Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Hope (Offset Printed Paster)”?
Artist Statement
The Barack Obama "Hope" poster is an image of Barack Obama designed by artist Shepard Fairey, which was widely described as iconic and came to represent his 2008 presidential campaign. It consists of a stylized stencil portrait of Obama in solid red, beige and (light and dark) blue, with the word "progress", "hope" or "change" below (and other words in some versions). The design was created in one day and printed first as a poster. Fairey sold 290 of the posters on the street immediately after printing them. It was then more widely distributed—both as a digital image and other paraphernalia—during the 2008 election season, initially independently but with the approval of the official Obama campaign. The image became one of the most widely recognized symbols of Obama's campaign message, spawning many variations and imitations, including some commissioned by the Obama campaign. This led The Guardian's Laura Barton to proclaim that the image "acquired the kind of instant recognition of Jim Fitzpatrick's Che Guevara poster, and is surely set to grace T-shirts, coffee mugs and the walls of student bedrooms in the years to come.
Summary
Hope (Offset Printed Paster) is a 2008 offset lithograph by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant. Measuring 24 x 36 inches, it presents the now-iconic stylized stencil portrait of Barack Obama in solid red, beige, and light and dark blue, with a word such as "progress," "hope," or "change" below. The source notes the design was created in one day and first printed as a poster, with 290 sold on the street immediately after printing. Released August 25, 2008 at an original price of $40 as an offset printed paster, it became one of the most widely recognized symbols of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.
Why It Matters
Hope is the single most consequential image of Fairey's career and one of the defining political artworks of the 21st century. The source documents its extraordinary trajectory: designed in a day, first printed as a poster with 290 sold on the street, then distributed widely as a digital image and on paraphernalia through the 2008 campaign, initially independently and later with the official Obama campaign's approval. It became one of the most recognized symbols of Obama's campaign message and spawned countless variations and imitations, some campaign-commissioned. The Guardian's Laura Barton compared its instant recognition to Jim Fitzpatrick's Che Guevara poster, predicting it would grace T-shirts, mugs, and student bedrooms for years. This offset printed paster version connects collectors directly to that historic image at an accessible format and original price. As the work that propelled Fairey into the global mainstream, fusing his propaganda aesthetic with electoral politics, it is the cornerstone of his portrait-and-democracy output and an essential reference point for understanding his broader cultural impact.
Collector Perspective
Hope is a must-have reference point for collectors of Fairey's political work and for anyone interested in the visual history of the 2008 election. This offset printed paster format makes the landmark image accessible relative to the signed fine-art editions, appealing to collectors who want the iconic design without a premium price. Its instant recognizability gives it strong display impact and conversation value in any setting. It anchors a politics-and-democracy collection and pairs naturally with Fairey's other election-cycle prints such as voting-themed works. For buyers, owning a version of the most famous Fairey image carries cultural cachet that extends well beyond the street-art niche into mainstream recognition.
Historical Context
Released August 25, 2008, Hope marks the pivotal moment when Fairey crossed from street artist and OBEY brand-builder into a nationally and globally recognized figure. The source records its rapid genesis, designed in one day, first printed as a poster, 290 sold on the street, before exploding into a campaign-season phenomenon distributed digitally and on merchandise, eventually with the Obama campaign's approval. Its comparison to Fitzpatrick's Che Guevara poster situates it within the lineage of iconic political portraiture. Within Fairey's arc, Hope defines the Obama-era turn in his work, demonstrating how his propaganda-inspired stencil aesthetic could shape mainstream electoral imagery and cement his place in 21st-century visual culture.
FAQ
What is the Hope poster?
It is Shepard Fairey's stylized stencil portrait of Barack Obama in red, beige, and light and dark blue, with a word such as "progress," "hope," or "change" below. Created in one day in 2008, it became one of the most recognized symbols of Obama's presidential campaign.
How was it first distributed?
Per the source, the design was first printed as a poster, and Fairey sold 290 of the posters on the street immediately after printing them. It was then distributed widely as a digital image and on paraphernalia during the 2008 election season, eventually with the campaign's approval.
What format is this version?
This is the Offset Printed Paster version, an offset lithograph measuring 24 x 36 inches, published by Obey Giant in 2008 at an original price of $40, with a release date of August 25, 2008. The edition number is not specified in the source.
Why is the Hope image significant?
It became one of the most recognized symbols of Obama's 2008 campaign and spawned many variations and imitations. The Guardian's Laura Barton compared its instant recognition to Jim Fitzpatrick's Che Guevara poster, predicting it would appear on T-shirts, mugs, and walls for years.
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.