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A lot of people thought I got famous as a studio artist, then decided to cash in on it. But it actually was just a matter of survival for many years, and I felt it was really important for me to be able to say whatever I wanted with my street art and fine art.

Shepard Fairey

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Shepard Fairey
Age: 54
Born: 1970
Born: February 15
Artist
Contemporary Artist
Designer
Graffiti Artist
Graphic Artist
Graphic Designer
Illustrator
Muralist
Painter
Printmaker
Roboais
Frank Shepard Fairey
Obey
Important
Artist
Famous
Years
Felt
Survival
Really
Art
Street
People
Thought
Decided
Able
Streets
Wanted
Fine
Cash
Matter
Whatever
Studio
Many
Actually
Studios

More quotes by Shepard Fairey

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The way I make art, the way a lot of people make art, is as an extension of language and communication, where references are incredibly important.
Shepard Fairey
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The Internet hasn't had a chance to really get to where people look at it with the proper level of scrutiny. There's so much bullshit on the Internet. It doesn't get filtered out because it's such a new medium.
Shepard Fairey
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There's always a lot that's making me angry, but it won't tie into the election. I mean nothing against Hilary Clinton. I agree with Hilary on most issues, but campaign finance structure makes me very angry, because it means that politicians are going to have to raise a huge amount of money, which narrows the field dramatically.
Shepard Fairey
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Art making comes from the human desire to share something that is universal in one sense, but unique to your sensibility in another. I think that, wherever you are in the world, that impulse exists within human beings.
Shepard Fairey
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I said, ok, I'll pay the licensing fee it. And [the AP] said, no, we want to claim damages. I said damages? Because of my poster the Mannie Garcia picture is now worth more than it ever would have been.
Shepard Fairey
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I want to be proud of this country [the USA], but when aspects of our policy don't align with my ethics, I want to protest them and try to change them. Being complicit because it's the home team is nationalism, not patriotism.
Shepard Fairey
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I've never had an original thought in my lifeand there's tons of people on the internet happy to tell me just that.
Shepard Fairey
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Creating is about sharing ideas, sharing aesthetics, sharing what you believe in with other people.
Shepard Fairey
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A lot of people felt defeated and hopeless by Trump's election. But I feel his election should energize people to resist apathy, ignorance, sexism, xenophobia, and racism.
Shepard Fairey
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I think that what led largely to Trump's election was the manifestation of the too-common mindset that facts don't matter in other words, manifest destiny - the truth will not penetrate the barriers of our ideology if the truth doesn't sit well with our predispositions.
Shepard Fairey
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Why is non-commercial public expression considered criminal?
Shepard Fairey
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If the idea that my safety can only be enhanced by putting other people's privacy and safety in danger, then I don't want to be more safe.
Shepard Fairey
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As a street artist, I'm used to sharing my stuff with the public. It's a communal experience. I've learned not to be so precious, but rather to enjoy the process.
Shepard Fairey
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I've never really considered myself just a street artist. I consider myself a populist.
Shepard Fairey
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The sticker has no meaning, but exists only to cause people to react, to contemplate and search for meaning.
Shepard Fairey
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The social and political issues the world faces are bigger than a few leaders. I made a lot of work about corporate influence in government, which is a problem in both parties and under any president.
Shepard Fairey
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The problem with copyright enforcement is that when the parameters aren't incredibly well defined, it means big corporations, who have deeper pockets and better lawyers, can bully people.
Shepard Fairey
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The world has lost a great musician who will always be an inspiration to me and those at OBEY GIANT.
Shepard Fairey
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Art is not always meant to be decorative or soothing, in fact, it can create uncomfortable conversations and stimulate uncomfortable emotions.
Shepard Fairey
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Art shows and the institutions end up being the couriers for culture for the next generation and are an important component as well. It may seem ironic from one perspective, but I think if you look at my overall strategy, it's actually not out of step.
Shepard Fairey