Obey

A visual and conceptual journey through the 35-year career of one of the most influential and internationally acclaimed street artists

On the occasion of 35 years of Shepard Fairey’s (Obey) career, this monograph presents a body of work that is among the most representative of his artistic production, together with numerous unique pieces conceived especially for the occasion. The sections of the book are inspired by the most representative themes of Shepard Fairey’s art: propaganda; peace and justice; environment; music and new works.

Shepard Fairey (Charleston, 1970) is the artist behind Obey. Known for the HOPE poster, a portrait of Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential campaign, Obey is distinguished by an essential and bold style with a minimalist palette guided by the hip hop and punk cultures that taught the artist to question social conventions. This is the poetics with which Fairey animates all of his works, inviting the audience to question on relevant current issues.

As the artist himself explains Obey: The Art of Shepard Fairey showcases a selection of works from my entire career that reflect my evolution, but also my consistency in addressing social justice themes I consider crucial. My aesthetics developed not only from visual sources of inspiration like pop art, propaganda posters, album packaging, and skateboard graphics but also from my financial limitations and my desire to produce easily understood, applied, and disseminated visuals for the sake of a more democratic conversation about issues and the role of art itself.”