Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Nineteeneightyfouria”?
Artist Statement
Embossed with the Stolen Space logo Show poster for the Shepard Fairey Nineteeneightyfouria show at Stolenspace Gallery - London, England
Summary
Nineteeneightyfouria is a 2007 screen print by Shepard Fairey published in a first edition of 200, measuring 24 x 36 inches and embossed with the Stolen Space logo. It served as the show poster for Fairey's Nineteeneightyfouria exhibition at Stolenspace Gallery in London, England. The title nods to Orwell's 1984, aligning the work with Fairey's surveillance and authority themes. As an exhibition print tied to a specific London show, it carries documentary value alongside its bold graphic presentation.
Why It Matters
Nineteeneightyfouria matters as a documented exhibition poster tied to a specific Shepard Fairey show at Stolenspace Gallery in London, giving it a clear place in the record of his international exhibition history. The title's play on Orwell's 1984 signals the surveillance and authority themes that recur across Fairey's OBEY project, framing the show itself around critiques of control and propaganda. Embossed with the Stolen Space logo, the print carries a built-in mark of authenticity and venue specificity that collectors prize in show posters. Its larger 24 x 36 inch format and edition of 200 distinguish it from the more common 18 x 24 inch drops of the period, making it a more substantial and somewhat scarcer piece. Exhibition prints occupy a special niche for collectors because they connect a tangible object to a real event and place, here Fairey's presence in the London street-art scene during the mid-2000s. For those tracking Fairey's overseas shows and his engagement with Orwellian themes, Nineteeneightyfouria functions as both a striking graphic and a historical document, anchoring a moment in his exhibition arc with a print that is purpose-made and venue-marked.
Collector Perspective
Nineteeneightyfouria attracts collectors who value exhibition history and provenance, since it is a documented show poster for Fairey's London Stolenspace exhibition, embossed with the gallery's logo. The larger 24 x 36 inch format gives it strong presence and sets it apart from standard-size editions, while the edition of 200 makes it relatively focused. Collectors interested in Fairey's international shows or in his Orwellian surveillance themes will find it especially meaningful, as it ties a physical object to a specific event and venue. It groups well with other exhibition and poster-related prints in a collection and rewards buyers who appreciate the documentary dimension of show posters alongside their graphic appeal.
Historical Context
Nineteeneightyfouria documents Fairey's presence at Stolenspace Gallery in London during 2007, marking a chapter in his international exhibition activity outside the United States. Stolenspace, a London venue associated with street and urban art, provided a platform for Fairey's work abroad, and this embossed show poster records that engagement. The title's reference to Orwell's 1984 ties the exhibition to the surveillance and authority themes long central to the OBEY project, showing how Fairey organized entire shows around his recurring conceptual concerns. As a purpose-made exhibition print rather than a standard editioned drop, it reflects the period when Fairey's gallery presence was expanding internationally and his shows were becoming significant events in the street-art world.
FAQ
What is Nineteeneightyfouria?
It is a 2007 screen print by Shepard Fairey, issued in a first edition of 200 at 24 x 36 inches and embossed with the Stolen Space logo. It served as the show poster for Fairey's Nineteeneightyfouria exhibition at Stolenspace Gallery in London, England.
Why is the title significant?
The title plays on George Orwell's 1984, aligning the work and the exhibition with Fairey's recurring surveillance and authority themes. These Orwellian concerns are central to the OBEY project's critique of control and propaganda.
What makes this print distinctive?
It is a documented exhibition poster embossed with the Stolen Space gallery logo, tying it to a specific London show. At 24 x 36 inches in an edition of 200, it is larger and more focused than many standard 18 x 24 inch editions of the period.
Who published it?
The print is associated with Stolen Space, the London gallery that hosted the exhibition. The embossed Stolen Space logo serves as a venue mark and contributes to the print's value as a show-specific document.
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.