Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Rock The Casbah (Black / Gold)”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24 inch Screen Print Signed Edition of 300
Summary
Rock The Casbah (Black / Gold) is a 2008 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 x 24 inches in a signed edition of 300. The title references the Clash song, and the work belongs to a cluster of Fairey music-related prints released that year. It was issued in multiple colorways, including Black, Black / Gold, and Red, with this variant carrying the Black / Gold treatment. The design pairs Fairey's bold graphic vocabulary with his ongoing engagement with punk and rock counterculture imagery.
Why It Matters
Rock The Casbah sits squarely within Fairey's deep, career-long dialogue with punk rock and counterculture, drawing its title from one of The Clash's most recognizable songs. For collectors, music-referencing prints like this one are a core pillar of Fairey's catalog because they connect his street-art roots to the rebellious musical movements that shaped his aesthetic and politics. The 2008 period was prolific and overtly engaged with both music and pop culture, and this release fits a tight run of similarly themed prints from that year. The Black / Gold colorway, one of several issued variants, gives collectors a distinct version to pursue within a small signed edition of 300. Because the imagery rewards display and signals a recognizable cultural reference, the work tends to hold steady appeal among those building a music-and-counterculture-focused Fairey collection. Its relatively modest edition size, hand-signing, and clear thematic lineage make it a meaningful, accessible entry point rather than a marginal release. It also exemplifies how Fairey translates the energy of a song into a single, arresting graphic statement.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who organize their holdings around Fairey's music and counterculture output, as well as fans of The Clash and punk-era references. The bold graphic treatment and the Black / Gold palette make it a strong wall piece that reads clearly from a distance, fitting well in a music room, studio, or a grouping of Fairey rock-themed prints. Collectors chasing complete colorway sets will value it alongside the Black and Red variants. At a signed edition of 300, it offers a balance of relative availability and the scarcity collectors associate with hand-signed Obey Giant screen prints, making it a sensible building block for a focused, theme-driven collection.
Historical Context
Rock The Casbah was released in June 2008, during one of Fairey's most active periods of output through Obey Giant, the year his Obama imagery would propel him to wider fame. Throughout this era he produced a sustained run of prints referencing music and counterculture, channeling the punk and rock influences that had shaped his sensibility since his early street-art days. The title's nod to The Clash reflects Fairey's long admiration for politically charged punk, a recurring thread across his career. Issued in multiple colorways and a signed edition of 300, the work is representative of how Fairey paired collectible screen-print releases with the cultural references that defined his artistic identity during this prolific stretch.
FAQ
What is the edition size of Rock The Casbah (Black / Gold)?
It is a signed edition of 300, published by Obey Giant in 2008. The print measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print, hand-signed by Shepard Fairey as part of his music-themed output that year.
What colorways were issued?
The source lists three colorways: Black, Black / Gold, and Red. This particular variant is the Black / Gold treatment, giving collectors distinct versions to pursue within the same overall design and 2008 release.
What does the title reference?
The title references the well-known Clash song 'Rock The Casbah,' consistent with Fairey's recurring engagement with punk and rock counterculture imagery throughout his catalog.
What are its dimensions and medium?
It is a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in 2008. The record describes it as an 18 x 24 inch screen print in a signed edition of 300.
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.