Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Bauhaus (Black)”?
Artist Statement
I first heard Bauhaus in 1986 while attending the North Carolina School of the Arts summer program. I was already into US and UK punk, but this was my first exposure to “Goth” or Death Rock” culture. There were a few strange kids who wore all black, heavy eyeliner, and even a guy who wore a skirt. I wanted to dislike the goths, because they seemed to be trying too hard, but I was intrigued by their music. They carried around a boom box playing what I found out was music by Jesus and the Mary Chain, Love and Rockets, and Bauhaus. I especially liked Bauhaus’s “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” and decided to get more of their music. Years later, after moving to Los Angeles, I met Bauhaus’ and Love and Rockets’ bassist David J. We became good friends and talked about music often. I got to hear a lot of great stories about Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, and I was very excited when David told me Bauhaus were reforming to play Coachella and do a tour. I saw the band at both Coachella and the Wiltern in LA. The shows were amazing, and I was overjoyed to see a band I thought I might never see perform. David mentioned to me that the chemistry Bauhaus felt on the tour had inspired them to work on a new album. Well apparently, the chemistry did not hold up, but lasted long enough to deliver “Go Away White” the first new Bauhaus record since ’83. Honestly, I was a little nervous because it sucks when a great band tries to do an album after a long hiatus and it tarnishes their almost perfect legacy(think of the new Stooges album). On the contrary, “Go Away White” is every bit as good as vintage Bauhaus without sounding dated. David asked if I wanted to make some art to help promote the album. Of course I did and I ended up making a poster, sticker, and stencil graphic. People who purchase the Bauhaus poster also get a stencil and sticker. There is also a downloadable version of the stencil. I’m not sure what it will be, but David told me that Bauhaus will be giving a special prize to people who send in the best photos of how they have used the Bauhaus stencil. Send photos to obeygiant.com and I’ll forward them to the band. The Bauhaus print and stencil package will cost $4o and will be released on March 26th. -Shepard 18 x 24 inch Screen Print Signed Edition of 350. Release Date: 03/26/08
Summary
Bauhaus (Black) is a 2008 signed screen print, 18 x 24 inches, in an edition of 350 published by Obey Giant, released March 26, 2008, at an original price of $40. This Black variant accompanies a Silver edition. The print promotes the post-punk/goth band Bauhaus and their album Go Away White, their first new record since 1983. Per the source, buyers of the poster also received a stencil and sticker, with a downloadable stencil version offered. Fairey created the art at the request of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets bassist David J, recounting his discovery of the band and goth culture in 1986. It is a music-collaboration print tied to a band reunion.
Why It Matters
Bauhaus (Black) documents Fairey's personal friendship with Bauhaus and Love and Rockets bassist David J and his long affinity for post-punk and goth culture, which he traces in his text to discovering the band in 1986. The print was made to promote Go Away White, Bauhaus's first new album since 1983, tying the artwork to a notable reunion in alternative-music history. It exemplifies Fairey's full music-promotion approach: beyond the poster, buyers received a stencil and sticker, with a downloadable stencil offered, echoing the participatory street-art methods at the heart of his practice. Issued in an edition of 350 with a companion Silver variant, the Black version anchors a small family of related prints. For collectors of goth and post-punk music, Bauhaus fans, and Fairey's collaborative output, it is a rich crossover object connecting a legendary band's comeback to the artist's stencil-and-sticker ethos. The detailed first-person backstory makes it one of the more narratively grounded music prints in this period of his catalog.
Collector Perspective
This print is a prime target for goth and post-punk fans, Bauhaus and Love and Rockets followers, and Fairey collectors who value music collaborations with deep backstories. The original package included a stencil and sticker, making a complete set especially appealing to completists, and a companion Silver variant supports set-building. As a signed edition of 350 tied to the Go Away White reunion album, it pairs naturally with his other band-tribute prints. Its connection to a landmark goth band and Fairey's personal narrative give it both subcultural credibility and display interest within a music-focused collection.
Historical Context
Released March 2008, Bauhaus (Black) sits within Fairey's extensive catalog of music collaborations and band tributes, reflecting the punk, post-punk, and goth roots that inform his work. The print marks Bauhaus's reunion and their album Go Away White, their first since 1983, and grew out of Fairey's friendship with bassist David J. Its inclusion of a stencil and sticker, plus a downloadable stencil, ties it directly to the participatory, street-level methods central to his practice. It belongs to his busy 2008 run of music releases, the same year his Obama imagery brought him national attention, underscoring how he continued serving the underground music scenes that shaped him even at the height of his political visibility.
FAQ
What are the edition details for the Black variant?
Bauhaus (Black) is a signed screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in an edition of 350. It was released March 26, 2008, at an original price of $40, and a Silver variant also exists.
What album does the print promote?
It promotes Bauhaus's album Go Away White, described in the source as the band's first new record since 1983, created after the band reformed to play Coachella and tour.
Did the print come with extras?
Yes. Per the source, people who purchased the Bauhaus poster also received a stencil and a sticker, and a downloadable version of the stencil was made available, reflecting Fairey's participatory street-art approach.
How did Fairey come to make this print?
Fairey created the art at the request of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets bassist David J, a personal friend. He recounts discovering Bauhaus and goth culture in 1986 while attending the North Carolina School of the Arts summer program.
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.