I was interviewed by a thoughtful woman named Maria Fernanda Schweichler while I was in Paris. She seemed to recognize the difficulties of balancing my interests of street art, fine art, politics, and fashion. Check out her article and video interview. Several people in Paris asked me if my mural there was commissioned or paid for by Levi’s. The answer is neither… I paid for my own team and I was provided lifts by Mehdi who owns Galerie Itinerrance and is spearheading the public art project in District 13. I was not paid to do the mural but I’m not sure why that seems surprising to a lot of people considering my history in street art. I suspect that the scale of the piece and intensity of the work process is something a lot of people don’t consider until they see it firsthand or well documented. I enjoy the challenge of large pieces and the opportunity to share my work with a public audience.
-Shepard Fairey