LA Weekly – Factory of Talent

Thu, Apr 20, 2006

News

I posted this just because it mentions another “famous” person on a Vespa.

LA Weekly: “Shepard Fairey. You knew him before you knew him. If you lived in a major city, or just one where he had friends, he silently infiltrated your existence with a sticker slapped on the back of a no-parking sign, or a 10-foot, wheat-pasted face on the side of a building. (How did he get up there?)

Even almost a decade ago, when Paul Frank first licensed his work for a series of vinyl messenger bags, people would stop me on my Vespa and ask of the face on my tote, “Who is that guy? I see him everywhere.” Without having time to school them with a proper explanation (the light was always about to turn green), I would just say, “Shepard Fairey.”

Now while the artist looks nothing like his muse, Andre the Giant — the real guy on the satchel — Fairey is responsible for making the wrestler a legend in street-art pervasiveness while establishing his own enviable marketing savvy.”

2 Responses to “LA Weekly – Factory of Talent”

  1. vespabelle Says:

    Fairey did the art work for AmeriVespa 2004 in Salt Lake City. We have one of the posters up on office wall.

    Reply

  2. Steve Guzman Says:

    Ahhhh yes, Vespabelle… I see he did!
    http://www.vespaclubusa.org/av_images/av2004patch.gif

    Reply

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