Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Jesus' Chariot (First Edition)”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24 inch screen print. Signed and numbered edition of 450. $55, Limit 1 per person/household. The first 200 prints are included in the Americana Box set previously released and sold out. Limited numbers available.
Summary
Jesus' Chariot is a signed and numbered 18 x 24 inch screen print published by Obey Giant in 2012 in an edition of 450, priced at $55. The source notes that the first 200 prints are included in the Americana Box Set, which was previously released and is sold out. The title places the work within Fairey's 2012 Americana series of folk-song-titled prints. The print combines Fairey's graphic, poster-style visual language with American folk subject matter, and was limited to one per person or household at release.
Why It Matters
Jesus' Chariot is part of Fairey's 2012 Americana series, a coordinated set of prints named after traditional American folk songs that together explore national heritage, faith, and the mythology woven into American identity. The title's gospel-tinged reference adds a spiritual dimension to the series' survey of folk traditions, and Fairey's graphic treatment renders that heritage in his contemporary poster idiom. As with its companions, the first 200 prints were absorbed into the sold-out Americana Box Set, linking the standalone edition to a curated collector grouping and rewarding those who track how Fairey bundles and sequences related works. The source attaches both pop-culture and politics-and-democracy themes to the print, consistent with Fairey's pattern of using Americana imagery to probe the distance between idealized national narratives and lived reality. With an edition of 450 and an accessible $55 release price, the work was broadly obtainable, yet its box-set lineage and membership in a thematic series give it collector context well beyond a lone image, making it a meaningful piece for anyone assembling Fairey's Americana run.
Collector Perspective
Jesus' Chariot appeals to collectors building Fairey's Americana series and those engaged by works rooted in American folk and gospel music traditions. Its tie to the sold-out Americana Box Set adds appeal for completists and provenance-focused buyers. At an original $55 in an edition of 450, it was accessible, and its 18 x 24 inch format displays cleanly alongside its companion folk-song prints. The work is most effective shown within a grouped Americana wall, where the shared series concept amplifies each print. The one-per-household release limit suggests wide fan distribution rather than concentrated ownership.
Historical Context
Released in 2012 through Obey Giant, Jesus' Chariot is part of Fairey's Americana series of folk-song-titled prints. The series appeared as Fairey expanded his use of American iconography and political themes, and its box-set packaging reflects his practice of grouping thematically linked editions for collectors. By naming the print after a traditional folk song with gospel roots, Fairey ties his visual work to the nation's musical and spiritual heritage while engaging the broader mythology of American identity. The source's note that the 200-piece Americana Box Set sold out documents early demand for the grouped works, while the full edition of 450 kept individual prints accessible at release.
FAQ
What is the Americana Box Set connection?
The source states the first 200 prints of Jesus' Chariot are included in the Americana Box Set, which was previously released and is sold out. The remaining prints in the edition of 450 were released individually, linking the standalone print to the curated set.
What are the size and edition details?
Jesus' Chariot is an 18 x 24 inch screen print, signed and numbered in an edition of 450, published by Obey Giant in 2012. It was originally priced at $55 with a limit of one per person or household.
What series does it belong to?
It belongs to Fairey's 2012 Americana series of prints named after traditional folk songs. The source associates the work with both pop-culture and politics-and-democracy themes.
Is the print signed and numbered?
Yes. The source confirms a signed and numbered edition of 450, consistent with Obey Giant's standard practice for the Americana series.
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.