"I first illustrated the Dark Wave piece in 2010 as a response to the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I made some fine art pieces of the image that I liked even more than the screen prints and decided I’d like to release an offset of the fine art version. I am releasing this both because I like the image, and because unfortunately, the environmental hazards of off-shore drilling are just as relevant today as they were in 2010…especially with the relaxed regulations under the new administration. I enjoy doing illustrations of water with its hypnotic ripples and reflections. There’s oil in this water, which mixes ok in an illustration, but not so well in real life. I want future generations to inhabit a livable planet." – Shepard

About the Artist:

SHEPARD FAIREY

United States

Frank Shepard Fairey, born February 15, 1970, is an American contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, illustrator and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign while attending the Rhode Island School of Design, which appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. He became widely known during the 2008 U.S. presidential election for his Barack Obama "Hope" poster. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston calls him one of today's best known and most influential street artists. His work is included in the collections at The Smithsonian, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.