Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Megaphone Album Cover (Large Format)”?
Artist Statement
Serigraph, Signed and Numbered Edition of 40. Printed on 100% cotton rag archival paper with deckled edges, 42 x 42 inches. $500. Release Date: 5/3/11
Summary
Megaphone Album Cover (Large Format) is a 2011 Shepard Fairey serigraph published by Obey Giant, released May 3, 2011 in a signed and numbered large-format edition of 40 at 42 x 42 inches, priced at $500. It is printed on 100% cotton rag archival paper with deckled edges. The square album-cover format places it within Fairey's coordinated large-format album-cover suite, and the megaphone motif is a recurring symbol in his work, evoking amplified voice and protest. Its small edition, large scale, and premium materials mark it as a high-end, gallery-grade release.
Why It Matters
Megaphone Album Cover joins Fairey's premium 2011 large-format album-cover series, oversized square serigraphs issued in tight editions of 40 on archival cotton rag. The megaphone is one of Fairey's most charged recurring symbols, an emblem of amplified voice, protest, and the dissemination of a message, here folded into an album-cover format that also foregrounds his lifelong engagement with music culture. That pairing of the megaphone's activist connotation with a record-sleeve concept gives the piece a layered meaning distinctive within the suite. At 42 x 42 inches, the work is a bold statement piece, and the edition of 40 makes it considerably scarcer than Fairey's typical hundreds-strong runs. The deckled-edge cotton rag stock signals collector-grade production. As part of a cohesive series, it lets collectors assemble a conceptual set of Fairey album imagery. For collectors, the appeal is the convergence of a potent recurring motif, large scale, scarcity, and premium materials, an upper-tier 2011 release that contrasts sharply with the accessible billboard editions Fairey issued the same spring.
Collector Perspective
This appeals to collectors who respond to Fairey's iconography, since the megaphone is among his signature recurring symbols of amplified voice and protest. The album-cover format also draws those focused on his music-related work. At 42 x 42 inches with an edition of just 40 on archival cotton rag, it is a premium, gallery-grade acquisition and a dominant wall statement for collectors with the space to feature it. Buyers assembling the coordinated large-format album-cover suite will want it as a core piece. Its small edition, quality materials, and emblematic motif place it among Fairey's higher-tier releases, rewarding those who value both symbolism and scarcity.
Historical Context
Megaphone Album Cover (Large Format) belongs to Fairey's 2011 suite of oversized album-cover serigraphs issued in editions of 40, the premium tier of his print output that year. The megaphone motif recurs throughout his catalog as a symbol of amplified voice and activist messaging, central to the propaganda-derived language he built his career on. Set within an album-cover format, the piece also reflects his deep ties to music and record-sleeve design. The use of 100% cotton rag archival paper with deckled edges and the large 42 x 42 inch scale signal a deliberate push toward collector-grade objects. Released days after several companion covers, it shows how Fairey balanced mass-accessible editions with limited, gallery-quality suites within his prolific 2011 calendar.
FAQ
How large is the edition for Megaphone Album Cover?
It is a signed and numbered large-format edition of just 40. The serigraph measures 42 x 42 inches and was released by Obey Giant on May 3, 2011, at a price of $500, placing it among Fairey's scarcer, premium-tier releases.
What materials is it printed on?
According to the source, it is printed on 100% cotton rag archival paper with deckled edges at 42 x 42 inches. These premium materials, combined with the small edition of 40, mark it as a collector-grade, gallery-quality serigraph.
What does the megaphone symbolize?
The megaphone is a recurring motif in Fairey's work, evoking amplified voice, protest, and the spread of a message. Here it is set within an album-cover format, pairing his activist iconography with his longstanding engagement with music culture.
Is this part of a series?
Yes. It is one of a 2011 suite of large-format album-cover serigraphs, all issued in editions of 40 at 42 x 42 inches, including the Lotus, Nouveau, Jukebox, Printing Press, and Enchanting Sounds covers released around the same period.
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.