Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Love Is The Drug (Red)”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24 inch screen print. Signed and numbered edition of 400. $45.
Summary
Love Is The Drug (Red) is a 2012 signed and numbered screen print by Shepard Fairey, 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 400, released through Obey Giant at $45. The title references the Roxy Music song, placing the work within Fairey's recurring music-and-pop-culture homages. Issued in red and gold colorways, it uses his characteristic decorative framing and bold iconography. With limited descriptive detail in the source, the print appears to align with his music-themed output, presented in the accessible standard-edition format typical of his Obey Giant releases.
Why It Matters
Love Is The Drug sits within Shepard Fairey's long-running practice of music-rooted imagery, its title echoing the Roxy Music song and connecting the print to the pop and rock references that thread through his catalog. As a signed and numbered edition of 400 issued in two colorways, red and gold, it offers collectors a variant-driven dimension while remaining in the accessible tier of his output at a modest release price. The source description is brief, focused on size, edition, and price, so the work is best read as a representative example of Fairey's music-and-pop-culture homages rather than a major statement piece. Still, its standard 18 x 24 inch format and bold graphic treatment make it a recognizable, displayable entry for collectors building around his music references. The availability of red and gold versions gives completists a clear pairing to pursue, and the print reinforces how consistently Fairey folded popular-music allusions into his broadly circulated editions. For buyers, it represents an approachable way into the music-themed strand of his work, valued more for its accessibility and pop-culture resonance than for scarcity.
Collector Perspective
This suits collectors who enjoy Fairey's music and pop-culture homages and who appreciate variant colorways, with red and gold versions available to pair. The edition of 400 and standard 18 x 24 inch size keep it accessible and easy to frame, making it a fit for music-themed wall groupings rather than a scarcity-driven purchase. Its bold red palette displays cleanly and pairs with Fairey's many other sound- and music-referencing prints. Buyers assembling an affordable, signed cross-section of his music-related output, or completists chasing both colorways, will find it a natural addition.
Historical Context
Released in August 2012, Love Is The Drug belongs to Fairey's steady output of music-referencing prints, its title drawn from the Roxy Music song. Issued as a signed and numbered edition of 400 in red and gold through Obey Giant, it exemplifies his practice of pairing popular-music allusions with accessible standard editions. The limited source detail places it among the more routine entries in his early-2010s catalog, running alongside his political and collaborative releases. Within his arc, it reflects the constant presence of music and pop-culture references in his work, offered through the broadly available drop model that defined his Obey Giant output.
FAQ
What is Love Is The Drug (Red)?
It is a 2012 signed and numbered screen print by Shepard Fairey, 18 x 24 inches, in an edition of 400, released through Obey Giant at $45. The title references the Roxy Music song, placing it among his music-themed works.
What colorways were released?
The source lists Gold and Red editions, so this music-themed image was issued in two colorways, giving collectors a red and a gold version to consider or pair.
How large is the edition?
It is a numbered edition of 400, placing it in the accessible, widely available tier of Fairey's music-related screen prints rather than among his scarce releases.
What is the print's theme?
Based on its title and Fairey's broader catalog, it sits within his recurring music and pop-culture homages. The source description is brief, focused on dimensions, edition size, and price.
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.