Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Retro Series - Obey '99 (Large Format)”?
Artist Statement
These Large Format prints were created to commemorate the release of Shepard's monograph Supply and Demand. The series displays the evolution of the GIANT ICON Face and Shepard's progression in design from 1989 to 2004. Each print measures 2.5' x 3.5' and is an edition of 89, signed and numbered. We are offering the series individually and as a set and if you purchase the set we will included a signed copy of the Supply and Demand book. $400 Individually, or $1200 for the set.
Summary
Retro Series - Obey '99 is a 2006 large-format screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 42 by 30 inches in a signed and numbered edition of 89. Part of a series created to commemorate the release of Shepard Fairey's monograph Supply and Demand, the print isolates the state of the GIANT ICON Face as it appeared in 1999, documenting one stage in the design's evolution. The work was offered individually at $400 or as a set, with set buyers receiving a signed copy of the book. Rendered in Fairey's bold OBEY iconography, it anchors the recognizable face image at a deliberately large scale.
Why It Matters
This print matters because it turns the OBEY ICON into a self-documenting timeline. Rather than presenting the face as a fixed logo, the Retro Series breaks Fairey's career into snapshots, and the '99 edition captures a specific point in that progression from 1989 to 2004. For collectors of OBEY iconography, that makes it more than decoration: it is a primary-source record of how the artist refined his most famous image. The tie to the Supply and Demand monograph adds context, since the prints were released to mark that book and the set originally shipped with a signed copy. At 42 by 30 inches and an edition of only 89, the large format gives the icon a wall-commanding presence that smaller OBEY prints lack. The work rewards collectors who want to see the icon's development rather than a single static version, and it functions as a chapter in a larger visual story. Its value to a collection is contextual and series-driven, strongest when displayed alongside its companion years to show the full arc the series was designed to trace.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to dedicated OBEY iconography collectors and Fairey completists who want to assemble the full Retro Series and trace the GIANT ICON across years. The large 42-by-30-inch format and signed, numbered edition of 89 make it a statement wall piece rather than a small accent, suited to collectors with room to display it at scale or to hang the series as a grouped set. Its connection to the Supply and Demand monograph gives it added appeal for those who also collect Fairey books and ephemera. Buyers drawn to the icon as a recognizable, graphic image will value its clean presentation, while series-minded collectors will prize how it locks into place beside the '89, '95, and '04 editions to complete the intended chronological story.
Historical Context
Released in 2006, this print sits in Fairey's mid-career period, well after the 1989 origins of the GIANT ICON and following his growing recognition as a gallery and street artist. The Retro Series was tied directly to the publication of Supply and Demand, a monograph surveying his output, and the prints were conceived to show the icon's evolution from 1989 to 2004. The '99 edition documents a specific waypoint in that span. Published by Obey Giant in a large format, it reflects the point at which Fairey was consolidating and reflecting on his own body of work, packaging the icon's history for collectors. It belongs to the broader thread of OBEY-icon editions that recur throughout his career.
FAQ
What is the edition size of Retro Series - Obey '99?
It is a signed and numbered edition of 89. The print was published by Obey Giant in 2006 as part of the Retro Series, and each example in the run carries the artist's signature and an edition number.
How large is this print?
The print measures 42 by 30 inches, described in the source as roughly 2.5 by 3.5 feet. This large format gives the GIANT ICON Face a wall-commanding scale compared with Fairey's smaller editions.
Why was the Retro Series made?
The Large Format Retro Series prints were created to commemorate the release of Shepard Fairey's monograph Supply and Demand. The series displays the evolution of the GIANT ICON Face and his design progression from 1989 to 2004.
Was the print sold as part of a set?
Yes. The source states the series was offered individually at $400 or as a set for $1200, and buyers who purchased the full set were to receive a signed copy of the Supply and Demand book.
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.