Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Close Knit”?
Artist Statement
I chose to illustrate this image of two girls knitting (in a Rush Arts program) because I think it really captures the idea that learning art in schools is about more than crayon drawings, it’s about creativity, something that transcends all class and race boundaries. I think the joy of making something is universal, and it’s an opportunity that every kid should have. - Shepard This print will go on sale on 8/20/09 at a random time and is $50 with proceeds going to the Rush Arts Charity. 18 x 24, Signed and Numbered Edition of 450.
Summary
Close Knit is a 2009 Obey Giant signed and numbered screen print, released August 20, 2009 in an edition of 450 at 18 x 24 inches. It depicts two girls knitting in a Rush Arts program. Fairey chose the image to argue that arts education is about creativity that transcends class and race boundaries, and that the joy of making something is universal and should be available to every child. The print was a fundraiser, with proceeds going to the Rush Arts Charity. Its warm, human subject sets it apart from Fairey's more confrontational political graphics.
Why It Matters
Close Knit is a clear example of Fairey using a print directly as a fundraising tool tied to arts education. Rather than a slogan or political icon, the image centers two children making something by hand, and Fairey's accompanying statement frames creativity as a universal right that crosses class and race lines. That message, paired with proceeds going to the Rush Arts Charity, positions the work within his community-and-activism output rather than his propaganda canon. For collectors, Close Knit documents the philanthropic side of Fairey's practice and his belief in art access as a social good, making it meaningful to those who value the artist's activism beyond protest imagery. The tender subject matter also gives the print broader appeal than his harder-edged work, widening its potential audience. As a signed and numbered edition of 450 at the accessible 18 x 24 size, it belongs to his approachable 2009 releases. Its combination of a humanizing image, an explicit social-justice message about education equity, and a concrete charitable purpose makes it a strong representative of how Fairey channeled his platform toward community causes during this period.
Collector Perspective
Close Knit appeals to collectors who care about the activist and philanthropic dimension of Fairey's work, particularly arts-education and community causes, as well as those who prefer warmer, figurative imagery over political slogans. The two-children subject reads as approachable and family-friendly, making it well suited to domestic display and to spaces like studios, schools, or offices where the message of creative access resonates. At 18 x 24 with an edition of 450, it is an accessible, frame-ready size that fits comfortably into a broad Fairey collection. Buyers who already own his political or OBEY-iconography prints often value Close Knit as a tonal counterpoint that broadens the story their collection tells about the artist.
Historical Context
Close Knit was released through Obey Giant on August 20, 2009, with proceeds directed to the Rush Arts Charity, underscoring Fairey's recurring use of editions to fund causes he supported. The image of two girls knitting in a Rush Arts program ties the print to arts-education programming, and Fairey's statement situates it within his broader belief that creativity should cross class and race boundaries. Within his arc, the work reflects how, after his heightened 2008 visibility, Fairey continued issuing frequent signed-and-numbered editions while increasingly attaching them to philanthropic and community goals. It stands alongside his other 2009 charity-linked releases as evidence of an artist using his market reach to redirect support toward education and street-art community initiatives rather than solely producing collectible objects.
FAQ
What does Close Knit depict?
It shows two girls knitting in a Rush Arts program. Fairey chose the image to express that learning art in schools is about creativity that transcends class and race, and that the joy of making something is universal and should be available to every child.
Was this print a charity release?
Yes. Close Knit went on sale August 20, 2009 with proceeds going to the Rush Arts Charity. It was a signed and numbered edition of 450 at 18 x 24 inches and originally priced at $50.
How large is the edition?
Close Knit is a signed and numbered screen print in an edition of 450, published by Obey Giant in 2009, measuring 18 x 24 inches.
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.