Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Street Weapons (First Edition)”?
Artist Statement
STREET WEAPONS Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 300 $30 In case you don't know, Shepard has been spinning Thursdays at Dance Right in downtown Los Angeles. The flyers for the night have been great and we decided to screen print one of them just in time for the Holidays. The limited edition prints will be signed by Shepard and OBEY guest artist Matt Goldman who designed the artwork and works at Studio Number One. This print will also be coming out in Summer 2007 as all-over print t-shirts for boys AND girls from Obey Clothing...
Summary
Street Weapons (First Edition) is a 2006 Shepard Fairey screen print, published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 300 at 18 x 24 inches. Released November 28, 2006 at an original price of $30, the print adapts a flyer for Fairey's 'Dance Right' DJ nights in downtown Los Angeles. The artwork was designed by OBEY guest artist Matt Goldman of Studio Number One, and the source notes the edition was signed by both Fairey and Goldman. The print was later adapted into all-over-print t-shirts by Obey Clothing in summer 2007.
Why It Matters
Street Weapons offers an unusually documented window into the collaborative, music-driven culture surrounding Fairey's studio. The print originates from flyers for 'Dance Right,' the Thursday DJ nights Fairey was spinning in downtown Los Angeles, tying the work directly to his deep roots in music and nightlife. Crucially, the source confirms it was a genuine collaboration: the artwork was designed by OBEY guest artist Matt Goldman of Studio Number One, and the limited edition was signed by both Fairey and Goldman, making it a dual-signed collaborative piece rather than a solo Fairey work. That collaborative provenance distinguishes it from most editions and appeals to collectors who track the Studio Number One ecosystem and guest-artist contributions. The print's secondary consumerism-and-power theme, plus its documented crossover into Obey Clothing all-over-print t-shirts in summer 2007, illustrate how Fairey's studio moved fluidly between fine-art editions, flyer culture, and apparel. As a first edition of 300 at $30, it represents the accessible tier while carrying a richer collaborative and music-scene story than most contemporaneous releases.
Collector Perspective
This print is especially compelling for collectors interested in the collaborative side of Fairey's practice and the Studio Number One ecosystem, since it was designed by guest artist Matt Goldman and, per the source, signed by both Goldman and Fairey. That dual authorship gives it a distinct story. It also appeals to collectors drawn to the music and nightlife dimension of Fairey's world, given its origin as a 'Dance Right' DJ-night flyer. The 18 x 24 inch format displays cleanly, and the documented crossover into Obey Clothing t-shirts adds collectible texture. As a first edition of 300 originally priced at $30, it sits in an accessible tier and fits collections built around collaborations, music culture, or the Obey Giant flyer tradition.
Historical Context
Released November 28, 2006, Street Weapons grew out of flyers for Fairey's 'Dance Right' Thursday DJ nights in downtown Los Angeles, directly linking it to his longstanding involvement in music and nightlife. The artwork was created by OBEY guest artist Matt Goldman of Studio Number One, and the source states the edition was signed by both Fairey and Goldman, marking it as a collaborative work. It later became all-over-print Obey Clothing t-shirts in summer 2007. The print sits in the Posters and Propaganda era and exemplifies how Fairey's studio bridged fine-art editions, flyer design, and apparel during this productive mid-2000s period.
FAQ
What is Street Weapons based on?
It adapts a flyer for Shepard Fairey's 'Dance Right' Thursday DJ nights in downtown Los Angeles, connecting the print directly to his involvement in the city's music and nightlife scene.
Was this a collaboration?
Yes. According to the source, the artwork was designed by OBEY guest artist Matt Goldman of Studio Number One, and the limited edition was signed by both Fairey and Goldman, making it a dual-signed collaborative print.
How large is the edition and the print?
It is a first edition of 300 published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 x 24 inches as a screen print, released November 28, 2006 at an original price of $30.
Did the design appear in other formats?
Yes. The source notes the design was later released as all-over-print t-shirts for boys and girls from Obey Clothing in summer 2007, showing the studio's crossover between editions and apparel.
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.