Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Ali Canvas Print”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24? Screen Print, Signed by Shepard Fairey, Numbered Edition of 450, $70. Photograph by Michael Tighe. The Ali Foundation and Photographer Michael Tighe receive a portion of the revenue from sales of this print. Online Release Date: May 13, 2010 “I’m not a big fan of boxing, or organized sports in general, but athletic competition can highlight an inspiring human spirit to triumph over great odds. Muhammad Ali embodies that spirit, and his dogged tenacity led him to three heavyweight titles. He also has a charismatic personality who influenced more than boxing. Ali was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War and his boastful wordplay is considered a predecessor to rap. I wanted to do an Ali portrait for years, but I was worried about legal issues until I was conveniently commissioned to create a portrait.” - Shepard Fairey
Summary
Ali Canvas Print is an 18 x 24 inch screen print published by Obey Giant in 2010, released online May 13, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered in an edition of 450 at $70. The portrait depicts boxer Muhammad Ali and is based on a photograph by Michael Tighe. According to the release, the Ali Foundation and photographer Michael Tighe receive a portion of revenue from sales. Fairey's accompanying statement frames Ali not only as a three-time heavyweight champion but as a Vietnam War conscientious objector whose wordplay anticipated rap.
Why It Matters
The Ali Canvas Print extends Fairey's portrait practice into civil rights and anti-war territory through one of the twentieth century's most politically charged athletes. In his own statement, Fairey distances the work from sport and instead foregrounds Ali's conscientious objection to the Vietnam War and his cultural influence beyond boxing, situating the portrait alongside his broader interest in justice and resistance. The print is built on a Michael Tighe photograph, and the release notes that both the Ali Foundation and the photographer share in revenue, reflecting Fairey's documented pattern of crediting photographers and routing proceeds to relevant causes. Fairey also notes he had wanted to make an Ali portrait for years but hesitated over legal issues until a commission cleared the way, an unusually candid window into his process around appropriation and rights. As a signed and numbered edition of 450 on canvas, it offers a gallery-ready format. For collectors, the print matters as a crossover between Fairey's music-and-portrait output and his civil rights themes, anchored by a globally recognized subject whose meaning is explicitly political rather than athletic.
Collector Perspective
This print draws collectors of civil rights and protest imagery, boxing and sports-culture enthusiasts, and Fairey portrait completists. Muhammad Ali's broad recognition gives the work crossover appeal beyond core Fairey collectors. The canvas format displays well unframed and reads as a statement piece. The documented revenue share with the Ali Foundation and photographer Michael Tighe adds a charitable provenance that some collectors value. As a signed and numbered edition of 450, it is a limited but attainable release. It fits collections themed around civil rights, conscientious objection, and legacy portraiture, pairing with Fairey's other justice-oriented portraits.
Historical Context
Released in 2010, the Ali Canvas Print belongs to the same Obey Giant canvas-portrait period as Fairey's music and cultural-figure series, but its accompanying statement pushes it firmly toward his civil rights and anti-war themes. By framing Ali through his Vietnam-era conscientious objection and influence on hip-hop, Fairey connects the portrait to his wider body of activist work rather than to sports illustration. The note that he delayed the portrait for years over legal concerns until a commission arrived reflects the rights-and-appropriation questions that recur throughout his portrait practice. The revenue arrangement with the Ali Foundation and photographer situates it within Fairey's habit of tying releases to causes and photographer partnerships.
FAQ
What are the size and edition details?
The Ali Canvas Print is an 18 x 24 inch screen print, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered in an edition of 450, published by Obey Giant in 2010 at an original price of $70.
Does any of the sale revenue go to charity?
Yes. The release states that the Ali Foundation and photographer Michael Tighe each receive a portion of the revenue from sales of this print.
Why did Fairey choose to portray Ali?
In his statement, Fairey emphasizes Ali's inspiring human spirit, his three heavyweight titles, his conscientious objection to the Vietnam War, and his boastful wordplay, which Fairey considers a predecessor to rap.
What photograph is the print based on?
The portrait is based on a photograph by Michael Tighe, who is credited in the release and shares in the print's sales revenue.
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.