Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Lotus Target (Large Format Black)”?
Artist Statement
Lotus Target Black 2012 from the Target Series Three-color relief on handmade paper 35 x 25 1/2 inches Edition of 35 Published by Pace Editions, Inc.
Summary
Lotus Target Black is a 2012 large-format relief by Shepard Fairey from the Target Series, published by Pace Editions in an edition of 35. It is a three-color relief on handmade paper measuring 35 x 25 1/2 inches. The work fuses Fairey's target motif with a lotus floral form, marrying his concentric graphic icon to a symbol of nature and harmony. Produced through a fine-art print publisher in a small edition on premium paper, this black variant presents Fairey's decorative-meets-critical vocabulary at a substantial scale, sitting within a series that systematically explores the target image across colors and subjects.
Why It Matters
Lotus Target Black distills the dual register that makes Shepard Fairey's mature work compelling: ornamental beauty wrapped around pointed iconography. By embedding a lotus, a symbol of harmony and natural growth, inside his loaded target motif, Fairey juxtaposes serenity with the crosshairs of surveillance and consumer culture. As part of the Pace Editions Target Series, it carries the fine-art credibility of a major print publisher and the scarcity of a 35-piece edition on handmade paper. The floral element connects it to Fairey's broader use of nature and mandala-like decorative patterning, a thread collectors specifically seek. This black colorway is one of several variations in the series, and the systematic exploration of a single icon across subjects and palettes is exactly the kind of set-building structure that rewards dedicated collecting. The three-color relief technique gives the work a tactile, hand-pulled materiality distinct from Fairey's screen prints. Within his catalog, Lotus Target Black documents the convergence of his propaganda-derived graphics, his decorative floral instincts, and his move into traditional fine-art printmaking, making it a richer object than its modest origins might suggest.
Collector Perspective
Lotus Target Black attracts collectors who appreciate the decorative, floral side of Fairey's work as well as those pursuing the complete Target Series. The lotus motif gives it crossover appeal for buyers drawn to his nature-and-pattern imagery, while the Pace Editions imprint and edition of 35 satisfy collectors focused on scarcity and publisher provenance. At 35 x 25 1/2 inches on handmade paper, it is a refined, sizeable wall piece for a serious collection. It pairs especially well with the other Target Series variants for set display, and with Fairey's mandala and floral works. The hand-pulled relief technique adds tactile, fine-art appeal beyond his standard screen-print editions.
Historical Context
Lotus Target Black was produced in 2012 within Shepard Fairey's Target Series for Pace Editions. The work reflects a phase in which Fairey paired his recognizable target iconography with decorative and floral elements, executed through three-color relief on handmade paper rather than screen printing. The lotus motif ties into his recurring interest in natural and ornamental symbolism, which he often overlays on his more confrontational graphic language. Working with an established fine-art publisher in a small edition marks Fairey's continued movement from self-published street-derived editions into the gallery print world, and the black colorway is one of several variations through which the 2012 series methodically explored a single icon across palettes and subjects.
FAQ
What makes Lotus Target Black distinctive?
It combines Fairey's target motif with a lotus floral form, pairing his loaded graphic icon with a symbol of nature. The record places it in the 2012 Target Series with a secondary theme of nature and floral symbolism.
What is the medium and size?
It is a three-color relief on handmade paper measuring 35 x 25 1/2 inches, as described in the source. This hand-pulled relief technique differs from Fairey's more common screen prints.
How scarce is this print?
The edition is 35, according to the record, making it a small fine-art run. This black colorway is one of several variations within the Target Series.
Who published it?
Lotus Target Black was published by Pace Editions, Inc., a fine-art print publisher, distinguishing it from Fairey's self-released Obey Giant editions.
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.