worldwide movement. People from all across the globe used his design, modified it and created something special. It later turned into the

2. Obey Giant
This is just another variation of the “original” Giant, but it was inspired from the great John Carpenter film “They Live” which we consider one of the coolest movies ever. So it’s in the list.
3. The Hope poster
To support the 2008 candidacy of Barack Obama, he designed an unofficial campaign poster that very quickly became the official one, and created one of the first iconographic artworks of the new millennium. He even got a thank-you letter from the not-yet President.

So go and check out Shepard Fairey – Early Work at Lust Gallery in Vienna.
Hollandstraße 7/15
1020 Vienna
The exhibition ends on January, 21st 2012.

Published November 15, 2011.