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Video: Shephard Fairey's Work Is Inspiration For Fictional Short Film
Whether you're a street art aficionado or not, Shephard Fairey's work has probably come, at some point in time, into your purview. Fairey is the artist behind the "Obey the Giant" campaign -- stickers featuring the face of Andre the Giant -- and now, his iconic images have become the impetus for a fictional film about his career.
The film was made by director Julian Marshall, a graduate, reports the LA Times, of the Rhode Island School of Design, just like Fairey. It tracks Fairey's time at RISD, beginning with when he was inspired to create the "Obey the Giant" campaign.
According to the website for Learned Vices, one of the executive producers of the film, the story goes as follows:
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.
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OBEY THE GIANT - The Story of Shepard Fairey from Julian Marshall on Vimeo.
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