Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Jane's Addiction”?
Artist Statement
A couple of weeks ago, Jane’s Addiction played a secret show at a bar we regularly host on Thursdays, called LA CITA. The show was great and Jane sounded credible. Here are a couple of prints that Shepard and Matt Goldman (MFG /Dance Right) did for the night and the band. Shepard’s print is an Edition of 450 and MFG’s print is an edition of 400, both are $45 each.
Summary
Jane's Addiction is a 2008 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant as a First Edition of 450 at an original price of $45. Measuring 18 x 24 inches, it was created for a secret Jane's Addiction show at LA CITA, a bar Fairey regularly hosted on Thursdays. Per the source, Fairey produced one print and Matt Goldman (MFG / Dance Right) produced a companion print in an edition of 400 for the same night and the band. The work documents a specific live-music event and reflects Fairey's deep ties to punk and alternative music culture.
Why It Matters
Jane's Addiction captures Shepard Fairey's lifelong connection to music and counterculture, here tied to a concrete moment: a secret show by the band at LA CITA, a bar Fairey hosted weekly. The print was made for the night and the band itself, giving it the character of an event commemorative rather than a generic music tribute. Its $45 release price and edition of 450 reflect Fairey's accessible Obey Giant model, but its appeal to collectors rests on the documented backstory and the pairing with Matt Goldman's companion print. For music-focused collectors, works like this are valued because they anchor Fairey's graphic style to specific cultural events and to his identity as a participant in, not just an observer of, music scenes. The piece sits among a dense cluster of 2008 music prints, and its significance comes from being a real gig artifact with a named venue and collaborator. It rewards collectors who prize provenance-rich, story-driven works and who build collections around the intersection of Fairey's art and live music.
Collector Perspective
Jane's Addiction appeals to music collectors and Fairey followers who value works tied to specific concerts and scenes. The documented secret-show backstory at LA CITA and the companion print by Matt Goldman give it narrative depth that gig-poster and band-print collectors prize. At an edition of 450 and a modest original price, it was an accessible release, suiting both newcomers and those assembling a music-themed Fairey grouping. The 18 x 24 inch format displays well alongside his other 2008 music prints. It fits collections organized around music and counterculture, and pairs naturally with his Public Enemy, Gaslamp Killer, and other band-related releases from the same year.
Historical Context
Jane's Addiction dates to October 2008 and belongs to a concentrated run of music-themed Obey Giant prints Fairey issued that year. Music had always been central to Fairey's identity, and this print ties his graphic practice directly to the live scene he was part of, made for a secret Jane's Addiction show at a bar he hosted weekly. The collaboration with Matt Goldman (MFG / Dance Right), who produced a companion edition of 400, situates the work within the collaborative, scene-based ethos that defined much of Fairey's music output. Within his arc, the print exemplifies how his 2008 program blended commemorative gig art with his established poster aesthetic, keeping his work embedded in music culture while feeding his prolific editioned-print catalog.
FAQ
What occasion was Jane's Addiction made for?
According to the source, the print was made after Jane's Addiction played a secret show at LA CITA, a bar Fairey regularly hosted on Thursdays. Fairey produced a print for the night and the band, and Matt Goldman (MFG / Dance Right) produced a companion print for the same event.
How large is the edition?
Fairey's Jane's Addiction print is a First Edition of 450, per the source. The same source notes that Matt Goldman's companion print was an edition of 400. Both prints were priced at $45 each.
What are the dimensions and medium?
Jane's Addiction is a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in 2008. The screen-print medium and dimensions are confirmed by the source record.
Who collaborated on the release?
The source states that Matt Goldman (MFG / Dance Right) created a companion print for the same Jane's Addiction night and the band. Goldman's print was an edition of 400, while Fairey's was an edition of 450, with both sold at $45.
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.