Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Oh Susannah”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24 inch screen print. Signed and numbered edition of 450. Limited numbers available. The first 200 are included in the Americana Box Set, edition of 200. $55. Limit 1 per person/household. Release Date: 10/18/12 at a random time bet 10am and 12 noon PST.
Summary
Oh Susannah 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, the first 200 were included in the Americana Box Set (edition of 200), leaving limited numbers available individually, with a limit of one per person or household at $55. It was released on October 18, 2012, at a random time between 10am and noon Pacific time, as part of Fairey's Americana folk-song print cycle.
Why It Matters
Oh Susannah continues Fairey's Americana suite, its title drawn from one of the most enduring songs in the American popular canon and another example of the project's tour through traditional and public-domain music. As with its companions, the first 200 of the 450-print edition were absorbed into the Americana box sets, tying the standalone sheet to the larger collectible whole and reducing the number available individually. The one-per-household limit and the tightly defined timed-drop window reflect the controlled distribution Fairey used across the suite to manage high demand. Released at an accessible $55, it was built for reach while still carrying box-set provenance. Within Fairey's catalog, Oh Susannah matters as part of an interconnected family of song prints that together document his sustained 2012 engagement with American folk and popular music. Rather than standing alone, it reinforces the breadth and thematic cohesion of the Americana cycle, contributing a recognizable song title and another node in a unified body of work.
Collector Perspective
Oh Susannah appeals to Americana-cycle and folk-music collectors assembling the song-print series, and to those who value its widely recognized title and accessible $55 release price. Its inclusion of the first 200 in the box sets provides provenance within the project, and the print displays well in a grid alongside the other 2012 song-titled releases. As one of several interconnected prints, it is best appreciated as part of a larger Americana grouping, where its familiar song reference and consistent format help build a cohesive thematic wall rather than serving as a standalone centerpiece.
Historical Context
Released in mid-October 2012 by Obey Giant, Oh Susannah is part of Fairey's Americana project tied to the Neil Young and Crazy Horse album of reworked traditional songs. The title references one of the most familiar songs in American popular music, consistent with the suite's engagement with public-domain and folk repertoire. The edition structure, with the first 200 included in the box sets, mirrors the interconnected release strategy across the series, and the one-per-household limit and narrow timed-drop window are characteristic of how Fairey managed these high-demand releases during a prolific music-driven stretch of his career.
FAQ
How many of Oh Susannah were available individually?
The edition is 450, but the first 200 were included in the Americana Box Set (edition of 200), leaving limited numbers available individually, with a one-per-household limit.
When was it released?
It was released on October 18, 2012, at a random time between 10am and noon Pacific time, following the staggered timed-drop pattern of the Americana suite.
What are the size and price?
Oh Susannah is an 18 x 24 inch signed and numbered screen print, released at $55 by Obey Giant in 2012.
What does the title reference?
The title references the well-known traditional American song, aligning the print with the Americana project's engagement with folk and public-domain music.
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.