Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Duality Of Humanity 2”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24 inch Screen Print Signed Edition of 450
Summary
Duality Of Humanity 2 is a 2008 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 24 x 18 inches in a signed edition of 450, priced at $50. The record provides only standard release details, describing it as an 18 x 24 inch signed screen print. It is the second entry in Fairey's Duality Of Humanity series, which examines the tension between conflict and peace in human nature, a theme the source associates with civil rights and justice alongside his broader pop-culture engagement.
Why It Matters
Duality Of Humanity 2 continues one of Fairey's recognizable thematic series, building on the first installment's meditation on the opposing forces within human nature. As the second numbered entry, it is integral to a sequence Fairey extended across multiple prints into 2009, and collectors pursuing the complete set treat each installment as part of a connected narrative rather than a standalone image. The series framing, the pull between violence and peace, aggression and compassion, reflects Fairey's persistent engagement with conflict and justice, themes the source links to civil rights. Although the record itself is sparse, the work's place within a named series gives it clear significance and a built-in collector logic: owning the set requires this piece. The signed edition of 450 at $50 kept it broadly attainable while retaining the appeal of a hand-signed screen print. For those building a thematic or completist Fairey collection, the early entries in a numbered series carry particular value, and Duality Of Humanity 2 functions as an essential link in one of his more philosophically framed groupings, reinforcing the arc established by the first print.
Collector Perspective
This print is most attractive to collectors assembling Fairey's serial works, specifically the multi-part Duality Of Humanity series, where each numbered piece is needed to complete the set. Its civil-rights-and-justice framing suits collectors drawn to message-driven art, and the 24 x 18 format displays well in a sequence beside the other installments. At a signed edition of 450 and an original $50 price, it remains a reasonably attainable component of a themed grouping. Completists in particular will value securing the early numbered entries, making Duality Of Humanity 2 a practical and meaningful piece within a collection organized around Fairey's reflections on conflict and human nature.
Historical Context
Released July 26, 2008, Duality Of Humanity 2 follows the first installment by one week and continues a numbered series Fairey extended through additional prints into 2009. Arriving during his most prolific and visible year, the series reflects his ongoing meditation on the tension between conflict and peace, which the source ties to civil rights and justice. The work fits within Fairey's broader 2008 practice of pairing accessible signed screen-print editions with socially conscious themes. Because the record offers limited descriptive detail, its place in his arc rests largely on its role as the second entry in a recognizable series, reinforcing the framework established by Duality Of Humanity 1.
FAQ
Where does this print fall in the series?
It is the second entry in the Duality Of Humanity series, released July 26, 2008, one week after the first. The series examines the tension between conflict and peace in human nature, which the record links to civil rights and justice.
What is the edition size and price?
It is a signed edition of 450, priced at $50. The work is a 24 x 18 inch screen print published by Obey Giant in 2008, described in the record as an 18 x 24 inch signed screen print.
How does it relate to the other Duality prints?
It is the second of a numbered series Fairey continued with further installments through 2009. Collectors assembling the complete Duality Of Humanity set need this entry alongside the first and later numbered prints.
What are its dimensions and medium?
It is a screen print measuring 24 x 18 inches, published by Obey Giant in 2008 in a signed edition of 450 at $50. The source provides only these standard release details.
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.