Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Rise Above Stamp”?
Artist Statement
RISE ABOVE STAMP Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 150
Summary
Rise Above Stamp is a 2006 Shepard Fairey screen print, published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 150 at 18 x 24 inches. Released October 20, 2006 at an original price of $30, the print renders Fairey's recurring 'Rise Above' slogan in a stamp-style graphic format, drawing on the postage-stamp framing motif he has used across multiple works. The image uses bold flat color and typographic emphasis characteristic of Obey Giant editions, presenting the 'Rise Above' message as a designed, iconic emblem.
Why It Matters
Rise Above is one of Fairey's most enduring slogans, originally tied to punk and hardcore culture, and Rise Above Stamp packages that message in his recurring postage-stamp framing device. The stamp format is a deliberate piece of visual rhetoric: it casts a defiant slogan in the official, authoritative language of a government-issued emblem, a subversive gesture central to Fairey's propaganda-inspired method. With a first edition of just 150, this print is more tightly editioned than many of his 300-run releases from the same period, giving it relative scarcity within the 2006 catalog. It connects to a broader family of Fairey stamp works, including the earlier Mao Stamp, showing how he repeatedly reworked the same framing across different subjects and slogans. For collectors, it offers both a recognizable Fairey catchphrase and a clear formal device, making it a strong example of how he turns activist language into collectible graphic icons. Its 2006 date places it in the pre-Obama window that collectors increasingly prize.
Collector Perspective
This print suits collectors drawn to Fairey's slogan-driven, typographic work and to his recurring stamp-format conceit. The smaller first edition of 150 gives it a tighter run than many same-era Obey editions, which appeals to collectors who weigh relative scarcity. At its original $30 it represented an accessible entry point, and the 18 x 24 inch vertical format frames cleanly for home or studio display. It pairs naturally with other stamp-format works like Mao Stamp, and with Rise Above-themed pieces, making it a useful node for anyone organizing a collection around Fairey's repeated motifs and catchphrases. Its bold, emblematic design reads well from a distance on a gallery wall.
Historical Context
Released in October 2006, Rise Above Stamp comes from a productive period when Obey Giant was issuing frequent signed screen-print editions. The 'Rise Above' phrase has long roots in Fairey's affinity for punk and hardcore music culture, and the stamp framing extends a device he had used since at least his 2000 Mao Stamp. The work sits in the Posters and Propaganda era of his output, before his 2008 national breakthrough, when editioned prints functioned simultaneously as political statements and affordable collectibles. It exemplifies Fairey's strategy of recycling a strong graphic template across changing subjects to build a recognizable visual vocabulary.
FAQ
What is Rise Above Stamp?
Rise Above Stamp is a 2006 Shepard Fairey screen print that renders his 'Rise Above' slogan in a postage-stamp graphic format, published by Obey Giant in his bold, flat poster style.
How large is the edition?
It was issued as a first edition of 150, a tighter run than many of Fairey's 300-edition releases from the same year, giving it relative scarcity within the 2006 catalog.
What are the size, medium, and original price?
It is a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, released October 20, 2006 at a recorded original price of $30.
Does the stamp format appear elsewhere in his work?
Yes. Fairey used the postage-stamp framing device in earlier works such as Mao Stamp, repeatedly applying the same emblem template to different subjects and slogans.
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.