By Karan Singh
“A poster of someone who is not yet in office is always a faith piece,” says Shepard Fairey, the artist behind the now-famous HOPE poster adopted by Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008. “It’s about saying I see potential in this person, and then when they get mired in our dysfunctional political machine, will they actually always make the right choices or be able to do something to transform the way the machine works to yield a more ideal result?”
1 Minute Critic caught up with the celebrated artist before the opening of his new exhibition, OUT OF PRINT, at Beyond the Streets in Los Angeles. A product of punk and DIY ethos, Fairey’s work has evolved from a college grassroots sticker campaign to the launch of his own clothing line.
400 works, one ethos
OUT OF PRINT comprises over 400 of Fairey’s original screen prints along with freshly reworked iterations of earlier pieces, all available for purchase. The collection also debuts a hybrid bundle that combines layered stencils, paper and ink, adding yet another dimension to his unmistakable visual language.
Crediting the printing press with “the democratization of art,” Fairey explains: “I can’t imagine my art practice without the influence of, and the use of, printing. Some of my biggest art influences were not paintings but printed things like posters, album covers, skateboard graphics, punk flyers, and T‑shirt designs.”
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A vivid reflection of his sociopolitical outlook, the exhibit features a dense mix of cultural and political figures from across the spectrum, from Iggy Pop and Nico to Ronald Reagan and Angela Davis, as well as typography and iconography. Bold stenciled letters declare “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU,” a warning visitors can’t escape.
The vast selection features several works that stress the need for radical change, most notably “These Sunsets Are To Die For.” Colored in Fairey’s trademark red-adjacent hues with sharp, stenciled streaks, it depicts a couple holding hands and staring out at a horizon distorted by industrial pollution. By focusing on the worsening environmental crisis, the piece captures the essence of the LA exhibit: art as a rallying cry for collective survival rather than individual comfort.
Fast facts: Shepard Fairey’s ‘OUT OF PRINT’
Shepard Fairey’s OUT OF PRINT is a sprawling testament to the power of printing as protest: 400+ works that trade gallery decorum for punk urgency and radical hope.
- Beyond the Streets, 434 N La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles
- Through January 11, 2026
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