Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Writing On The Wall (Cream)”?
Artist Statement
Edition of 300, $50, Signed and Numbered, 18 x 24? Release Date: 01/28/2010 This illustration(minus spray can) is based on a photo by my friend Jim Jocoy who did a great book of late 70's punk photos called “We’re Desperate”. Pick the book up if you can. -Shepard
Summary
Writing On The Wall (Cream) is a 2010 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches, an edition of 300 published by Obey Giant. Released January 28, 2010, signed and numbered at an original price of $50, the illustration (minus a spray can) is based on a photo by Fairey's friend Jim Jocoy, whose book "We're Desperate" collected late-1970s punk photography. The Cream colorway is one of two variants alongside a Red version. The image draws directly on punk-era photographic source material, translated into Fairey's graphic screen-print style, connecting the work to the counterculture and music scene Fairey reveres.
Why It Matters
Writing On The Wall (Cream) ties Fairey directly to the late-1970s punk photography that helped shape his aesthetic sensibility. The image is based on a photo by his friend Jim Jocoy, drawn from Jocoy's book "We're Desperate," a documented collection of punk-era photographs, and Fairey's note even points buyers toward that book. For collectors, this provenance gives the print a clear cultural lineage in music and counterculture, a recurring wellspring for Fairey's work. The Cream colorway is one of two variants, supporting a completist pairing with the Red version. The edition of 300 is tighter than his common 450 runs, giving the title a modestly smaller footprint. The work matters as an example of Fairey translating a specific documentary punk photograph into his own graphic vocabulary, layering homage to a friend's photography onto his broader engagement with rebellious music culture. It anchors well within collections focused on Fairey's music and counterculture output and appeals to those who value the cross-references between street art, punk, and photographic source material in his catalog.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors drawn to Fairey's music and counterculture work and to the punk-photography lineage behind it. The documented basis in Jim Jocoy's late-1970s punk photo from "We're Desperate" gives it a strong narrative hook for buyers who value provenance and cultural cross-reference. At 18 x 24 inches the Cream colorway frames cleanly, and the two-variant release invites pairing with the Red version. With an edition of 300, it sits a bit tighter than many of his releases. It fits collections organized around music, punk, and counterculture themes, and pairs naturally with Fairey's other rock- and punk-related editions and collaborative music prints.
Historical Context
Released in January 2010, Writing On The Wall (Cream) reflects Fairey's ongoing dialogue with punk culture and the photographers who documented it. By basing the image on Jim Jocoy's late-1970s punk photography from "We're Desperate," Fairey reached back to the formative music scene that influenced his own rebellious visual language. The edition of 300, smaller than his frequent 450 runs, and the dual-colorway format are characteristic of his release approach. The print belongs to the music-and-counterculture strand that recurs throughout his catalog, illustrating how he reinterprets archival source imagery into his signature screen-print style.
FAQ
What is this image based on?
According to Fairey, the illustration (minus a spray can) is based on a photo by his friend Jim Jocoy, who produced a book of late-1970s punk photography called "We're Desperate." Fairey's note encourages people to pick up the book, tying the print directly to documented punk-era photography.
What is the edition size and format?
Writing On The Wall (Cream) is an 18 x 24 inch screen print in an edition of 300, published by Obey Giant. It was released on January 28, 2010, signed and numbered, at an original price of $50.
Is there another colorway?
Yes. The image was issued in two colorways, Cream and Red. This listing is the Cream version, an edition of 300 at 18 x 24 inches, signed and numbered.
Why is this considered a music-themed print?
Its source image comes from Jim Jocoy's late-1970s punk photography, rooting the print in the punk music scene and counterculture that strongly influenced Fairey's aesthetic. This places it within the music and counterculture strand of his catalog.
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.