Shephard Fairey
Inked|March 2019

During the late ‘80s and all through the ‘90s he “bombed” countless cities across America. Being in New York City, it was hard not to pass a light pole, a doorway or an industrial alley that didn’t have Andre the Giant staring back at you… and New Yorkers loved it. At least, my friends and I did, although NYPD definitely did not. While in New York to talk about his new DAMAGE mobile APP, the 48-year-old Shepard Fairey visited our office, where he sat down to be photographed and talk about, well, his extraordinary life.

Shephard Fairey

Let’s start at the beginning. I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. My mom was head cheerleader. My dad was captain of the football team. It was a conservative upbringing. I went to the same private high school as Steven Colbert I wasn’t exposed to a lot of progressive art. I love to draw and paint from the time I was a little kid, but it wasn’t really until I got into skateboarding and punk rock that I started to see art that was non-traditional and that made a big impact on me.

When I got to the Rhode Island School of Design, that was a real melting pot of people. I started to be exposed to a lot of different perspectives — pop art and political art from people like Barbara Kruger and Robbie Conal. That’s when I started to connect the dots between artists like Raymond Pettibon, who did the work for Black Flag, Winston Smith who did the work for the Dead Kennedys and Jamie Reid, who did stuff for the Sex Pistols.

Tell us about Futura (2000)?

I discovered Futura through the Clash. On the song overpowered by funk, he’s got a rap on it that talks about graffiti — “We threw down by night. They scrubbed it off by day.” Then I realized that he did the handwritten lyrics inside the Combat Rock album package and he did the “Radio Clash” single cover. He was a huge influence for me because, prior to that, I don’t think anyone other than Keith Haring had utilized so many platforms in a really effective way. And he’s also just a really cool guy.

Before the Andre the Giant, did you have a signature piece?

Bu hikaye Inked dergisinin March 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Inked dergisinin March 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

INKED DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Leaving Her Mark
Inked

Leaving Her Mark

Shina Novalinga discusses her entry into throat singing, going viral on TikTok and getting her face tattooed

time-read
6 dak  |
Summer 2022
A Phoenix Rising
Inked

A Phoenix Rising

Salice Rose turned to social media when she was at her lowest. In doing so, she found her true calling

time-read
7 dak  |
Summer 2022
A Flower Growing In Concrete
Inked

A Flower Growing In Concrete

Creating art has helped Jose López navigate through the darkest periods of his life

time-read
7 dak  |
Summer 2022
Carolesdaughter
Inked

Carolesdaughter

As tattooed people, we seldom consider how our body art will impact the people around us. But, it only takes a stranger seeing one tattoo, one time, to change their entire worldview.

time-read
4 dak  |
November 2021
Hit the Jackpot
Inked

Hit the Jackpot

Rapper Latto on breaking into hip-hop, representing Atlanta and making her next big move.

time-read
8 dak  |
November 2021
Tess Holliday – Bombshell
Inked

Tess Holliday – Bombshell

Model and body positivity activist Tess Holliday channels her inner Pamela Anderson for this sexy shoot.

time-read
7 dak  |
November 2021
Bhad Bhabie
Inked

Bhad Bhabie

Bhad Bhabie took her 15 minutes of viral fame and turned it into a viable career. The rapper dishes on her only fans and upcoming new music.

time-read
8 dak  |
Summer lifestyle 2021
Building a Work of Art
Inked

Building a Work of Art

To celebrate the release of the 2022 Indian Chief the legend-ary motorcycle company got together two of the world’s most sought after builders, Paul Cox and Keino Sasaki, to customize a bike for celebrated tattoo artist Nikko Hurtado.

time-read
10+ dak  |
Summer lifestyle 2021
Adam Weitsman
Inked

Adam Weitsman

Social media forever altered our perception, in ways both large and small. Not only has it changed the way we look at other people, it changed the way we present ourselves to the world. With every post he makes on Instagram, Adam Weitsman is fully aware of the latter.

time-read
5 dak  |
Summer lifestyle 2021
Problem – All The Answers
Inked

Problem – All The Answers

Problem has the perseverance and drive to make his dreams come true. We spoke with the rapper about his latest mixtape, entrepreneurship and how his tattoos remind him of what’s important in life.

time-read
6 dak  |
January 2021