Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Obey Fiend Skull (First Edition)”?
Artist Statement
Obey Fiend Skull Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 300
Summary
Obey Fiend Skull (First Edition) is a 2005 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 300, measuring 18 x 24 inches. Released at an original price of $30, it features a skull motif merged with OBEY iconography, rendered in Fairey's flat, high-contrast graphic style. The print engages themes of consumerism and power alongside his signature OBEY branding, using bold emblematic composition. As a standard 18 x 24 inch edition, it belongs to the accessible mid-2000s screen-print output through which Fairey extended his OBEY visual program across recurring symbols and motifs.
Why It Matters
Obey Fiend Skull fuses two recurring strands of Shepard Fairey's visual language: the OBEY branding system and the skull as a symbol of mortality, menace, and anti-consumerist critique. The source's pairing of OBEY iconography with a consumerism-and-power theme signals that the skull functions as more than decoration, acting as a pointed emblem within Fairey's ongoing commentary on authority and commercial culture. For collectors, the print is a clear example of how Fairey builds an interconnected iconographic universe, recycling and recombining motifs across editions so that individual prints reward familiarity with the larger system. Released in 2005 as a standard 18 x 24 inch edition of 300, it was broadly accessible at the time and documents the mid-2000s period when Fairey was steadily expanding his catalog before mainstream fame. The skull motif also links this work to a lineage of his darker, more confrontational imagery that contrasts with his portrait and floral prints. Its appeal rests on that iconographic density and the way it embodies the OBEY program's blend of branding and critique, rather than on any rarity claim the source does not support.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors focused on Shepard Fairey's core OBEY iconography and to those drawn to his darker, more confrontational imagery. The bold skull motif reads strongly on a wall and pairs naturally with other OBEY-branded and emblematic editions of the period. At its accessible original format and edition size, it suits collectors building breadth across his catalog rather than chasing only large-format or celebrity works. Buyers interested in the consumerism-and-power critique embedded in his branding will find it a representative example. It complements his other OBEY symbol prints and street-derived editions, fitting well into a grouping organized around his iconographic system.
Historical Context
Obey Fiend Skull belongs to Shepard Fairey's mid-2000s Obey Giant output, when he produced a steady run of 18 x 24 inch editions extending the OBEY visual program through recurring symbols. The skull motif connects to the darker, more confrontational side of his iconography, which he developed alongside portraits and decorative works. Dated November 2005, the print predates the 2008 Obama "Hope" image and sits among the editions that reinforced his branding system before mainstream recognition. Its blend of OBEY iconography with consumerism-and-power themes reflects the critique of authority and commercial culture that has underpinned the OBEY project since its origins in his earlier sticker and poster campaigns.
FAQ
What is the edition size of Obey Fiend Skull?
It was published by Obey Giant in 2005 as a first edition of 300 screen prints. This was a standard run for Fairey's accessible 18 x 24 inch editions of the period, making it relatively available compared with his small large-format works.
What are the dimensions and medium?
The work is a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, rendered in Fairey's flat, high-contrast graphic style. It combines a skull motif with OBEY iconography in a bold emblematic composition.
What themes does the print engage?
The source lists OBEY iconography as the primary frame and consumerism and power as a secondary theme. The skull functions as an emblem within Fairey's ongoing critique of authority and commercial culture rather than as mere decoration.
What was the original price?
The record lists an original release price of $30, consistent with Obey Giant's accessible pricing for its standard 18 x 24 inch screen-print editions when the work was released in late 2005.
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.