Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Giant vs Giant”?
Artist Statement
GIANT VS GIANT Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 150
Summary
Giant vs Giant is a 2004 Shepard Fairey screen print, published by Obey Giant in a First Edition of 150 and measuring 18 x 24 inches. The work plays on Fairey's central Andre the Giant / OBEY motif, setting the Giant imagery against itself in a self-referential composition. It uses his graphic propaganda-poster style with bold flat color and the recognizable OBEY iconography. With a smaller edition of 150, it is among the more limited 2004 Obey Giant releases and engages directly with the iconography at the heart of Fairey's brand.
Why It Matters
Giant vs Giant turns Fairey's signature subject inward, pitting the Andre the Giant / OBEY icon against itself in a knowing meditation on the image that built his career. The source flags both a pop-culture primary theme and an OBEY iconography secondary theme, underscoring that this print is fundamentally about Fairey's own visual brand. For collectors, two things stand out: the conceptual self-reference, which makes it a key OBEY-iconography piece, and the smaller edition of 150, which is more limited than the typical 2004 run of 300. That combination gives it added desirability within a focused OBEY collection. The motif proved durable enough to spawn a sequel, Giant vs Giant 2, in 2005, signaling that the idea resonated. Grouped with the foundational late-1990s Giant prints among its related works, it reads as part of the lineage that traces the evolution of the Andre the Giant icon. Because the source supplies only year, edition, dimensions, and medium, the significance is interpretive, but the direct engagement with Fairey's core iconography and the tighter edition size make it a notable studio release.
Collector Perspective
Giant vs Giant is a natural target for collectors focused specifically on OBEY iconography and the evolution of the Andre the Giant image. Its edition of 150 is smaller than the common 2004 run of 300, which adds appeal for buyers who weigh scarcity within a focused collection. At 18 x 24 inches with bold graphics, it displays strongly alongside the foundational late-1990s Giant prints, helping tell the story of the icon's development. The existence of a 2005 sequel invites collecting the pair. It rewards owners who center their collection on Fairey's core brand imagery and appreciate self-referential, design-driven works over portraiture.
Historical Context
Giant vs Giant dates to the mid-2000s, after Fairey's 1989 Andre the Giant sticker campaign that launched the OBEY phenomenon, and during the years when Obey Giant was issuing steady editions. By turning the Giant icon against itself, the print reflects Fairey's continued reworking of the image that originated his entire practice, a motif he carried from the late-1990s Giant prints into the mid-2000s. Released before the 2008 Obama "Hope" breakthrough, it belongs to the propaganda-and-posters phase. Its smaller edition of 150 and the 2005 follow-up Giant vs Giant 2 mark it as a deliberate exploration of OBEY iconography during a period of brand consolidation.
FAQ
What is the edition size of Giant vs Giant?
The record states a First Edition of 150, which is smaller than the typical 2004 Obey Giant run of 300. That tighter edition makes it among the more limited releases of its year, of interest to collectors who weigh scarcity.
What does Giant vs Giant depict?
It plays on Fairey's central Andre the Giant / OBEY motif, setting the Giant imagery against itself in a self-referential composition. The source flags an OBEY iconography secondary theme, confirming the print is fundamentally about Fairey's own brand imagery.
Is there a sequel?
Yes. The related records include Giant vs Giant 2 from 2005, indicating the motif continued into a follow-up print. Collectors often pursue the pair together as part of a focused OBEY iconography set.
What are the dimensions and medium?
It is a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, published in 2004 by Obey Giant, as stated in the source. It is rendered in Fairey's bold, flat-color propaganda-poster style.
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.