Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Keith Morris (4 Color)”?
Artist Statement
I’m a big fan of all of the bands Keith Morris has fronted… Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, and OFF!. My first punk show was the Circle Jerks in 1986 in Summerville, South Carolina. I illustrated this image from one of Glen E. Friedman’s photos of Keith around 1981 0r 1982 playing with the Circle Jerks. Glen also shot the Circle Jerks’ “Golden Shower of Hits” cover which is in the collage in the lower left. Keith was kind enough to write down all of his favorite song titles from all three bands to incorporate into the collage. -Shepard KEITH MORRIS (4 COLOR) 18 x 24 inch, 4 color screen print. Signed by Shepard Fairey, Glen E. Friedman and Keith Morris. Numbered edition of 200. $75. Limit 1 per person/household. Release Date: Tuesday September 10, 2013
Summary
Keith Morris (4 Color) is a 2013 four-color screen print, 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in a numbered edition of 200. Fairey illustrated the portrait of the punk vocalist Keith Morris from a Glen E. Friedman photograph taken while Morris fronted the Circle Jerks around 1981-1982. The composition surrounds the figure with a collage that includes the Circle Jerks' Golden Shower of Hits cover and song titles drawn from Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and OFF!. The print is signed by Shepard Fairey, Glen E. Friedman, and Keith Morris, and was released September 10, 2013 at $75.
Why It Matters
This print sits at the intersection of Fairey's lifelong punk fandom and his collaborative practice. By illustrating a Friedman photograph of Keith Morris and weaving in band names and song titles supplied by Morris himself, Fairey turns a single portrait into a layered tribute to three foundational hardcore bands: Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and OFF!. The triple signature by Fairey, Friedman, and Morris adds documentary weight, linking the artist, the photographer who shaped punk's visual record, and the subject in one object. For collectors, the print is a credible entry point into Fairey's music portraiture, where the collage method does real work, embedding discography and album-cover references rather than acting as decoration. The personal note about Fairey's first punk show being the Circle Jerks in 1986 grounds the work in lived experience rather than borrowed iconography, which is part of what distinguishes his music prints from generic band posters. At an edition of 200 and an accessible original release price, it represents the kind of collaboration-driven music release that anchors a punk-focused Fairey collection.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to punk and hardcore music collectors, Glen E. Friedman photography enthusiasts, and Fairey followers who prioritize collaborative, multi-signature works. The triple signature by Fairey, Friedman, and Morris is a strong draw for those who value provenance and the connection between artist, photographer, and subject. Visually it reads as a bold band-poster portrait, with the collage of song titles and the Golden Shower of Hits reference giving it depth on close inspection, making it well suited to a music-room or studio wall. At an edition of 200 it fits comfortably into a focused punk or counterculture grouping alongside Fairey's other Friedman collaborations and music portraits, and pairs naturally with related releases such as the later Circle Jerks Keith Morris print.
Historical Context
Keith Morris (4 Color) belongs to Fairey's busy 2013 run of music and counterculture collaborations, a period in which he repeatedly mined his own punk and skate roots and partnered with photographers like Glen E. Friedman who documented that scene. Fairey's note that his first punk show was the Circle Jerks in 1986 ties the work to the same Southern California-rooted hardcore lineage that shaped his sensibility. The print extends a recurring method in his music work: illustrating an existing documentary photograph, then layering collage and typography drawn directly from the subject's discography. It connects to a broader thread of Friedman collaborations across his catalog and anticipates his continued engagement with Keith Morris, including a later Circle Jerks print, making it part of an ongoing artistic relationship rather than a one-off.
FAQ
Who is depicted in this print and who signed it?
It depicts punk vocalist Keith Morris, known for fronting Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and OFF!. The print is signed by three people: Shepard Fairey, photographer Glen E. Friedman, and Keith Morris himself, making it a triple-signed collaborative release.
What is the edition size and original release price?
It is a numbered edition of 200, an 18 x 24 inch four-color screen print published by Obey Giant. It was released on September 10, 2013 at an original price of $75, with a limit of one per person or household.
What source image did Fairey use?
Fairey illustrated the image from a Glen E. Friedman photograph of Keith Morris taken around 1981 or 1982 while Morris was performing with the Circle Jerks. Friedman also shot the Circle Jerks' Golden Shower of Hits cover, which appears in the collage.
What is in the collage around the portrait?
The collage includes the Circle Jerks' Golden Shower of Hits album cover in the lower left and favorite song titles that Keith Morris wrote down from all three of his bands: Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and OFF!.
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.