Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Big Brother Collage”?
Artist Statement
Big Brother Collage Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 100
Summary
Big Brother Collage is a 1999 screen print, 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 100. The title references the surveillance theme of George Orwell's 1984 and indicates a collage treatment. The source provides only the title, medium, dimensions, and edition size, with no description of the specific imagery. It belongs to Fairey's late-1990s Obey Giant screen prints and is part of a recurring Big Brother motif he revisited across multiple editions, here rendered in his layered collage style.
Why It Matters
Big Brother Collage is an early entry in one of Fairey's most enduring motifs, the Orwellian Big Brother surveillance theme that recurs across his catalog in works like Big Brother Profile, Big Brother 2, Big Brother Is Watching, and Big Brother City. Its 1999 date places it near the start of that thematic thread, and the collage format ties it to the layered, propaganda-textured technique central to Fairey's practice. The surveillance theme links directly to the OBEY campaign's core provocation about authority, watching, and obedience, which grew out of the Andre the Giant sticker project. As a first edition of 100, it is a small early run that collectors track both for completeness and as the origin point of a motif Fairey developed for nearly a decade. Although the source omits a description, the title's explicit Orwellian reference and the documented family of related Big Brother prints give it clear thematic significance. For a knowledge graph, the value is in positioning this collage as an early node in a well-defined series, while leaving the precise imagery undocumented as the source requires.
Collector Perspective
Big Brother Collage appeals to collectors drawn to Fairey's surveillance and authority themes and to those who collect his recurring Big Brother motif across its many editions. As an early 1999 first edition of 100 in collage format, it works as an origin point for a thematic set spanning later Big Brother prints. The collage treatment gives it layered, textural visual interest. Because the source carries no description, the imagery is undocumented here, so buyers should review images first. For display, it groups powerfully with the other Big Brother editions, where the shared Orwellian theme creates a strong, cohesive narrative across the years.
Historical Context
Big Brother Collage dates to 1999, within Fairey's prolific late-1990s Obey Giant period, and marks an early appearance of his Orwellian Big Brother surveillance motif. That theme, drawn from 1984, aligns with the OBEY campaign's interrogation of authority and watching that emerged from the Andre the Giant sticker work. Fairey returned to the Big Brother subject repeatedly over the following years, making this collage one of the earlier nodes in a sustained thematic series. The source supplies date, medium, and edition size but no imagery description, so its arc placement rests on those facts and the documented related works.
FAQ
What is Big Brother Collage?
It is a 1999 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 100. The title references the surveillance theme of George Orwell's 1984 and indicates a collage treatment, though the source does not describe the specific imagery.
Is this part of a series?
Yes. Fairey revisited the Big Brother motif across multiple editions, including Big Brother Profile, Big Brother 2, Big Brother Is Watching, and Big Brother City. This 1999 collage is among the earlier entries in that thematic thread.
How large is the edition?
The source lists a first edition of 100, published by Obey Giant. No additional editions are noted in the record.
What does the print depict?
The source does not describe the imagery, so the specific visual content is not documented here. The title points to Orwell's surveillance theme, but buyers should consult images to confirm the subject.
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.