OG street artist Shepard Fairey has helped shape our modern day visual culture with iconic imagery originating in an early 90’s experiment in phenomenology featuring the infamous professional wrestler Andre the Giant. But many current day fans of the artist’s work don’t realize that as a teenager Fairey ripped on a skateboard and found early inspiration in the art and subversive voice of New Deal Skateboards, which actually helped inform his signature color palette, found today in his paintings, prints, and on murals in cities around the world.
In celebration of the anniversary of the launch of New Deal Skateboards 30 years ago, Fairey helped relaunch the brand with a groundbreaking exhibition of original New Deal art and ephemera in 2019, including additional all-new reimagined artwork from over 40 artists, inspired by the brand. Co-curated with New Deal founder Andy Howell and hailed by industry insiders as the “Cultural event of the year,” the NEW DEAL 1990 Exhibition at Shepard’s Subliminal Projects Gallery in Los Angeles brought together skateboarding legends Steve Caballero, Chad Muska, Ed Templeton, and Eli Morgan Gesner, as well as art icons including DALEK, Greg Mike, Jeremy Fish, and dynamic duo Kai & Sunny, among many others, in order to create a 2 month extended exhibition (and an opening reception to remember!).
The NEW DEAL x SHEPARD FAIREY SPECIAL SUPER LIMITED RELEASE EXCLUSIVE AUTHENTIC CAPSULE POP-UP COLLECTION ARTIST EDITION features skateboard deck, art print, and t-shirt limited editions inspired by Fairey’s original iWARNING-ADDICTIVE! painting and the derivative work, which he re-created in early 2020. The collaboration between New Deal and Shepard Fairey kicks off the #newdealartistedition on the exclusive occasion of the 1 year anniversary of the 1st art exhibition celebrating the 30th anniversary of the original launch of the #newdealskateboards useless wooden toys company. Visit newdealskateboards.com to view the capsule collection as well as exclusive inerview and studio visit with Shepard Fairey, all part of his #mynewdealstory.
