Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Giant Air”?
Artist Statement
GIANT AIR Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 100
Summary
Giant Air is a 1999 Shepard Fairey screen print, published by Obey Giant as a first edition of 100, measuring 18 x 24 inches. The title parodies commercial branding by pairing the Giant/Obey identity with an athletic-shoe-style 'Air' format, and the record lists OBEY iconography as a secondary theme. The source provides the title, year, medium, dimensions, and edition size but no description of the composition, so the visual concept is documented mainly by the title and its place in Fairey's 1999 output. It is a hand-pulled screen print from the formative Obey Giant period.
Why It Matters
Giant Air sits within the late-1990s phase when Shepard Fairey was using brand parody to advance the Obey project's critique of advertising and corporate iconography. The title's nod to a recognizable athletic-shoe branding format is a characteristic Fairey move: appropriating the visual language of commercial marketing and rerouting it through the Andre the Giant identity, so that the Obey 'brand' both mimics and mocks consumer culture. The record's secondary OBEY iconography theme reinforces that the Giant face and Obey identity are central to the piece. For collectors, the work's importance rests on its early date and small edition of 100, placing it among the foundational tier of Obey editions made before Fairey's broad recognition. Because the supplied record gives no description of the actual imagery, specific readings should remain cautious, but the brand-parody reading is well supported by the title and theme. As an instance of Fairey turning his iconography against commercial advertising, it documents the corporate-critique thread that runs throughout his catalogue and connects the early street-derived imagery to his later, more pointed media commentary.
Collector Perspective
Giant Air appeals to collectors focused on Fairey's brand-parody and Obey-iconography works, as well as early-period specialists tracking the scarce late-1990s editions. Its play on commercial branding gives it a wry, recognizable hook that displays well and rewards viewers familiar with advertising culture. With an edition of just 100 and an 18 x 24-inch scale, it functions as a connoisseur's piece that frames easily and groups naturally with other Giant- and Obey-identity prints such as Giant Glow, Mark Of The Giant, and Andre (Giant Beatles). It suits a collection built around Fairey's iconography and corporate critique rather than a purely decorative arrangement.
Historical Context
Giant Air dates to 1999, within Fairey's run of small-edition Obey Giant screen prints from the late 1990s. This period followed the 1989 Andre the Giant sticker campaign and the consolidation of that street project into numbered editions built around the Giant face and Obey identity. The brand-parody approach suggested by the title is characteristic of how Fairey appropriated commercial marketing language during these years. The edition of 100 is consistent with his output from this period and reflects the limited circulation of his prints before demand grew in the following decade. It belongs to the earliest layer of the Obey catalogue, predating his mainstream breakthrough.
FAQ
What does the title Giant Air refer to?
The title parodies commercial athletic-shoe branding by pairing the Giant/Obey identity with an 'Air' format. The record does not describe the full composition, so the brand-parody reading rests on the title and the listed OBEY iconography theme.
When was it made and by whom?
Giant Air was created in 1999 and published by Obey Giant, Fairey's own imprint, as part of his late-1990s run of small-edition screen prints.
What are the size and edition?
It measures 18 x 24 inches and was issued as a first edition of 100, placing it among the scarcer tiers of Fairey's output relative to his later releases.
How does it fit Fairey's work?
It documents his recurring corporate-critique strategy of appropriating commercial marketing language through the Obey brand. The Giant face and Obey identity, listed as a secondary theme, are central to the piece.
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.