Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Florence Aubenas”?
Artist Statement
This print is 1 of 4 released at the Subliminal Projects Gallery for "Art Is Not Peace But War" show on April 5, 2008. There were a limited number of matching sets sold by the gallery. The prints are from photographs taken by Sybille Prou (Blek's wife) of his work on the streets. The prints are signed by Blek le Rat, Sybille Prou, and Shepard Fairey.
Summary
Florence Aubenas is a 2008 screen print released April 5, 2008 by Subliminal Projects for the "Art Is Not Peace But War" show. Measuring 18 by 24 inches in a First Edition of 100, it is one of four prints made from photographs of Blek le Rat's street work taken by Sybille Prou. The print is signed by Blek le Rat, Sybille Prou, and Shepard Fairey. It preserves a Blek le Rat street stencil as a three-way-signed gallery edition, carrying the peace and anti-war themes that frame the exhibition and the broader collaboration.
Why It Matters
Florence Aubenas is part of a documented collaboration between street art pioneer Blek le Rat and Shepard Fairey, released through Fairey's Subliminal Projects gallery. The source confirms it as one of four prints made from Sybille Prou's photographs of Blek's street work and signed by all three collaborators, which gives it provenance and a cross-artist story that pure Fairey solo prints lack. The named subject ties the image to Blek's practice of stenciling specific figures on the street, and Fairey's role as publisher amplifies that work for collectors. With a stated First Edition of only 100, it falls in the scarcer tier of this release. For collectors, the value lies in owning a piece that bridges European stencil tradition and American street art, anchored to a specific dated 2008 exhibition titled "Art Is Not Peace But War." The peace and anti-war framing positions it within Fairey's ongoing use of imagery for social commentary, while the triple signature distinguishes it as a collaborative object rather than a standalone graphic. As one of a matching four-print set, it also rewards collectors assembling the full group.
Collector Perspective
This print suits collectors drawn to street art history and authored collaborations more than to Fairey's most familiar icons. The documented three-way signature of Blek le Rat, Sybille Prou, and Shepard Fairey makes it appealing for provenance-minded buyers and for anyone building a stencil-lineage collection. At 18 by 24 inches it displays well alone or beside the other three prints from the same April 5, 2008 show, which is attractive to collectors chasing the complete matching set. The First Edition of 100 favors those who prefer smaller editions and a clear exhibition story. It fits a peace-and-anti-war or collaboration-themed grouping and rewards owners who value the preservation of a fleeting street stencil as a signed, dated gallery edition.
Historical Context
This print is part of Fairey's late-2000s gallery activity through Subliminal Projects, his Los Angeles space that hosted exhibitions and collaborative releases. The source ties it directly to the "Art Is Not Peace But War" show on April 5, 2008, as one of four prints drawn from Sybille Prou's photographs of Blek le Rat's street work. Blek le Rat is a foundational stencil street artist, and this set documents a collaborative exchange between him and Fairey's OBEY operation. Within Fairey's arc, the print reflects his role as publisher and curator elevating peers, not only as a solo image-maker. The peace and anti-war framing aligns with his broader practice of using accessible art for social messaging during this period, while the triple-signed, exhibition-specific format marks it as a collaborative object distinct from his core iconographic series.
FAQ
What is this print part of?
The source states it is one of four prints released at the Subliminal Projects Gallery for the "Art Is Not Peace But War" show on April 5, 2008. A limited number of matching sets of the four prints were sold by the gallery.
Who signed it?
According to the record, the print is signed by Blek le Rat, Sybille Prou, and Shepard Fairey. The image is drawn from Prou's photographs of Blek le Rat's street work, making this a collaborative, three-signature piece.
How large is the edition?
The source lists a First Edition of 100, published by Subliminal Projects in 2008. An HPM version is also noted among the editions, but this listing refers to the screen-print First Edition of 100.
What are the size and medium?
It is a screen print measuring 18 by 24 inches, released in 2008. These facts come directly from the record, which lists the medium as screen print and a published price of 100.
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.