Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Revolutionary Woman With Brush”?
Artist Statement
Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 350
Summary
Revolutionary Woman With Brush is a 2007 screen print, 18 x 24 inches, in an edition of 350, published by Obey Giant at $45. The image depicts a woman as a revolutionary figure holding a brush, merging activism with the act of art-making. It belongs to Fairey's recurring series of revolutionary women, here framing the creative tool as an instrument of resistance. The source provides title, medium, dimensions, edition size, and price, and tags the work with civil rights and justice themes; the visual concept centers on the woman and her brush.
Why It Matters
Revolutionary Woman With Brush extends one of Fairey's most enduring motifs, the revolutionary woman, into the realm of art-making itself by placing a brush in the figure's hand. That choice fuses two of his core concerns: the depiction of women as agents of resistance and the belief in art as a tool of social change. The result is an image that argues, visually, that creativity and activism are the same gesture. Within his catalog this print joins a documented lineage of revolutionary and Zapatista women, making it a meaningful entry for collectors tracking how Fairey foregrounds women in leadership and struggle. Tagged with civil rights and justice in the source, it carries explicit social weight while remaining a graceful, design-forward portrait. The brush motif also makes it self-reflexive, a work about the power of the very medium it is made in, which gives it added resonance for collectors who value art that comments on its own role. Issued at an accessible $45 in an edition of 350, it brought this empowering imagery to a broad audience, reinforcing Fairey's consistent use of the heroic female figure as a vehicle for justice-oriented messaging.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals strongly to collectors building around Fairey's women-and-leadership and social-justice themes. The revolutionary-woman subject connects it to his well-known series of female figures, making it a natural anchor or companion within a women-focused collection. The brush motif, linking activism to art-making, adds appeal for collectors who value works that reflect on creativity itself. At an original $45 price and an edition of 350, it is an accessible original screen print, and its 18 x 24 inch format groups easily with related figures like Revolution Woman or Zapatista Woman. Collectors drawn to empowering, justice-oriented imagery rendered in Fairey's bold portrait style will find this a coherent and meaningful fit.
Historical Context
Revolutionary Woman With Brush dates to May 2007 and belongs to Fairey's ongoing series of revolutionary female figures, a motif he developed across the mid-2000s. By giving the woman a brush, the print ties his recurring theme of women in resistance to his foundational belief in art as activism. Tagged with civil rights and justice, it sits alongside related works such as Revolution Woman and Zapatista Woman in the source's candidate set, marking part of a sustained body of imagery centering women in struggle. Within the Posters and Propaganda era, it reflects Fairey's consistent framing of the heroic female figure as a vehicle for justice, and its self-referential brush motif underscores his view of creative work as a form of political action.
FAQ
What is Revolutionary Woman With Brush?
It is a 2007 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 by 24 inches in an edition of 350 at an original price of $45. It depicts a woman as a revolutionary figure holding a brush, linking activism with art-making, and the source tags it with civil rights and justice themes.
How does it relate to Fairey's other works?
It belongs to his recurring series of revolutionary women, alongside works such as Revolution Woman and Zapatista Woman noted in the source's related set. These prints center female figures as agents of resistance, a consistent theme in Fairey's mid-2000s output.
What is the significance of the brush?
The brush ties the revolutionary-woman motif to the act of art-making, suggesting that creativity itself is a form of resistance. This self-referential element reflects Fairey's foundational belief in art as a tool for social change.
What is the edition size and price?
The edition is 350 and the original price was $45, per the source. It is a screen print at 18 by 24 inches, an accessible original that brought this empowering, justice-oriented imagery to a broad audience.
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.