Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Black Sabbath Cross (Silver / Black)”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24 inch Screen Print. Signed and numbered edition of 125. $50. Release date: July 30, 2013 Black Sabbath has been one of my favorite bands for 25 years. I was fortunate enough to meet Jack Osbourne through my friend Big Dave in 2000. My relationship with Jack and Big Dave has led to several great Ozzy and Sabbath projects over the years. One of my biggest “I’m not worthy!” moments took place when Dave took me backstage to meet the Sabbath guys in 2004 at Ozzfest and bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler was wearing an Obey shirt! Sabbath is still a phenomenal live band and I’m incredibly honored to do my second(first was in 2005) Sabbath/Obey tour poster. Sabbath released a great new record called “13? recently(produced by Rick Rubin) and are touring in support of the album. There are 125 of each poster in each color way, black and red, and black and metallic silver. -Shepard
Summary
Black Sabbath Cross is a 2013 Obey Giant screen print, 18 x 24 inches, signed and numbered in an edition of 125 per colorway. The source describes two colorways, black/red and black/metallic silver, with 125 prints of each. Fairey created it as a Black Sabbath/Obey tour poster, his second for the band, supporting their 2013 album '13' produced by Rick Rubin. The print reflects Fairey's longtime fandom of Black Sabbath and his relationships with Jack Osbourne and the band, using a bold cross motif in his recognizable graphic poster style to mark the band's tour.
Why It Matters
This print captures Fairey's decades-long devotion to Black Sabbath, a band he names as a favorite for 25 years in the source. It is his second official Sabbath/Obey tour poster, tying it to a documented relationship with the Osbourne camp that he traces to meeting Jack Osbourne in 2000 and a memorable 2004 Ozzfest encounter where Geezer Butler was wearing an Obey shirt. That anecdote underscores the genuine cross-pollination between Fairey's brand and the band's world. Produced to support Sabbath's 2013 Rick Rubin-produced album '13' and accompanying tour, the print documents a specific moment in the band's late-career resurgence. The relatively small edition of 125 per colorway makes it scarcer than many of Fairey's music prints, heightening its appeal for both Sabbath fans and Fairey collectors. The bold cross imagery channels Sabbath's iconography through Fairey's graphic vocabulary, making it a strong example of how he honors the heavy-music and counterculture lineage that shaped his sensibility.
Collector Perspective
This is a natural target for Black Sabbath fans, heavy-music memorabilia collectors, and Fairey enthusiasts who focus on his concert and band posters. The small edition of 125 per colorway gives it added scarcity appeal, and the existence of two colorways (black/red and black/metallic silver) invites set collecting alongside its companion Crescent design. Its bold cross motif makes a striking framed display piece for a music-themed wall. Tied to Sabbath's 2013 album and tour, it offers documented provenance that strengthens its story. It pairs especially well with the matching Black Sabbath Crescent print and Fairey's other music editions from the same period.
Historical Context
Released in 2013, Black Sabbath Cross belongs to the music-focused strand of Fairey's catalog, where he repeatedly produces tour posters for bands he reveres. The source notes it is his second Sabbath/Obey poster, the first dating to 2005, situating it within a long relationship with the band and the Osbourne family beginning in 2000. It was made to support Sabbath's 2013 album '13' and tour, marking a moment of renewed activity for the band. The print reflects Fairey's grounding in heavy music and counterculture, a recurring influence across his work, and his ongoing role as an artist documenting live-music history through limited editions.
FAQ
What is the Black Sabbath Cross print?
It is a 2013 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant. It was made as a Black Sabbath/Obey tour poster supporting the band's 2013 album, and is signed and numbered in an edition of 125 per colorway according to the source.
What colorways were produced?
The source states the print came in two colorways: black and red, and black and metallic silver. There are 125 prints of each colorway, making 125 per color. The record describes the Silver/Black and Red/Black variants of the design.
What is the connection to Black Sabbath?
Fairey writes that Black Sabbath has been a favorite band for 25 years. He met Jack Osbourne in 2000 and met the band at Ozzfest in 2004, where Geezer Butler wore an Obey shirt. This is described as his second Sabbath/Obey tour poster, the first from 2005.
What album and tour does it relate to?
The print supports Black Sabbath's 2013 album titled '13,' which the source notes was produced by Rick Rubin, and the accompanying tour. It was released on July 30, 2013 at an original price of $50.
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.