Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey
Debbie Harry Zebra Skin Canvas, 2015

Mixed media collage, Your Eyes Here – Malaga
30 in x 39 in
 
Courtesy of the artist

A long-time fan of Blondie, American street artist, graphic designer and illustrator Shepard Fairey had made a few portraits of lead singer Debbie Harry - “an amazing vocalist, lyricist, style icon, beauty, and embodiment of NYC cool” - but this striking portrait was the first he produced after they became friends. 
 As a result of doing some writing and the design of a photography book for Blondie’s co-founder, songwriter and guitarist Chris Stein, Fairey was offered the opportunity to work from any of Stein’s photographs.  Harry’s expression and the pop art sensibility of the zebra skin drew Fairey to one shot in particular and he took further inspiration for ‘Debbie Harry, Zebra Skin Canvas’ from the classic Andy Warhol portrait of Harry, which he said was “a favourite piece by a favourite artist”. 
 An activist and philanthropist, Fairey created the iconic four-colour ‘Hope’ poster of Barack Obama during his presidential campaign, has produced a T-shirt in support of Bernie Sanders’ bid for presidency and supports causes such as the Los Angeles public library system.
 
For more information, see obeygiant.com

Hedge, issue 40, April 2016, pp50-57