Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Joan Jett The Runaway”?
Artist Statement
Blondie guitarist and primary songwriter Chris Stein and I became friends when I was working on a portrait of Debbie Harry for my MAYDAY show in 2010. Chris studied photography at SVA in NYC and has an amazing body of work. We talked about doing a collaboration and this print of Joan Jett from 76 or 77 is the result. Chris had an opening of his photography at the Morrison Hotel gallery at the Sunset Marquis and Joan happened to be in town. We all got together in Debbie Harry’s hotel room and signed the prints. It was pretty surreal for me because Blondie and Joan Jett are two of the earliest bands whose records I bought . Check out the other photo from 76 or 77 of Joan and Debbie from the same evening as the shot of Joan I illustrated from. It was a great time in music. If you missed Chris’ show at the Sunset Marquis, you can check out the amazing photos of his friends and contemporaries here . You can also view and purchase Chris Stein’s work at morrisonhotelgallery.com. All of the Joan Jett The Runaway prints are signed by me, Chris, and Joan, but some have a slightly bent corner due to being shipped to New York and back. If you don’t want to risk getting one of these we will have some APs for sale too but they will only be signed by me. Blondie has a new album in the works and will be touring with X this fall which is sure to be amazing. Check out www.blondie.net for info. -Shepard 18 x 24 inch screen print on white cover stock. Signed by Shepard, Chris Stein and Joan Jett, $75. Some prints will be available signed only by Shepard, $45. Release date: August 29, 2013
Summary
Joan Jett The Runaway is a 2013 Obey Giant screen print, 18 x 24 inches on white cover stock, published as a first edition. The source describes it as a collaboration based on a Chris Stein photograph of Joan Jett from 1976 or 1977, which Fairey illustrated. The print was signed by Fairey, photographer Chris Stein, and Joan Jett, with the trio signing together in Debbie Harry's hotel room; some prints signed only by Fairey were also offered. The fully signed version was $75 and the Fairey-only version $45. The record does not list a numbered edition size.
Why It Matters
This print is a layered music-history artifact, uniting three figures from the late-1970s New York scene: Joan Jett, Blondie guitarist and photographer Chris Stein, and Fairey himself. The source roots the collaboration in Fairey's friendship with Stein, which began while he worked on a Debbie Harry portrait for his 2010 MAYDAY show, and in a vintage Stein photograph of Jett from 1976 or 1977. Fairey's note that Blondie and Joan Jett were among the earliest records he bought grounds the project in genuine fandom. The triple-signature provenance, with Fairey, Stein, and Jett signing together in Debbie Harry's hotel room, gives the fully signed version notable collector appeal and a vivid backstory. The print exemplifies Fairey's practice of translating iconic music photographs into his graphic idiom while honoring the photographers behind them. For collectors, its blend of punk-rock royalty, documentary photography, and Fairey's portraiture makes it a standout among his music collaborations of the period.
Collector Perspective
This print is a strong target for punk and new-wave music fans, Joan Jett and Blondie collectors, and Fairey followers focused on his music portraiture and photographer collaborations. The triple-signature version (Fairey, Chris Stein, Joan Jett) offers exceptional provenance and a memorable signing story, while a more affordable Fairey-only version broadens accessibility. The 1976-77 photographic source gives it vintage rock-history resonance. Printed on white cover stock at 18 x 24 inches, it makes a clean, striking framed portrait for a music-themed wall. It pairs naturally with Fairey's Debbie Harry prints and his other late-70s-rooted music collaborations, anchoring a collection around the New York punk and new-wave milieu.
Historical Context
Released in 2013, Joan Jett The Runaway sits within Fairey's deep engagement with punk and new-wave music history. The source connects it to his 2010 MAYDAY show and his friendship with Chris Stein, situating it in a network of relationships with key figures from the late-1970s New York scene. By illustrating a vintage Stein photograph of Jett, Fairey both pays tribute to a formative musician and credits the photographer, a recurring approach in his music collaborations. The print reflects how, by this period, Fairey's stature allowed him to work directly with the artists and photographers who shaped the subcultures he reveres, embedding his portraiture in documented music history.
FAQ
What is Joan Jett The Runaway?
It is a 2013 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches on white cover stock, published by Obey Giant. The source describes it as a collaboration based on a Chris Stein photograph of Joan Jett from 1976 or 1977, which Fairey illustrated in his graphic style.
Who signed the print?
According to the source, the print was signed by Shepard Fairey, photographer Chris Stein, and Joan Jett, who signed together in Debbie Harry's hotel room. Some prints were also offered signed only by Fairey, at a lower price.
What were the pricing options?
The source states the fully signed prints (Fairey, Stein, and Jett) were $75, while prints signed only by Shepard Fairey were available for $45. It also notes some prints had a slightly bent corner from shipping to New York and back.
How did the collaboration come about?
Fairey writes that he became friends with Chris Stein while working on a Debbie Harry portrait for his 2010 MAYDAY show. They discussed collaborating, and this illustration of a Stein photograph of Joan Jett from 1976 or 1977 was the result, released August 29, 2013.
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.