Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Tom Dula”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24 inch screen print. Signed and numbered edition of 450. The first 200 are included in the Americana box set series. Sold as a Set of Two Screenprints - Tom Dula (Black) and Tom Dula (White). $110 for the set. Release date: 9/27/12 at a random time during the day
Summary
Tom Dula is a 2012 screen print published by Obey Giant, signed and numbered in an edition of 450, measuring 18 x 24 inches. Per the source, it was sold as a set of two screen prints, Tom Dula (Black) and Tom Dula (White), priced at $110 for the pair, with the first 200 included in the Americana box set series. It was released on September 27, 2012, at a random time during the day, as part of Fairey's Americana folk-song print cycle.
Why It Matters
Tom Dula stands out within the Americana suite because it was issued as a paired set of black and white versions sold together, a presentation format that distinguishes it from the single-sheet releases around it. The title references the traditional American folk ballad about Tom Dooley, tying the print to the same deep well of public-domain song that Neil Young and Crazy Horse mined for the Americana album and that Fairey illustrated across the project. As with its companion prints, the first 200 were folded into the Americana box sets, linking the standalone pair directly to the larger collectible whole. The two-color pairing gives collectors a complementary diptych within a single acquisition, doubling the visual presence and offering a built-in display relationship between the black and white treatments. Within Fairey's Americana cycle this print contributes both a distinctive format and a connection to one of the most enduring murder-ballads in the American folk canon, reinforcing the project's engagement with traditional song.
Collector Perspective
Tom Dula appeals to Americana-cycle collectors and folk-music enthusiasts who appreciate that it comes as a black-and-white pair, offering a ready-made diptych for display. At $110 for the set of two, it sits at a slightly higher tier than the single $55 sheets, reflecting the double-print format. Its link to the box sets, where the first 200 were included, gives it provenance within the broader project. The paired presentation makes it a strong choice for collectors who want a complementary hang of two related images, and it integrates naturally into an Americana- or folk-song-themed grouping alongside the other 2012 releases.
Historical Context
Released in late September 2012 by Obey Giant, Tom Dula belongs to Fairey's Americana project, which paired imagery with the Neil Young and Crazy Horse album of reworked traditional songs. The title draws on the folk ballad of Tom Dooley, a staple of the American murder-ballad tradition, consistent with the project's deep engagement with public-domain song. Its issuance as a black-and-white set, with the first 200 included in the box sets, reflects the interconnected edition strategy that defines the suite, where individual releases tie back to a larger collectible whole within Fairey's prolific 2012 music-driven output.
FAQ
Why is Tom Dula sold as a set?
Per the source, it was sold as a set of two screen prints, Tom Dula (Black) and Tom Dula (White), priced at $110 for the pair.
What is the edition size?
Tom Dula is a signed and numbered edition of 450, published by Obey Giant in 2012, with the first 200 included in the Americana box set series.
When was it released?
It was released on September 27, 2012, at a random time during the day, following the staggered release pattern of the Americana print suite.
What does the title reference?
The title references the traditional American folk ballad of Tom Dooley, aligning the print with the Americana project's engagement with public-domain song.
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.