Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “They Live (2)”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24? Screen print signed and numbered edition of 500. $50. Purchase limit of 1 per person / household. Release date: 7/7/11
Summary
They Live (2) is a 2011 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches, signed and numbered in an edition of 500, with a purchase limit of one per person or household. Published by Obey Giant and released July 7, 2011 at $50, it is a second-edition variant within the They Live lineage. The title references John Carpenter's cult film about hidden messages of consumerist and authoritarian control, a touchstone that aligns with Fairey's recurring themes of consumerism, power, and propaganda. Source detail is limited to production and release facts, so interpretation here stays close to the documented edition data and the title's known reference.
Why It Matters
They Live (2) connects Fairey's work to one of its most resonant cultural reference points: John Carpenter's 1988 film They Live, whose imagery of subliminal OBEY and CONSUME messaging deeply informed Fairey's broader propaganda critique. As a second-edition variant, it signals sustained collector interest in the They Live motif across his catalog. The source itself is sparse, providing edition size, dimensions, price, and release date rather than a descriptive statement, so its significance rests on the documented facts and the well-known thematic anchor of the title. With a signed and numbered edition of 500 and a one-per-household limit, it was positioned as an accessible but demand-managed release. For collectors, it represents the consumerism-and-control thread that runs through Fairey's institutional critique, tied to a film whose visual language is frequently cited as an influence on his OBEY iconography. Because the record offers limited descriptive detail, claims about specific imagery are held cautiously here, with interpretation grounded in the edition data and the established cultural reference of the They Live title.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors drawn to the They Live motif and the film's cultural ties to Fairey's consumerism-and-control imagery. As a signed and numbered second edition of 500 at an accessible original price, it is approachable for newer collectors while still carrying a recognizable thematic hook. The one-per-household release limit suggests controlled distribution at launch. At 18 x 24 inches it displays well among Fairey's propaganda-styled political and pop-culture prints. Because the source is light on descriptive detail, collectors should rely on the documented edition facts and the established They Live reference when situating the piece within their collection.
Historical Context
They Live (2) sits within Fairey's busy 2011 release schedule and extends the They Live motif, whose namesake film is widely cited as an influence on his OBEY-era critique of consumerism and authority. As a second-edition variant, it reflects his practice of revisiting popular themes across editions. The limited source description keeps its precise place in his arc tied mainly to the documented release facts and the cultural reference of the title rather than a detailed artist statement. It belongs to the consumerism-and-power strand of his catalog that parallels his concurrent campaign-finance and corporate-critique prints from the same year.
FAQ
What is the edition size?
They Live (2) is a signed and numbered edition of 500 screen prints, published by Obey Giant and released July 7, 2011 at $50. The release carried a purchase limit of one per person or household.
What does the title reference?
The title references the cult film They Live, whose imagery of hidden consumerist and authoritarian messaging is frequently cited as an influence on Fairey's OBEY iconography. The source itself focuses on production facts rather than describing the image in detail.
What size and medium is the print?
The work measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print published by Obey Giant. It is a second-edition variant within the They Live lineage in Fairey's catalog, released in 2011.
How detailed is the source information?
The available source provides edition size, dimensions, price, and release date but limited descriptive detail about the imagery. Interpretation here stays close to those documented facts and the established cultural reference of the They Live title.
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.