Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Studio Number One”?
Artist Statement
STUDIO NUMBER ONE PRINT Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 300 $30
Summary
Studio Number One is a 2004 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant in a first-edition run of 300, measuring 18 x 24 inches and originally priced at $30. Titled after Fairey's own design studio, the print carries the OBEY visual vocabulary of bold graphic layout and high-contrast imagery characteristic of his mid-2000s editions. As a first-edition screen print at the standard 18-by-24 format, it sits within the prolific body of Obey Giant releases Fairey issued during this period, blending self-referential branding with the propaganda-poster aesthetic that defines his street-art-rooted print practice.
Why It Matters
Studio Number One names the very engine of Fairey's commercial and fine-art output, Studio Number One, the design studio he founded that produced campaigns and identities alongside his gallery work. That self-referential subject makes the print a small but telling artifact of how Fairey fused his studio brand with his art practice during the mid-2000s, when Obey Giant was issuing a steady stream of affordable 18-by-24 screen prints. The edition of 300 and original $30 price point reflect the accessibility-first model Fairey used to keep his work in the hands of ordinary collectors rather than only galleries. For collectors building a representative Obey Giant set, a print that literally references the studio behind the brand has documentary value beyond its imagery. It appears to align with Fairey's broader strategy of treating branding, identity, and authorship as legitimate artistic subjects, a stance that anticipated his later, more famous commercial-meets-activist crossovers. As a modestly sized first edition, its importance is more contextual than monumental, but it rewards collectors who value the connective tissue of Fairey's career.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to completist Obey Giant collectors and design-minded buyers drawn to Fairey's self-referential branding. At 18 x 24 inches it frames easily and slots into a grid of same-format 2004 screen prints, making it a natural companion piece rather than a standalone centerpiece. Its modest original price and edition of 300 mean it historically served as an entry point for newer collectors, and it fits collections organized around Fairey's studio practice, OBEY iconography, or the mid-2000s screen-print run. Buyers who care about the story behind the brand, the studio that produced Fairey's campaigns, will value it more than those seeking a marquee image. Display works best alongside other first-edition 2004 prints to show the cohesion of the era's output.
Historical Context
Studio Number One belongs to Fairey's productive 2004 output under the Obey Giant imprint, a period when he was issuing numerous 18-by-24 screen prints in editions of 300. The title refers to the Los Angeles design studio Fairey co-founded, which handled commercial design work in parallel with his gallery and street output. This era sits after the foundational sticker-and-poster phase that grew from his late-1980s Andre the Giant campaign and before his 2008 breakthrough with the Obama HOPE image. The print reflects Fairey's mid-decade practice of folding his own brand infrastructure into his art, treating the studio itself as subject matter. Within his arc it documents the consolidation of the OBEY identity as both an artistic and commercial enterprise.
FAQ
When was Studio Number One released and in what size?
It was released in 2004 as a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches. It was published by Obey Giant as a first edition. The standard 18-by-24 format is consistent with many of Fairey's mid-2000s editions issued under the same imprint.
How large is the edition?
The print is a first edition of 300. That edition size places it among Fairey's accessible mid-2000s screen-print releases rather than a small, tightly limited run. The source confirms 300 as the number in the edition.
What was the original price?
The source lists an original price of $30. That low release price reflects Obey Giant's accessibility-first approach during this period, designed to keep Fairey's prints affordable to a broad base of collectors at the time of release.
What does the title refer to?
The title references Studio Number One, the name of Fairey's design studio. The print is part of his Collaborations and pop culture themed output, making the studio's own name a self-referential subject within his branding-driven body of work.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.