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The title “Print & Destroy” is a nod to the phrase “Skate and Destroy” coined by C.R. Stecyk. Street art and skateboarding share a lot of the same rebellious energy.
I’m a product of the era of mass production, and the mass culture printing has created. I can’t imagine my art practice without the influence of, and the use of, printing. Some of my biggest art influences were not paintings but printed things like album covers, skateboard graphics, punk flyers, and t-shirt designs.
The printing press began the democratization of art, and I have used printed posters to spread my artwork and messages in public spaces as well as keep my art affordable by printing multiples.
I believe in art as a part of public dialogue, and my Obey Giant street art campaign aspires to arrest visually and provoke intellectually by using printed posters in competition with commercial advertising.
Some people say print will be wiped out by digital media, but I say you can never replace the provocative, tactile experience of a print on the street or in a gallery. Printing still matters.
– Shepard
