BIGSTAR

If you didn’t know, Shepard Fairey is the street artist behind the “Obey the Giant” guerrilla marketing campaign seen all over the streets of the world.  From stickers featuring the face of Andre the Giant to iconic images that have become an integral part of pop-culture and political history, Fairey has made an impact on the way we see the world using contemporary graphic design and illustrations.

Most famous for his work in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, specifically his Barack Obama “Hope” poster, he has been recognized by the art world as one of today’s best known and most influential street artists.

Now, Julian Marshall, from the same alma mater as Fairey (Rhode Island School of Design), has made a fictional short film about the artists’ career.  The short follows Fairey’s life at RISD, including when he was inspired to create the “Obey the Giant” campaign and subsequently his career today.

OBEY THE GIANT, directed by Julian Marshall, is the first narrative film about the early life of Shepard Fairey and the origin of his OBEY GIANT street art campaign.

Based on the true story of Shepard Fairey’s first act of street art, OBEY THE GIANT tells the story of a young skate punk challenging a big-city mayor and the powers-that-be at art school.

Frustrated by his inability to gain respect within the confines of art school Shepard sets out to gain notoriety and acclaim by targeting the most powerful man in Providence, former Mayor Buddy Cianci. Risking expulsion and jail time Shepard plasters Andre the Giant’s face over the image of Cianci on a campaign billboard. As word of Shepard’s prank gets out, Shepard learns that art is a weapon and attention is both a blessing and a curse.

And as a special treat, we’ve got the full short film for your viewing pleasure at the bottom of this post!  

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If you are intrigued by street art, then you have to check out “Rockfresh.”

Official selection AFI FEST 2004. ROCK FRESH is an electrifying documentary on the world of the graffiti artist. A raw snapshot of artists who literally have their back against the wall, the film follows five of the world’s most legendary street artists as they make the leap from graffiti art to commercial art.

From the street to the gallery. From walls to clothing. From private to worldwide. These cameras unmask the mystifying process behind graffiti art like never before. Revealing step-by-step how the colors blend, how the angles sharpen, how the shadows emerge. Lifting the veil from a subculture so clandestine, it took 40 years to get this close. The artists take their skills to a variety of surfaces -concrete, canvas, metal, cloth, and brick.

‘Rock Fresh’ also reveals artists painfully coming of age. From kids drawing in their sketchbooks, to grown men struggling to make a living.