Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Iggy Pop Canvas Print”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24? Screen Print. Signed and Numbered edition of 450. $65. Limit 1 per person/household. Photography by Ed Perlstein, www.MusicImages.com Release Date: 7/1/10 Iggy is one of my favorite rockers of all time and is undoubtedly the godfather of punk. Iggy grew up outside of Detroit and got the name “Iggy” because he played drums in a high school band called The Iguanas. Iggy formed the Stooges around 1967 and released 2 great records, their self-titled 1969 debut, and Funhouse in 1970, on Elektra Records, who had recently seen great success with The Doors, and were eager to sign high energy rock acts. The two Elektra albums were commercial failures but attracted a small but passionate following including burgeoning Glam star David Bowie. When the Stooges were dropped, Bowie helped get them signed to Sony Records for whom they put out Raw Power adapting their name to “Iggy and the Stooges” because Bowie was primarily interested in Iggy. Though now seen as an influential classic, Raw Power was a commercial failure as well, and the band imploded around 1974. Iggy dealt with drug addiction issues for the next few years, but maintained his friendship with Bowie. In 1977 Iggy and Bowie collaborated in Berlin on a pair of Iggy’s albums, The Idiot and Lust For Life, yielding songs like “Nightclubbing”, “China Girl”, “Lust For Life”, and “The Passenger”. To me, these two albums represent a creative high point for Iggy, and though I love Iggy’s Stooges material, I think the Berlin albums don’t get the love they deserve because they don’t fit a genre archetype the way the Stooges records set the template for punk. This poster was created from the canvas I painted of Iggy based on a Berlin era 1977 photo taken by Ed Perlstein. I think the image captures Iggy’s intensity, which has remained undiminished, and his trademark, even as he has matured. Iggy has done great material since 77/78 including collabs with Steve Jones, and the Teddybears, but I think this poster may reflect Iggy at the peak of his powers. For a good career overview get the two disc “A Million in Prizes” or just pick up all the Stooges records and the two Berlin records. Check out this interview between myself and Iggy Pop for Interview magazine. It highlights our conversation that lasted about an hour and a half. http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/shepard-fairey/ We are hoping to get the full transcript from Interview soon. -Shepard
Summary
Iggy Pop Canvas Print is a 2010 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a signed, numbered edition of 450 at 18 x 24 inches, released July 1, 2010 at $65 with a limit of one per household. The image derives from a 1977 Berlin-era photograph by Ed Perlstein and from a canvas Fairey painted of the musician. In his statement, Fairey calls Iggy the godfather of punk and praises the Berlin-era albums made with David Bowie. The portrait renders Iggy's intensity in Fairey's bold, high-contrast graphic style.
Why It Matters
This portrait is among Fairey's most personally annotated music tributes, accompanied by a detailed statement tracing Iggy Pop's career from the Stooges through the Bowie-produced Berlin albums. That depth of context distinguishes it for collectors who value works tied to a specific artistic moment, here the 1977 Berlin era that Fairey identifies as a creative high point. The image's provenance is documented: it was built from a canvas Fairey painted, based on a 1977 photograph by Ed Perlstein, giving it a clear photographic source and a painterly intermediate step. Fairey's framing of Iggy as the godfather of punk connects the print to his lifelong investment in punk and counterculture, a recurring engine of his music portraits. At $65 and an edition of 450 with a one-per-household limit, it was an accessible release that prioritized broad availability. The statement even references an Interview magazine conversation between Fairey and Iggy, reinforcing the personal relationship behind the work. For collectors and researchers, the documented Perlstein source, the Berlin-era framing, and Fairey's extended commentary are the strongest differentiators within his punk-portrait catalog.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to punk and classic-rock collectors, Iggy Pop devotees, and those who follow Fairey's musician portraits. The documented 1977 Berlin-era source and Fairey's detailed homage make it especially attractive to fans of that specific period and of the Stooges. As a 18 x 24 inch canvas portrait, it displays as a bold focal piece and groups naturally with Fairey's other punk and rock tributes, including his Iggy and the Stooges Raw Power print and his Henry Rollins works. The edition of 450 with a one-per-household limit means it was widely distributed at release, so collectors generally focus on condition and signature over scarcity. It fits cleanly into a music-themed Fairey collection emphasizing punk lineage.
Historical Context
The Iggy Pop portrait belongs to Fairey's 2010 run of Obey Giant musician canvases and reflects his deep roots in punk culture, which shaped his aesthetic from the early Obey campaign onward. By sourcing a 1977 Ed Perlstein photograph from Iggy's Berlin period, Fairey aligns the work with a pivotal creative moment he explicitly champions in his statement, the Bowie collaborations The Idiot and Lust For Life. The print extends his practice of translating photographs of admired musicians into painted canvases and then editioned screen prints. Within his arc, it reinforces the punk-and-counterculture thread that runs parallel to his political work, and it documents a personal connection, including an Interview magazine conversation between Fairey and Iggy referenced in the source.
FAQ
What photograph is this print based on?
Per Fairey's statement, the poster was created from a canvas he painted of Iggy Pop, based on a Berlin-era 1977 photograph taken by Ed Perlstein. Fairey credits Perlstein in the source and notes the image captures Iggy's enduring intensity.
What were the edition details?
The source lists a signed and numbered screen print edition of 450, measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant. It was released on July 1, 2010 at $65, with a limit of one per person or household.
Why did Fairey choose Iggy Pop?
In his statement, Fairey calls Iggy one of his favorite rockers and the godfather of punk, and singles out the 1977 Berlin-era albums made with David Bowie, The Idiot and Lust For Life, as a creative high point he wanted to honor.
Is there a documented connection between Fairey and Iggy?
Yes. The source references an Interview magazine conversation between Fairey and Iggy Pop lasting about an hour and a half, indicating a personal exchange behind the tribute portrait.
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.