Utilizing art to convey cultural commentary, street artist Shepard Fairey has cemented himself as one of the most influential and best-known artists of the modern era. Known for creating recognizable imagery like the Andre the Giant Has a Posse campaign in 1989 to President Barack Obama’s “Hope” poster during the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, Fairey’s art has made an impact in street art, streetwear, and politics. Fairey’s Art Prints are recognizable for their use of bold colors and striking human imagery, similar in style to 20th-century propaganda posters. From the Obey Giant, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, and Nelson Mandela — Fairey’s Art Prints are striking and powerful, always encapsulating a story.
His art prints, which are usually released in limited quantities, continue to be some of the most popular prints on StockX. We compiled our insights for a comprehensive buyer’s guide to Shepard Fairey Art Prints.
History
Shepard Fairey is known in the streetwear landscape for founding Obey Clothing, which saw mainstream popularity during the 2010s. His journey in art, however, started decades before. During his tenure at the Rhode Island School of Design, Fairey created the now-iconic Andre the Giant Has a Posse sticker campaign. Created in 1989, the campaign was popular among skaters and street artists, who distributed the stickers throughout cities in the United States and transformed André into a pre-internet viral meme. With time, André became the ubiquitous avatar for Obey Clothing, a motif utilized throughout the brand’s garments and marketing.
Shepard Fairey Pyramid Top Icon Print (Signed, Edition of 50)
Shepard Fairey Art Prints
Shepard Fairey doesn’t shy away from explaining the intricacies of his art. When Fairey releases new art prints, Instagram is the best platform to get information on the quantity of prints and the story behind the work. Prints are released through the Obey Giant website, but can sell out quickly due to popular demand.
Shepard Fairey Art Prints range in imagery, sometimes featuring people, geometric designs, or words, or a combination of these different styles. While the styles of prints may vary, Fairey’s use of bold lines, intricate shadows, and shades of blue, red, black, white, and sometimes yellow, are consistent hallmarks of his work.
Shepard Fairey Art Prints range in size and price, and are typically limited in quantity ranging anywhere from around 200 to 500 prints. Shepard Fairey’s The High Cost of Free Speech Print (Signed Edition of 575), depicts a protester bleeding and being handcuffed on the ground. This 24×24 inch print retailed for $80, but has consistently sold above retail on StockX.
Fairey paid homage to the late Kurt Cobain with his popular Kurt Cobain Endless Nameless print. The print sold out on Fairey’s website, and is now available on StockX. According to our data, this popular print has traded for nearly double the retail price, a testament to the popularity of both Cobain and Fairey as artists.
One of Fairey’s most expensive and sought-after art prints on StockX is the Marianna: L’action Vaut Plus Que Les art print. Like others on this list, the Marianna: L’action Vaut Plus Que Les print holds a special story for Fairey. The print pays homage to the giant Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité mural he completed in Paris following the 2015 terror attacks. The mural was vandalized, but Fairey saw it as an opportunity to “side with people who oppose injustice.”
Shepard Fairey Marianna: L’action Vaut Plus Que Les Mots Print (Signed, Edition of 650)
“We’re all part of shaping the world the way we want it to be and everyone should play their role, me included, in making sure that those terms are defined through action,” Fairey said regarding the mural.
TheMarianna: L’action Vaut Plus Que Les art print was a new version of the original mural, outfitted with a teardrop falling down Marianna’s face, signifying the abandonment of Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, or liberty, equality, and fraternity.
If you’re a newcomer to the work of Shepard Fairey, the Marianna: L’action Vaut Plus Que Les art print isn’t one of his more accessible works. According to our data, the print has sold for over $700 despite retailing for $75, making it one of the more expensive art prints from Fairey on StockX.
What Movement Is Shepard Fairey a Part Of?
Shepard Fairey belongs to the street art movement, which includes artists like Banksy, Futura, Keith Haring, and other artists in the contemporary graffiti art scene. He also belongs to a movement of overtly political artists, whose work aims to question systems and norms and generate dissent among the public. This political ethos is aptly summarized in Shepard Fairey’s manifesto: Manufacturing Quality Dissent Since 1989.
Obey Clothing enabled Fairey to bridge both his artwork and streetwear, two different mediums that collided in a winning formula for the artist. Obey often featured motifs that were identical in style to Shepard Fairey’s art prints, and are still prominent in his work today. A few prints represent this cross between the art work and streetwear perfectly, including the Shepard Fairey Obey Radical Peace Print and the Shepard Fairey Pyramid Top Icon Print.
Fans of Obey Clothing will appreciate these two prints in particular, featuring a similar artist direction as the brand. While the Pyramis Top Icon Print sells for over $200, the Radical Peace Print can be copped under $100, making it a great introductory Shepard Fairey piece to your collection.
Shepard Fairey Obey Conformity Trance Print Black (Signed, Edition of 350)
Why Is Shepard Fairey Important?
Shepard Fairey’s work exists in harmony with contemporary street art and politics. The amalgamation of these two paradigms often lends to striking imagery reminiscent of propaganda posters you’d see scattered throughout Europe in the 20th century. His use of bold black, red, and blue hues makes his work instantly recognizable and unique.
Every Shepard Fairey Art Print also tells a story beyond the painting. Fairey has worked on a plethora of murals scattered throughout the world, including the “Make Art Not War” mural in Berlin, Germany. The mural signifies Fairey’s support for anti-war movements.
Fairey also created a nine-story Nelson Mandela mural overlooking the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Johannesburg, South Africa, arguably his magnum opus. The giant mural pays tribute to South Africa’s anti-apartheid revolutionary, philantropost, and President Nelson Mandela.
Art, politics, and street culture are all paradigms that enable Shepard Fairey’s work to exist across many mediums. The Shepard Fairey AR-15 Lily Print is a perfect example of this philosophy. The art print showcases an AR-15 with a flower blooming out of the gun barrel with shades of blue, red, and yellow scattered throughout the print. The AR-15 Lily Print is inspired by protesters during the Vietnam War that would put flowers in gun barrels.
“I’m a pacifist, whether that means finding diplomatic solutions to prevent and avoid war internationally or finding diplomatic solutions to prevent and avoid gun violence at home,” Fairey said regarding his design. “I’m not anti-Second Amendment, so trolls can calm down… I’m not interested in macho blathering, I just want fewer people to die unnecessarily.”
Blending commentary, art, and culture is part of the Shepard Fairey ethos, and buyers of Shepard Fairey Art Prints can expect a story behind every print. In addition to his work outside of art, Fairey’s involvement in activism includes organizing donations to the ACLU, medical research, art programs, Feeding America, and more.
The Takeaway
Every Shepard Fairey Art Print encapsulates a philosophical, sometimes political message that spans far beyond the canvas. While Shepard Fairey’s style is known and celebrated, the stories behind the artwork are just as important as the art itself.
Whether you’re new to the work of Shepard Fairey, or a seasoned fan of his work, the diversity of art prints available on StockX can fit beautifully into any art collection. Bright colors, striking imagery, strong facial expressions, and geometrically cohesive designs all add to the political nature of his work. While his art prints remain popular, often selling out, Fairey consistently produces new prints for the world, never shying away from sharing every detail that went into the creation of prints we all know and love.
