Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Psycho Posse (Gold)”?
Artist Statement
Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 100 $30
Summary
Psycho Posse (Gold) is a 2006 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 100. The record lists Black and Gold colorways. Built around Fairey's OBEY iconography per the secondary theme, the print uses his bold graphic language and posse motif. With one of the smaller edition sizes in this batch at just 100 pieces and a two-colorway offering, it sits among Fairey's tighter mid-2000s runs tied to his OBEY brand imagery.
Why It Matters
Psycho Posse (Gold) stands out within this group for its small edition of 100, one of the tightest runs in the batch, which generally supports stronger collector interest. The record's secondary theme of OBEY iconography places it squarely within Fairey's core brand vocabulary, the self-referential visual world built around the Giant icon and posse motifs that trace back to his earliest work. The posse theme connects it to a lineage of Fairey prints reaching back to the late-1990s Join The Posse and related Giant images, giving collectors a thread to follow across nearly a decade of his output. Offered in Black and Gold colorways, it provides a variant to pursue and a study in how palette changes the read of the same composition. For collectors focused on Fairey's OBEY brand identity rather than his portrait or political work, this print is a relatively scarce, on-brand option from the mid-2000s. Its appeal rests on the combination of a small run, the recognizable OBEY iconography, and its connection to the long-running posse motif, rather than on a documented external subject or message.
Collector Perspective
This print is well suited to collectors focused on Fairey's OBEY iconography and brand-driven imagery rather than his portraits or overt political pieces. The small edition of 100 makes it relatively scarce and appealing to those who prioritize tighter runs, while the Black and Gold colorways give variant collectors a pairing to chase. At 18 x 24 inches it frames easily and pairs naturally with Fairey's other posse and Giant-icon prints, anchoring an OBEY-themed grouping that can span from his 1990s work to the mid-2000s. Its draw is scarcity and brand cohesion more than a recognizable external subject.
Historical Context
Psycho Posse (Gold) dates to June 2006 and carries a secondary OBEY iconography theme, situating it within the self-referential brand world Fairey has cultivated since his Andre the Giant sticker beginnings. The posse motif links it to earlier Giant-themed prints from the late 1990s, showing the continuity of Fairey's core visual vocabulary across his career. Released during his productive mid-2000s period and predating his 2008 mainstream breakout, the print reflects how Fairey continued to mine and extend his own iconography even as he expanded into portraits, music, and political subjects. Its small edition of 100 is consistent with the more limited OBEY-brand runs of the period.
FAQ
What is Psycho Posse (Gold)?
It is a 2006 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 100. It carries a secondary OBEY iconography theme and was issued in Black and Gold colorways, dated June 20, 2006.
How small is the edition?
It is an edition of 100 screen prints, one of the smaller runs among Fairey's mid-2000s releases, which makes it relatively scarce within his catalog. The recorded release price was 30 dollars.
What colorways exist?
The record lists two colorways, Black and Gold, giving collectors a choice of palette or a pairing to pursue across the same composition.
How does it relate to Fairey's other work?
Its posse motif and OBEY iconography theme connect it to earlier Giant-brand and posse prints, including late-1990s works, placing it within the self-referential visual world central to Fairey's OBEY identity.
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.