Brain Floss: Shepard Fairey

By Blair Alley
Mon, Jan 16 2012 11:55 am | Comments

Did this give you the idea to launch and spread your message through your original “Andre the Giant has a posse” stickers?

I was working at a skate shop in Rhode Island the summer of ’89 after my first year of art college when I made the first Andre sicker. The sticker was initially for a few friends, a new “posse” to make an even more “exclusive” sub-crew of our skate team. Former pro skater Eric Pupecki was my co-conspirator when I made that first Andre sticker. We just stuck them at skate spots and everywhere else. Hip-hop culture and slang (“posse”) were creeping into skate culture, so tagging and listening to Public Enemy were the new punk.

How much of your stuff is still hands-on drawing, sketching, and drafting?

I still illustrate traditionally all the time. I use the computer a bit too, but I’m cutting stencils, collaging, and painting a lot. I like getting my hands dirty.

For more of Shepard’s artwork visit obeygiant.com.