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Shepard Fairey, Che Reissue

Shepard Fairey, Che Reissue
Artist: Shepard Fairey 
Title: Che Reissue
Medium: Screenprint
Edition: 10
Size: 18"x24"
Year: 2000
Markings: Signed
See Also: Che  Che No! Variation 

This print is one of a select few that were reissued in 2000. For more information, see Reissues. From Suppy and Demand, pg. 95: The Che Guevara photo, taken by Alberto Korda in 1960, is probably the most clichéd image of rebellion worldwide. I stole it not so much to endorse what Che was about or what he did, but to demonstrate that symbols become easy to manipulate after they have a life beyond their real history. I see lots of kids with Che t-shirts who probably know nothing about him besides his rebel status. I tried to capture some of the essence of the original Che photograph, but it’s clearly not Che’s face – it’s Andre the Giant’s face. After this picture sat in the window of a San Diego art gallery for three months, a clerk across the street pointed at my Andre icon face t-shirt and exclaimed, “Che Guevara! I too am a fan of Che Guevara.” It just shows how people’s memory can be reconditioned through imagery. (Note: This quote refers to the original 1997 release of this print.)
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