Shepard Fairey on Art, Activism & Resisting Fascism

We speak with artist Shepard Fairey, best known for the Obama “Hope” poster, about the role of art in politics, the rise of fascism in the United States and more. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman spoke with Fairey in Los Angeles last week and toured his studio. Some of his recent artworks depict ICE agents with labels like “Domestic Terrorist,” used by Trump administration officials to describe protesters who oppose the administration's immigration crackdown.

Fairey says that while he doesn’t think of his art as propaganda, he also doesn’t shy away from the label. “If you want to call it propaganda, it’s meant to initiate a conversation, a counternarrative that isn’t happening in a robust enough way,” he says.

Fairey created the film poster for Steal This Story, Please!, the new documentary about Amy Goodman and Democracy Now!, which had its theatrical opening earlier in April.