Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Tyrant Boot”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24 inch Screen Print Signed Edition of 450 Release Date: 08/21/2008 $45 The Tyrant Boot print was inspired by the Frederick Douglas quote “The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress”. Frederick Douglas, an African American, was a leader of the Abolitionist Movement. He was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, woman, Native American, or recent immigrant. He was fond of saying, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.” I felt that this print is appropriate for the situation my friend Revok is facing. Revok has been a major inspiration for me since I saw he and Saber’s huge pieces in the San Fran Bay area in the mid 90’s. I’ve never seen a Revok piece that did not enhance its surroundings. In July, the famed Los Angeles graffiti artist was arrested on felony vandalism charges. Indio police raided REVOK’s home, confiscating art supplies, cameras, hard drives, computers—essentially everything he uses to earn a living. This has crippled his entire business and destroyed his income. To add insult to injury, the felony charges are excessive and unjustified. REVOK is a celebrated artist who has dedicated his life to his work, not a criminal deserved of jail time. To fight these charges, REVOK will incur great legal expenses. If you would like to help, buy this print, or please visit www.revok1.com to see more of his work. All profit from the Tyrant Boot will go to Revok’s legal defense fund. Combat oppression, support and buy something. -Shepard
Summary
Tyrant Boot is a 2008 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a signed first edition of 450. Measuring 18 x 24 inches, it was inspired by Frederick Douglass's quote, "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." Fairey created it in support of graffiti artist Revok, who had been arrested on felony vandalism charges, with all profit directed to Revok's legal defense fund. Released August 21, 2008 at an original price of $45, the print frames a message of resistance to oppression and equality through Fairey's propaganda-style graphic design.
Why It Matters
Tyrant Boot is a clear example of Fairey using a print as direct activism and fundraising rather than commentary alone. The source explains that all profit went to the legal defense of Los Angeles graffiti artist Revok, arrested in July 2008 on felony vandalism charges after police seized his art supplies, cameras, and computers. By anchoring the image in Frederick Douglass's words on the endurance of the oppressed, Fairey links a contemporary street-art legal battle to the broader history of the Abolitionist Movement and the fight for equality across race, gender, and immigrant status. This dual framing, abolitionist legacy plus present-day cause, gives the print unusual moral and rhetorical weight. For collectors, it documents the solidarity within graffiti and street-art culture and Fairey's willingness to put his platform behind a peer in trouble. It also reflects his self-described ethos, "Combat oppression, support and buy something," merging consumption with activism. The work stands as a tangible artifact of a specific 2008 cause and of Fairey's civil-rights-oriented engagement.
Collector Perspective
This print draws collectors interested in Fairey's activist and civil-rights work and in the cultural history of graffiti solidarity, given its explicit role as a fundraiser for Revok's legal defense. As a signed edition of 450 at an originally accessible price, it offers a meaningful narrative for the money. The Frederick Douglass framing and resistance theme make it a strong fit for collections centered on justice and protest imagery. Its high-contrast propaganda styling displays boldly, and the documented cause behind it adds a layer of storytelling that appeals to buyers who value context. It pairs well with Fairey's other civil-rights and justice prints and with works honoring leaders of equality movements.
Historical Context
Released August 21, 2008, Tyrant Boot captures a specific moment in street-art history: the July 2008 arrest of graffiti artist Revok and the community response it provoked. Fairey, who cites Revok and Saber as inspirations dating to the mid-1990s Bay Area scene, channeled a Frederick Douglass abolitionist quote to frame the cause within a longer lineage of resistance to oppression. The print functioned as both artwork and legal-defense fundraiser, embodying Fairey's activist use of editions during his prolific 2008 output. Within his arc, it sits in the civil-rights-and-justice thread that recurs throughout his career, demonstrating how he ties street-art solidarity to historical struggles for equality across race, gender, and immigrant status.
FAQ
Why did Fairey create Tyrant Boot?
He made it to support graffiti artist Revok, who was arrested in July 2008 on felony vandalism charges. All profit from the print went to Revok's legal defense fund. Fairey, a longtime admirer of Revok's work, framed it as a way to combat oppression.
What inspired the imagery?
The print was inspired by Frederick Douglass's quote, "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." Fairey invokes Douglass, a leader of the Abolitionist Movement and believer in equality across race, gender, and immigrant status.
What are the print's specifications?
It is an 18 x 24 inch screen print, a signed first edition of 450, originally priced at $45, released August 21, 2008 through Obey Giant. The proceeds supported Revok's legal defense.
Is the print signed?
Yes. The source describes it as a signed edition of 450 published by Obey Giant in 2008. Beyond the signed-edition designation, no additional certificate or authentication details are specified in the source record.
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.