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Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism University of Southern California
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Artist Shepard Fairey Shares his Art and his Life with Students

The famous street artist talked about President Obama, Occupy Wall Street and the importance of standing up for unpopular issues. 

Famed street artist Shepard Fairey shared his rise to fame and the meaning behind some of his most famous works of art with students at the Ronald Tutor Hall Wednesday night. 

Best known for his red, white and blue poster of President Obama and his Obey campaign, Fairey has been creating art and plastering the streets of the world with his often politically charged posters for 22 years. 

"Delivering these ideas through something that is visually appealing or uses humor is very helpful," explained Fairey. 

From politics to the environment to human rights, Fairey uses his art to voice his opinion and make a point that grassroot efforts can be powerful. Recently he posted high resolution images for people to download for free to carry at the Occupy Wall Street movement. 

"It's  a little bit unfocused but the idea that the majority of the population isn't being addressed is a valid point," Fairey said of the movement which just celebrated its one-month mark. 

Fairey started off making stickers and stencils in a skate shop in South Carolina. He attended college at the Rhode Island Institute of Design and began splattering his now famous OBEY stickers around campus. People began taking note, including the local paper and Fairey said it made him think about the way people react to art in public spaces. 

"People were analyzing and thinking about what they were seeing," said Fairey. "These silly stickers were making people stop and think and it was raising important issues."

Fairey has been arrested 16 times for his street art - from New York to Los Angeles, he has illegally plastered buildings with his work. But just this fall his latest piece - a mural that covers the entire wall of the new West Hollywood library - was commissioned by the city. 

"The coup of going from the city paying to take my stuff off the streets to the city giving me a space, is great," said Fairey. "The phrase 'for the people, by the people' is directly shown in getting this project."

Fairey told students that the ultimate way to to get what you want is to work for it. 

"If you're not able to get the things you want by standing in line with the usual system, then do something different."

Fairy signed copies of his book, Obey: Supply and Demand, and posters for students for over an hour after the speech. 

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