Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Iggy And The Stooges - Raw Power (First Edition)”?
Artist Statement
18" x 24" Screen Print, Signed by Shepard Fairey and Robert Matheu (photographer), Edition of 650, $75 Photography by Robert Matheu I have been a fan of Iggy and The Stooges since the mid eighties. I discovered the Stooges after hearing The Sex Pistol’s cover of their song “No Fun” from The Stooges first album. I also loved the Iggy Pop solo song “Repo Man”, the title track from the movie Repo Man directed by Alex Cox in 1984. Coincidentally, former Sex Pistol Steve Jones contributed lead guitar to the track. The more I learned about Iggy, his music with the Stooges, his solo material, and his collaborations with David Bowie and many others, the more I realized what a diverse talent and icon he is. During my days of listening to punk almost exclusively, all three Iggy and The Stooges albums were in heavy rotation, but the one I tended to skate to was Raw Power. Raw Power added guitarist James Williamson to the line-up and his leads made the Stooges sound even more aggressive. When the Stooges re-formed in 2003(I think) they only performed material from their first two albums because return member and original guitarist Ron Asheton did not play guitar on Raw Power. Don’t get me wrong, the first two Stooges records are great, but I always wanted to hear material from Raw Power. Sadly, Ron Asheton died last year. This tragedy however seems to have brought Iggy and James Williamson back together. Their reunion has resulted in a Raw Power tour. In a ridiculously fortuitous convergence for me, I was in touch with Iggy about doing a portrait of him for my show at Deitch Projects, and I also worked with photographer Robert Matheu on the Billy Idol greatest hits album “Idolize Yourself”. Anyway, Robert was working on the deluxe re-issue of Raw Power, as well as a book on the Stooges. Iggy, not knowing Robert and I already knew each other, asked Robert to send me the Stooges book. This exchange resulted in me being asked about designing a poster for the Raw Power deluxe package and the Raw Power tour. I could try to act cool about it, but honestly this is a dream come true for me. Thank you Iggy and Robert. My illustration is based on a photo of Iggy and James Williamson by Robert Matheu. The poster is signed by me and Robert. Buy Iggy And The Stooges “Raw Power” right away if you don’t have it. -Shepard
Summary
Iggy and the Stooges - Raw Power (First Edition) is an 18 x 24 inch screen print published by Obey Giant in 2010, an edition of 650 released April 9, 2010 at $75, signed by both Shepard Fairey and photographer Robert Matheu. Fairey's illustration is based on a Matheu photograph of Iggy Pop and guitarist James Williamson, created in connection with the deluxe reissue of the Stooges' album Raw Power and the accompanying tour. The print celebrates a foundational proto-punk record, rendering its subjects in Fairey's bold high-contrast graphic style as both a tour poster and a collectible fine-art edition.
Why It Matters
This print is among the most richly documented works in the group, with Fairey himself describing a long personal connection to Iggy and the Stooges dating to his punk listening days and recounting how the commission came about through his ties to Iggy and photographer Robert Matheu. That narrative makes the piece a meaningful artifact of Fairey's music fandom and his roots in punk and hardcore, the culture that shaped his early aesthetic. It honors Raw Power, a landmark proto-punk album, and depicts Iggy Pop alongside guitarist James Williamson, tying the image to a specific moment of the band's reunion and the album's deluxe reissue. The dual signatures of Fairey and Matheu give it added collectible weight, combining the artist's authorship with the original photographer's. As both a functional tour poster and a fine-art screen print, it embodies the commercial-and-fine-art duality at the heart of Fairey's practice. For music collectors it is a double artifact of punk history and Fairey's catalog, and the detailed first-person account behind it makes it especially resonant for those who value the story and provenance behind a print, not just the image.
Collector Perspective
This piece is a natural target for collectors of Fairey's music output, punk and proto-punk fans, and admirers of Iggy and the Stooges specifically. The bold portrait reads powerfully on a wall and anchors a music-themed collection. The dual signatures of Fairey and photographer Robert Matheu, plus Fairey's detailed personal account of the commission, add provenance and storytelling appeal that many collectors prize. The edition of 650 makes it relatively attainable for a sought-after music print. It pairs well with Fairey's other punk and counterculture works, such as his Iggy Pop canvas and Henry Rollins tour posters, to build a focused punk wing within a collection. At 18 x 24 inches it is a frame-ready, display-friendly format.
Historical Context
Released April 9, 2010, this print was created for the deluxe reissue of the Stooges' Raw Power and the band's Raw Power tour, following the death of original guitarist Ron Asheton and the reunion of Iggy Pop with guitarist James Williamson. Fairey based the illustration on a photograph by Robert Matheu, with whom he had previously worked on a Billy Idol project, and the commission arose through his contact with Iggy ahead of a Deitch Projects show. Within Fairey's arc, the work exemplifies how his punk-rooted fandom feeds directly into his fine-art practice, joining a 2009 to 2011 run of music collaborations that includes Henry Rollins, Bad Brains, and other counterculture figures central to his aesthetic lineage.
FAQ
Who signed this print?
It is signed by both Shepard Fairey and photographer Robert Matheu, whose photograph of Iggy Pop and James Williamson is the basis for Fairey's illustration.
What is the edition size and price?
It is an edition of 650, released April 9, 2010 at an original price of $75, published by Obey Giant as an 18 x 24 inch screen print.
What is the print connected to?
Fairey created it in connection with the deluxe reissue of the Stooges' album Raw Power and the band's Raw Power tour, which reunited Iggy Pop with guitarist James Williamson.
Who does the image depict?
The illustration is based on Robert Matheu's photograph of Iggy Pop and guitarist James Williamson, rendered in Fairey's bold, high-contrast graphic style.
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.