Renowned American street artist and activist Shepard Fairey is being celebrated with a comprehensive retrospective exhibition at Beyond The Streets gallery in West Hollywood. The exhibition, titled "Shepard Fairey: Out of Print," showcases 400 pieces spanning the artist's prolific 30-year career, including his globally recognized Obama "Hope" poster and the iconic OBEY campaign that helped define modern street art.
The retrospective represents one of the most extensive collections of Fairey's work ever assembled in a single venue. For three decades, the American artist has been a defining force in contemporary art, creating politically charged protest posters and developing an aesthetic that became synonymous with modern propaganda art. His work has transcended traditional gallery spaces, appearing on building walls, campaign materials, and merchandise worldwide.
The exhibition features an innovative multimedia approach, incorporating a retro television installation that continuously loops archival footage of Fairey's past interviews and documentation of his street art work. This immersive element allows visitors to experience not just the final artworks, but also the creative process and cultural context behind Fairey's most influential pieces.
"With every image I make, I'm hoping that it can capture the zeitgeist, capture that moment of what's going on in the world," Fairey explained about his artistic philosophy. The artist emphasized the cumulative impact of consistent creative output, stating, "Continuing to make an effort and putting your ideas out into the world ultimately has a really strong cumulative effect that you can look at and be really proud of."
Fairey's career breakthrough came with his OBEY Giant campaign, which began as a street art experiment and evolved into a global phenomenon that challenged viewers to question authority and media manipulation. His work gained unprecedented mainstream recognition during the 2008 presidential campaign when his stylized "Hope" poster featuring Barack Obama became one of the most recognizable political images of the modern era.
The exhibition runs from November 15 through January 11, 2026, at Beyond The Streets gallery, located at 434 N La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. The gallery, known for showcasing street art and urban contemporary works, provides an appropriate venue for celebrating an artist who helped bridge the gap between underground street culture and mainstream artistic recognition. Visitors can explore the full spectrum of Fairey's artistic evolution, from his early guerrilla art installations to his more recent large-scale commissioned works that continue to address social and political issues.
