Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Bomber (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. $500.00 Limit 1 per person/household. Release Date: 5/5/2011
Summary
Bomber is a 2011 large-format serigraph by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a signed and numbered edition of 40. The screen print measures 42 x 42 inches and is printed on 100% cotton rag archival paper with deckled edges, with a limit of one per person or household. The source associates it with pop-culture collaboration and peace/anti-war themes, the latter suggested by the bomber motif. Its square format, archival materials, and small edition place it among Fairey's deluxe, gallery-scale releases rather than his high-volume poster output.
Why It Matters
Bomber is a deluxe large-format serigraph from Fairey's 2011 production, sharing the 42 x 42 inch square format, edition of 40, and May 5 release date with Attack In Black. The source ties it to a peace and anti-war reading, a theme that recurs throughout Fairey's career, here channeled through the bomber motif rendered in his signature graphic vocabulary. The combination of an antimilitarist subject with a deluxe, gallery-scale presentation makes it more than decorative: it extends Fairey's long-running critique of militarism into a collector-grade object. With just 40 in the edition and a one-per-household limit, it offers genuine scarcity and managed access typical of Obey Giant's drop model, distinguishing it from his many high-volume poster runs. Collectors value the archival cotton rag stock, deckled edges, and commanding square footprint, as well as the work's place within a recognizable 2011 large-format network that includes Attack In Black and the album-cover suite. Bomber rewards buyers who want both substantive message and formal scale, sitting at the more refined, collector-oriented end of Fairey's prolific 2011 catalog while carrying the anti-war thread central to his political iconography.
Collector Perspective
Bomber appeals to collectors drawn to Fairey's anti-war messaging in a large, statement-scale format with a small edition. At 42 x 42 inches on deckled cotton rag, it anchors a wall and suits buyers with display space who want a piece carrying real thematic weight. Its peace and anti-war associations fit collections organized around Fairey's political and protest imagery, while its 2011 large-format identity pairs it naturally with Attack In Black, released the same day. The edition of 40 and one-per-household limit give it scarcity beyond Fairey's larger runs, making it a confident anchor for both message-driven and series-focused collections.
Historical Context
Released on May 5, 2011, Bomber belongs to Fairey's spring 2011 run of large-format serigraphs from Obey Giant, issued the same day as Attack In Black. The bomber motif and the source's peace and anti-war association place it within Fairey's enduring engagement with militarism and protest, a thread running from his early propaganda-inflected work onward. By 2011 he routinely produced deluxe, gallery-scale editions alongside accessible posters, and Bomber's 42 x 42 inch format, cotton rag archival paper, edition of 40, and one-per-household limit reflect both the refined printmaking and the managed drop strategy characteristic of his mature releases.
FAQ
What is the edition size of Bomber (Large Format)?
It is a signed and numbered edition of 40, published by Obey Giant. The small edition makes it scarcer than Fairey's standard poster runs, and a one-per-person/household limit applied at release to spread access across collectors.
What are the dimensions and materials?
The serigraph measures 42 x 42 inches and is printed on 100% cotton rag archival paper with deckled edges. The large square format and archival cotton rag stock give it a substantial, gallery-scale presentation.
What themes does Bomber address?
The source associates the work with peace and anti-war themes alongside pop-culture collaboration. The bomber motif aligns with Fairey's long-running engagement with militarism and protest, rendered in his signature graphic style.
When was it released?
Bomber was released on May 5, 2011, the same day as Attack In Black, as part of Fairey's spring 2011 run of large-format serigraphs from Obey Giant.
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.