Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Paul McCartney Change Begins (Blue)”?
Artist Statement
This print was initially available for purchase solely at the benefit concert for which it was released; it was then available online at the David Lynch Foundation website, starting 04/11/2009. On 4/28/09, 100 prints from the run of 600 were available on Obeygiant.com. The print retailed for $100.
Summary
Paul McCartney Change Begins (Blue) is a 2009 screen print published by Obey Giant in the Blue colorway, one of two editions that also include Red. It measures 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 600 and retailed for $100. The print was initially sold only at the benefit concert for which it was released, then offered online through the David Lynch Foundation website starting April 11, 2009. On April 28, 2009, 100 prints from the run of 600 were made available on Obeygiant.com. The work ties Fairey's OBEY visual language to a benefit context.
Why It Matters
This print connects Fairey's OBEY iconography to a high-profile benefit event involving Paul McCartney and the David Lynch Foundation, giving it crossover appeal well beyond his usual collector base. The distribution itself is notable: per the source, the print was first available only at the benefit concert, then sold online through the David Lynch Foundation's site beginning April 11, 2009, with just 100 of the 600-print run later released on Obeygiant.com. That layered release path makes the Obeygiant.com portion comparatively limited within the broader edition, a detail collectors track closely. The McCartney association lends the work star power and ties it to a charitable cause, aligning with Fairey's recurring use of prints to support benefits. For collectors, the appeal lies in the celebrity subject, the foundation connection, and the multi-channel release story rather than in any claimed value, which the source does not provide. As a benefit-driven, name-recognition piece, it occupies the intersection of music culture, philanthropy, and OBEY branding, and rewards buyers who value provenance and release history as much as the image itself.
Collector Perspective
This print draws Paul McCartney and Beatles enthusiasts, music-philanthropy collectors, and Fairey fans interested in benefit releases and unusual distribution histories. The David Lynch Foundation tie and the concert-only initial availability give it a strong provenance story, while the fact that only 100 of the 600 prints reached Obeygiant.com adds a collectible wrinkle for those who track release channels. At 18 x 24 inches it frames easily for a music room or display built around celebrity and cause-driven pieces. The Blue colorway pairs with the companion Red edition for collectors who want both. Within a collection it works as a crossover anchor linking Fairey to a marquee musical name. Buyers should value its benefit context and release history.
Historical Context
Released in spring 2009, Paul McCartney Change Begins fits Fairey's pattern of producing prints for benefit events and charitable foundations during a prolific year for his studio. Its tie to a Paul McCartney benefit concert and to the David Lynch Foundation places it within his philanthropy-facing output, where the OBEY platform supports causes through limited print releases. The staged distribution, concert-only, then the David Lynch Foundation website from April 11, then a partial release of 100 prints on Obeygiant.com on April 28, illustrates how Fairey's benefit prints sometimes reached the public through multiple channels rather than a single drop. In his arc the work sits alongside his music and benefit collaborations rather than his core political or fine-art series, demonstrating how he leveraged celebrity association and foundation partnerships to extend the reach and purpose of his prints.
FAQ
How was this print originally distributed?
Per the source, the print was initially available only at the benefit concert for which it was released. It was then offered online through the David Lynch Foundation website starting April 11, 2009. On April 28, 2009, 100 prints from the run of 600 were made available on Obeygiant.com.
What is the edition size?
According to the record, the print is an edition of 600, measuring 18 x 24 inches, in the Blue colorway. A companion Red edition also exists. It was published by Obey Giant and retailed for $100.
What cause is this print connected to?
The source ties the print to a benefit concert and to the David Lynch Foundation, through whose website it was sold online beginning April 11, 2009. This places the work within Fairey's benefit and charitable print releases.
How many prints reached Obeygiant.com?
The record states that on April 28, 2009, only 100 prints from the total run of 600 were made available on Obeygiant.com. The remainder were distributed through the benefit concert and the David Lynch Foundation website, making the Obeygiant.com portion comparatively limited.
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.