Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Jordan UNC (18 x 24 Inch)”?
Artist Statement
The initial offering consisting of just the high-end, 26" x 36" silk-screened master prints signed by both Jordan and Fairey (limited to 50 versions each) for $4,499.99 collectively. For anyone who purchases the three-part master print series, they will receive the same edition number in the limited-to-50 series for each print (UNC, Bulls and the HOF induction). Additionally, on Sept 17th the three-part sets signed by Fairey-only, which also measure 26" wide x 36" high and are limited to 123 apiece, go on sale for $1,349.99 collectively. On Sept 22nd, individual versions of the dual-signed master prints will go on sale for $1,499.99 each, with the Fairey-only signed versions also being made available for $499.99 apiece. Lastly, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, an 18" wide x 24" high Fairey-signed print that's limited to 523 will be made available. Complete sets of the three single-signed, 18" x 24" prints will retail for $215.99 each with individual pieces listed for $79.99. "As long time fans of Shepard's art and having worked with him prior to the popularity and notoriety of his Obama 'Hope' artwork, we are very excited to offer collectors of sports memorabilia an art series that will bring to life Jordan's accomplishments and further cement his legacy," said Chuck Donato, business manager of UDA, the Upper Deck Company's memorabilia division. "Jordan is the sporting world's ultimate icon and there isn't a more relevant or iconic artist currently than Shepard, so this is an epic pairing of athlete and artist. We couldn't be more thrilled."
Summary
Jordan UNC (18 x 24 Inch) is a 2009 screen print published by Upper Deck, portraying Michael Jordan in his University of North Carolina era. This Fairey-signed 18 x 24 inch version is limited to 523 and was made available September 29, 2009 at $79.99. It is one of a three-print Jordan series alongside Bulls and Hall of Fame induction images, which Upper Deck also issued in larger dual-signed and Fairey-only master formats. The print applies Fairey's bold graphic portrait style to celebrate Jordan's college beginnings and overall basketball legacy.
Why It Matters
Jordan UNC anchors the origin chapter of Upper Deck's three-part Jordan series, depicting the player in his University of North Carolina period before his professional fame. Within the program it functions as the foundational portrait, completing the narrative arc that runs from college through the Bulls to Hall of Fame enshrinement. The collaboration is significant as a meeting of the era's most prominent street-art-derived artist and basketball's defining icon, a pairing Upper Deck publicly framed as epic and legacy-defining, explicitly invoking Fairey's Obama HOPE notoriety. For collectors, the print sits at the crossroads of fine-art print collecting and sports memorabilia, giving it crossover demand from two distinct audiences. The 523-piece Fairey-signed 18 x 24 version is the most accessible individual tier in a program that climbed to multi-thousand-dollar master prints, making it the version most collectors can realistically own. As the UNC chapter of a connected set, it is especially meaningful to those assembling the complete three-image series, and it documents Fairey's move into licensed sports portraiture during his period of peak mainstream visibility.
Collector Perspective
Jordan UNC appeals simultaneously to Fairey collectors and to Michael Jordan and college-basketball memorabilia fans, with the North Carolina subject adding specific appeal for Tar Heels supporters. As the most accessible signed tier in the Upper Deck program, limited to 523 at an original $79.99, it offers an attainable way to own a Fairey Jordan portrait. At 18 x 24 it frames cleanly for a den, office, or sports room, and it is most rewarding when displayed alongside the companion Bulls and Hall of Fame prints to complete the three-stage Jordan narrative. Collectors who value connected sets will see the UNC image as the essential starting piece of that trio.
Historical Context
Published by Upper Deck and made available September 29, 2009, Jordan UNC depicts Michael Jordan's college era as part of a structured three-print commemorative program. Upper Deck framed the partnership as uniting the sporting world's ultimate icon with a leading contemporary artist, citing Fairey's Obama HOPE prominence. Within Fairey's arc, the series shows how his post-2008 visibility led to licensed commissions applying his portrait language to figures beyond politics and music. The full program ranged from 26 x 36 inch dual-signed and Fairey-only master prints in editions of 50 and 123 up to this more widely available 18 x 24 Fairey-signed version of 523. The UNC subject grounds the series in Jordan's beginnings, complementing the Bulls and Hall of Fame images that trace his career.
FAQ
What does Jordan UNC depict?
It portrays Michael Jordan in his University of North Carolina era, forming the college chapter of a three-print series that also includes Bulls and Hall of Fame induction images published by Upper Deck in 2009.
How limited is this version?
This Fairey-signed 18 x 24 inch version is limited to 523 and was made available September 29, 2009, with an individual price of $79.99 according to the release. Larger 26 x 36 inch master prints were issued in much smaller editions.
Who published it and how does it fit with the others?
It was published by Upper Deck as one of three connected Jordan prints (UNC, Bulls, HOF). Complete sets of the three single-signed 18 x 24 prints were offered together, making the trio collectible as a unit.
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.