Obey the Giant: The Shepard Fairey Story

Julian Marshall
2012-05-16

6
23 min

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.