Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Obey Harmony (Large Format)”?
Artist Statement
Harmony 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
Obey Harmony (Large Format) is a 2012 three-color relief print from Shepard Fairey's Target Series, printed on handmade paper at 35 x 25 1/2 inches in a first-edition run of 35. Published by Pace Editions, the image centers a target-based composition that fuses Fairey's decorative pattern work with the concentric bullseye motif recurring across the series. The large scale and handmade relief process distinguish it from his standard screen-print output, giving it a tactile, fine-art presentation. The work reflects Fairey's ongoing visual language of layered ornament and iconography rather than an overt political message.
Why It Matters
This print belongs to the Target Series, a body of large-format relief works Fairey produced with Pace Editions that pushed his graphic vocabulary into fine-art printmaking territory. Unlike the artist's high-volume screen prints, the Harmony relief was made on handmade paper in a tight edition of 35, placing it among his more deliberately crafted, gallery-oriented output. For collectors, that combination of small edition size, large scale, and a respected fine-art publisher signals a step away from poster culture and toward the collectible-object end of Fairey's practice. The target motif itself ties into themes of consumerism and pop iconography that recur through his work, but here the emphasis is on decorative harmony and process rather than slogan. Because Pace is a long-established print publisher, works from this collaboration carry institutional credibility that many of Fairey's self-published releases do not. The relief technique, with its embossed, hand-pulled surface, gives the print a physical depth that reproduces poorly and rewards in-person viewing, which is part of why these large-format pieces have held distinct appeal for buyers seeking the less ubiquitous side of the OBEY catalog.
Collector Perspective
This appeals to collectors who prioritize edition scarcity, process, and scale over recognizable slogans. With only 35 examples and a 35-inch height, it suits buyers building a focused holding of Fairey's Pace-published large-format relief works rather than his accessible screen prints. The handmade-paper relief surface displays as a substantial, framed centerpiece and rewards collectors who value tactile quality and fine-art presentation. It fits naturally alongside the other Target Series large-format prints from 2012, making it a logical anchor or companion in a Target-focused or process-driven collection. Buyers drawn to the decorative, pattern-rich side of Fairey's output, as opposed to overtly political pieces, will find it a strong representative example.
Historical Context
Harmony dates to 2012, a period when Fairey was actively producing large-format editions through Pace Editions alongside his self-published Obey Giant releases. The Target Series sits within his broader exploration of pop iconography and consumer symbolism, using the bullseye as a unifying device across multiple compositions that year. The choice of three-color relief on handmade paper reflects a phase in which Fairey increasingly engaged traditional fine-art printmaking methods, working with an established publisher to create objects distinct from his street-derived poster work. This places Harmony among the more craft-forward, gallery-oriented entries in his early-2010s catalog, when his market was maturing beyond activist posters toward collectible editions.
FAQ
What is Obey Harmony (Large Format)?
It is a 2012 three-color relief print by Shepard Fairey from the Target Series, printed on handmade paper at 35 x 25 1/2 inches. It was published by Pace Editions in a first edition of 35 and uses Fairey's bullseye-based imagery in a large, fine-art relief format.
How large is the edition?
The first edition consists of 35 prints, making it one of Fairey's smaller large-format editions and placing it in the scarce end of his catalog by edition size.
What makes this different from Fairey's screen prints?
Harmony is a three-color relief printed on handmade paper rather than a standard screen print. The hand-pulled relief process and large 35-inch scale give it an embossed, tactile surface and a fine-art presentation distinct from his poster editions.
Who published this print?
It was published by Pace Editions, Inc., an established fine-art print publisher, as part of Fairey's Target Series of large-format relief works in 2012.
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.