Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “The Guns Of Brixton (Paul Simonon)”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24? Screen Print Signed by Shepard Fairey and Kate Simon. Edition of 450. $75 Photograph by Kate Simon Release Date: 2/24/11 at a random time.
Summary
The Guns Of Brixton (Paul Simonon) is a 2011 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 by 24 inches, in an edition of 450 at $75, released February 24, 2011. The print depicts The Clash bassist Paul Simonon and is based on a photograph by Kate Simon, with the work signed by both Shepard Fairey and Kate Simon. Titled after The Clash song "The Guns of Brixton," written and sung by Simonon, the piece renders a punk-music icon in Fairey's graphic poster style, combining a photographic source with his bold flat-color treatment.
Why It Matters
The Guns Of Brixton honors Paul Simonon of The Clash, placing it within Fairey's extensive series of tributes to punk and post-punk musicians who shaped his sensibility. The Clash, with their fusion of music and political messaging, are a touchstone for Fairey, and naming the print after Simonon's own song ties the image directly to the band's legacy. Built from Kate Simon's photograph and co-signed by the photographer, it follows Fairey's collaborative model of transforming documentary music imagery into his graphic idiom while crediting the source. The dual signing adds provenance value beyond a standard portrait poster. At an edition of 450 and a $75 release price, it sits among his mid-tier music releases. For collectors, the appeal rests on the subject, a celebrated bassist from one of punk's most politically charged bands, and on the photographer collaboration, making it a meaningful entry in Fairey's catalog of music portraits and a natural companion to his other Clash- and punk-related works.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors of Fairey's music portraits and to fans of The Clash and Paul Simonon specifically. The co-signature by photographer Kate Simon, alongside Fairey, adds provenance that lifts it above a routine tour poster, and the song-title reference deepens its connection to punk history. As a signed screen print in an edition of 450 at an original $75, it is a mid-tier, attainable music piece that displays strongly as a portrait. It fits naturally within a punk- and Clash-themed grouping and pairs well with Fairey's other music tributes and politically tinged portrait work.
Historical Context
Released in February 2011, The Guns Of Brixton extends Fairey's long engagement with punk and The Clash, a band whose politics and energy deeply influenced him. The print portrays bassist Paul Simonon, drawing its title from his own Clash song, and is based on a photograph by Kate Simon, who co-signed the edition. The photographer collaboration reflects Fairey's recurring practice of partnering with image-makers and crediting source photography. Within his arc, the work belongs to the steady stream of music portraits he produced in this period, reinforcing the connection between his graphic activism and the politically charged punk tradition that informed it.
FAQ
Who is depicted in the print?
It depicts Paul Simonon, bassist of The Clash. The title references "The Guns of Brixton," a Clash song written and sung by Simonon, tying the portrait to the band's legacy.
Is the print signed and by whom?
Yes. It is signed by both Shepard Fairey and photographer Kate Simon, whose photograph the image is based on. This dual signature adds provenance to the edition.
What are the size and edition details?
It is an 18 by 24 inch screen print in an edition of 450, priced at $75, released February 24, 2011, by Obey Giant.
Where does the source image come from?
The portrait is based on a photograph by Kate Simon, reflecting Fairey's practice of building music prints from documentary photography and crediting and co-signing with the photographer.
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.