'Sadistic Dog Walker' by Shepard Fairey, 2021
Screen print collab. with artist Francisco Reyes Jr.
Blue variant.
33 x 24 Inches
83.8 x 61 Centimeters
Screen print on cream, Speckletone fine art paper.
Limited Edition of 450 (#320/450)
Hand-signed and dated by both Fairey and Reyes Jr. bottom right.
Hand-numbered in pencil bottom left.
ABOUT THE ART
"I've made several images over the years addressing police brutality, and I think humor and absurdity help make such a heavy topic more digestible. There is a violent history of police dogs being used to attack civil rights protesters, which contrasts intensely with the blissful perspective of white dog owners who pamper their dogs and hire dog walkers.
Some of us never have to think about how the police abuse their power more frequently in non-white and lower-income communities. This "Sadistic Dog Walker" image encourages us to be aware of the "two Americas."
– Shepard
"Shepard's posters on police brutality have always been some of my favorite. From the "I'm gonna kick your ass and get away with it" piece to the "Sadistic Florist," which inspired me to bring forth the idea to Shepard on continuing that narrative. The Public servant with a subversive twist. The tongue-in-cheek tagline of "My Dog Walker Is A Dick" is the sugar that makes the bitter pill easier for the viewer to swallow… but it still has a bite to it!"
– Francisco Reyes Jr.