OBEY
“OBEY” | Shepard Fairey
Milwaukee, WI
Created in 2020
A hallmark of street art rebellion, Shepard Fairey’s “OBEY” mural stands in Black Cat Alley as a bold invitation to pause and question the world around us. Part of Fairey’s iconic “Obey Giant” campaign, which began with his 1989 “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” stickers, the mural’s unmistakable face and commanding text were designed to provoke thought, not obedience.
Fairey has described the campaign as “an experiment in Phenomenology…to reawaken a sense of wonder about one’s environment.” By disrupting everyday spaces with its stark imagery, “OBEY” challenges viewers to consider how much we absorb without question.
The presence of “OBEY” in Black Cat Alley connects us to Fairey’s expansive body of work, from the political power of his Hope poster to large-scale murals promoting voting rights in Milwaukee. Yet unlike those project-specific pieces, “OBEY” maintains its enigmatic simplicity. It has no single message, only the command and the freedom to interpret.
Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey is a Charleston-born graphic artist who studied at the Rhode Island School of Design. He is a pioneer of modern street art, activism, and design. Fairey is best known for launching the “Obey Giant” sticker campaign and for creating the renowned “Hope” poster during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.
His work combines visual accessibility with political subversion, reclaiming public spaces from advertising and challenging traditional perceptions of authority. Fairey’s murals have appeared in cities around the world and include major public projects such as Milwaukee’s “Voting Rights Are Human Rights” mural.
“OBEY” in Black Cat Alley remains an enduring symbol of his artistic philosophy: art that provokes, surprises, and invites viewers to question rather than conform.
