Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Kiss Me Deadly (Large Format)”?
Artist Statement
Kiss Me Deadly 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
Kiss Me Deadly 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 title borrows from noir film culture, and the work applies Fairey's target motif within the series' shared graphic framework. Produced through a major fine-art publisher in a small edition on premium paper, it presents Fairey's iconography at substantial scale, one of several Target Series variations that explore a single motif across subjects, colors, and patterns.
Why It Matters
Kiss Me Deadly extends Shepard Fairey's Target Series, the body of fine-art relief prints he produced with Pace Editions in 2012. The title's noir resonance signals Fairey's habitual borrowing from mid-century film and pop culture, recontextualizing familiar references inside his propaganda-derived graphic system. Like its series companions, the work matters as evidence of Fairey's crossover into established fine-art printmaking: hand-pulled three-color relief on handmade paper, in an edition of just 35, is a world apart from his hundreds-strong Obey Giant screen prints. The target motif remains charged with associations of surveillance, consumerism, and the crosshairs of power. For collectors, the value lies in the combination of Pace provenance, premium materials, small edition, and large format, plus the satisfaction of completing a systematic series built around one recurring icon. The record notes additional edition variants, indicating Fairey explored this image across formats and patterns, a structure that rewards focused collecting. Within his arc, Kiss Me Deadly documents the moment Fairey's street-rooted iconography was channeled through traditional, labor-intensive fine-art techniques for a discerning audience.
Collector Perspective
Kiss Me Deadly appeals to collectors pursuing Fairey's Pace Editions fine-art output and those assembling the complete Target Series. The noir-referencing title adds pop-culture intrigue, while the edition of 35 on handmade paper satisfies scarcity-focused buyers who value publisher provenance and technique. At 35 x 25 1/2 inches it is a serious wall piece for a gallery setting or a dedicated Fairey collection. It pairs naturally with the other Target Series variants for cohesive display. The hand-pulled relief process and premium paper give it tactile, fine-art appeal distinct from his standard screen-print editions, making it a more substantial acquisition than a typical drop.
Historical Context
Kiss Me Deadly was produced in 2012 as part of Shepard Fairey's Target Series with Pace Editions. The work reflects his practice of drawing on film and pop-culture references, here a noir title, while channeling them through his target iconography. Executed as three-color relief on handmade paper, it belongs to the phase in which Fairey moved from self-published Obey Giant editions toward formal fine-art printmaking with an established publisher. The record's note of multiple edition variants shows Fairey systematically exploring the image across formats and patterns. Within his broader arc, the Target Series marks the maturation of his recognizable graphic language into collectible, labor-intensive editions aimed at the gallery market.
FAQ
What series is Kiss Me Deadly part of?
According to the record, it is part of Shepard Fairey's 2012 Target Series, published by Pace Editions, Inc. The series applies his target motif across several subject and color variations as fine-art relief prints.
What is the medium and size?
It is a three-color relief on handmade paper measuring 35 x 25 1/2 inches. The source specifies a hand-pulled relief technique rather than Fairey's customary screen-print process.
How large is the edition?
The first-edition relief is an edition of 35, per the record. The source also notes additional edition variants including large-format and pattern versions of the image.
Who published this print?
Kiss Me Deadly was published by Pace Editions, Inc., an established fine-art print publisher, which distinguishes 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.