History of Stickers : When Stickers Became an Art

It's hard to believe that a simple piece of paper or vinyl sticker back is capable of so much! Shepard Fairey also had a hard time believing it, yet this artist was probably the first to turn a simple sticker into a work of art . This is certainly what he says in the introduction to his essay written in 2003 , in which he recounts his fascination with stickers as a form of expression .

We are in the 80s , when the stickers begin to become popular among skaters and American punks . The latter seem obsessed with these adhesive images (logos, tags and illustrations) that they stick on their tables and their clothing, and which can be reproduced and distributed by the thousands. Today, there is a well-known term for naming them: viral images .

It is therefore among the "skaters" that was born the first viral image in sticker format representing a French wrestler accompanied by an enigmatic sentence . In the space of a few years, hundreds of "André the Giant Has a Posse" images have been stuck in cities around the world. Look back at this phenomenon.

It was in 1989 that Shepard Fairey , a student at the RhodeIsland School of Design (USA), created the first sticker "André the Giant Has a Posse" with the effigy of the French wrestler André the Giant . Beside his image are indicated his weight and height (2.24 m for 236 kg) and the mysterious phrase "André the Giant Has a Posse".

Shepard begins broadcasting her sticker in the city of Providence, Rhode Island, during the summer. Then, his friends and artists from other cities get in their turn and, in a few months, Shepard finds himself making thousands of stickers by hand. He then tries several technical solutions before finding the most practical: stickers printed on silk screen on vinyl . It is estimated that it produced millions between 1989 and 1996 . After 1996, he decides to outsource their printing. Still today, it is possible to order this sticker (only in the United States) on Shepard Fairey's website .

" I think art has to be accessible and democratic, " writes Shepard Fairey in one of her recent Facebook posts . "Street art plays an important role in this approach, but I also use other concepts, such as cheap prints, T-shirts, the Internet, and so on. With my art, I want to reach people by any means possible! "

The stickers were obviously a fundamental expression of the artist , so much so that in 2008 he created another image that will remain in the story - Barack Obama Hope - and who owes his incredible diffusion in decals format.

Accessibility and connection with the urban fabric seem to be the essential characteristics of "sticker art" which, like all street arts, is in the gray zone between legality and forbidden. The sticker is liberating and easy to stick in the street, even in daylight (unlike graffiti).

But what messages send the stickers, exactly? Let's see what the artists say! This is what Dave Kinsey, artist and graphic artist, says in 2003's Shepard Fairey essay : "I like stickers because they leave a sign that can influence people's moods, inspire them with a thought. a reaction. I like the idea that my stickers are part of the movement of the street , they are absorbed by the population. "

When we see a mysterious image waiting for the fire to turn green, we can imagine that it has already been seen in other parts of the city or in other parts of the world. The image challenges us and stimulates our imagination. Thus, art can even come from a simple piece of glue paper. Take note: Stickers may be the most suitable form for your creativity!