Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Rollins 50”?
Artist Statement
Henry Rollins has a birthday coming up that only comes along once every half century… YES, he’s turning 50. This calls for a Rollins fortnight celebration with two prints spanning 30 years. This week the ROLLINS 50 tour poster drops. Next week on 2/13/11 I’ll release a print collaboration with Glen E. Friedman based on a Black Flag ’81 shot. . I hold Henry in high regard for his many talents as a singer, writer, radio DJ, TV host, political and social commentator, etc… but above all I love his energy and gusto. Henry has been doing it his way hardcore for 30+ years. This 50 poster is ridiculous not because Henry is getting older, but because Henry would never lounge around long enough for the reaper to get a jump on him. Check out the intense schedule of shows and projects Henry has coming up. Rollins’ shows never disappoint and you can get him to sign your print! -Shepard 18 x 24? Screen Print, Signed and Numbered Edition of 700. $45. Release Date: 2/4/11
Summary
Rollins 50 is a 2011 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 by 24 inches, signed and numbered in an edition of 700 at $45, released February 4, 2011. The print is a tour poster celebrating Henry Rollins's 50th birthday and accompanying tour. In his statement, Fairey praises Rollins's energy and decades-long output as a singer, writer, radio DJ, TV host, and political and social commentator, framing the print as part of a "Rollins fortnight" alongside a second print to follow. The work pairs Fairey's bold graphic poster style with a tribute to a long-admired figure from the hardcore punk world.
Why It Matters
Rollins 50 sits within Fairey's deep, career-long engagement with music and punk counterculture, the world that shaped his DIY ethos. Henry Rollins, frontman of Black Flag and a relentless multi-hyphenate, is exactly the kind of figure Fairey honors: someone who has "been doing it his way hardcore for 30+ years." The print's function as a 50th-birthday tour poster makes it both a celebration and a piece of music-scene documentation, and Fairey's statement openly positions Rollins as a personal hero. Released as the first half of a two-print "Rollins fortnight," it connects to a companion work and reflects how Fairey builds themed mini-series around figures he admires. At an edition of 700, signed and numbered, it is a larger, more accessible run than many of his releases, which suits its celebratory, fan-facing purpose. For collectors of Fairey's music output, the appeal lies in the subject and the poster's role in his ongoing tribute to punk-era icons, anchoring it firmly in his music-themed catalog.
Collector Perspective
Rollins 50 appeals most to collectors of Fairey's music and punk-related prints, and to fans of Henry Rollins and Black Flag specifically. As a signed, numbered tour poster in an edition of 700 at an accessible original $45, it is one of the more attainable entry points into his music catalog. Its celebratory subject and bold poster format make it a natural display piece for music-themed walls. It pairs especially well with the companion Rollins 81 print and with Fairey's other punk and counterculture tributes, rewarding collectors who organize around his musical influences rather than his political or decorative work.
Historical Context
Released in February 2011, Rollins 50 reflects Fairey's enduring ties to hardcore punk and the music scene that informed his aesthetic and attitude. Henry Rollins, the final Black Flag frontman, is among the figures Fairey has repeatedly honored, and this tour poster marks Rollins's 50th birthday as the first of a two-print run. The piece sits alongside Fairey's broader music output, including collaborations with photographer Glen E. Friedman, who shot the Black Flag image used in the companion print. Within his arc, Rollins 50 exemplifies the recurring practice of using the poster form to celebrate punk and counterculture figures whose independent, prolific careers mirror Fairey's own values.
FAQ
Who is depicted and why?
The print honors Henry Rollins, former Black Flag frontman, for his 50th birthday and accompanying tour. Fairey praises Rollins's energy and his decades of work as a singer, writer, radio DJ, TV host, and political and social commentator.
What are the edition and size details?
Rollins 50 is an 18 by 24 inch screen print, signed and numbered in an edition of 700, priced at $45, released February 4, 2011, by Obey Giant.
Is this part of a series?
Yes. Fairey describes a "Rollins fortnight" of two prints. Rollins 50 came first, followed by a second print collaboration with photographer Glen E. Friedman based on a 1981 Black Flag image, released on Rollins's birthday.
Who collects this print?
It appeals to collectors of Fairey's music output and to Henry Rollins and Black Flag fans. Its larger 700 edition and accessible original price make it a relatively attainable music-themed work.
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.