Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Bob Marley (First Edition)”?
Artist Statement
Signed by Shepard Fairey and Dennis Morris. 18 x 24 inches Edition of 450
Summary
Bob Marley is a 2014 screen print portrait by Shepard Fairey, published by Known Gallery in a first edition of 450 at 18 x 24 inches. The source notes the print is signed by both Shepard Fairey and photographer Dennis Morris, indicating a collaboration built on Morris's photography of the reggae icon. The work is a portrait of Bob Marley rendered in Fairey's graphic style. Beyond the title, edition size, dimensions, dual signatures, and publisher, the source provides limited descriptive detail about the composition or color treatment.
Why It Matters
As a portrait of one of music's most globally recognized figures, this print connects Fairey's long-running practice of memorializing musicians and cultural icons to a specific photographic collaboration. The source confirms the work is signed by Shepard Fairey and Dennis Morris, signaling that Morris's photography underpins the image; Morris is closely associated with documenting reggae and punk subjects, which gives the portrait documentary lineage beyond Fairey's stylization. Bob Marley's status as a symbol of resistance, unity, and counterculture aligns naturally with Fairey's themes, making the subject a strong fit within his music-portrait output. The edition of 450 is a standard mid-size run for Fairey, keeping the work accessible to a broad collector base rather than positioning it as a rarity. Published by Known Gallery rather than Obey Giant directly, it reflects Fairey's gallery collaborations during this period. Because the source description is brief, claims here stay close to the documented facts: it is a signed, collaborative musician portrait of a widely beloved figure, which gives it durable cross-collector appeal among both Fairey followers and music memorabilia buyers.
Collector Perspective
This print draws two overlapping audiences: Fairey collectors building a music-and-portrait set, and fans of Bob Marley and reggae culture who want a fine-art tribute. The dual signatures of Fairey and photographer Dennis Morris add provenance and make it more desirable than a single-artist piece for those who value collaborative works. At 18 x 24 inches it is an approachable size for framing in a home, studio, or music room. The edition of 450 keeps it within reach for entry- and mid-level collectors. As an instantly recognizable subject, it displays well in mixed collections and serves as a gateway Fairey piece for buyers drawn first by the musician and second by the artist.
Historical Context
Released in 2014 through Known Gallery, this portrait fits within Fairey's extensive body of musician tributes, a strand of his work running parallel to his political and environmental output. The collaboration with photographer Dennis Morris ties the image to documentary photography of reggae culture, reflecting Fairey's frequent practice of building portraits on existing photographs by credited photographers. Bob Marley, as a figure of unity and resistance, is a natural subject for an artist whose iconography centers on cultural and political themes. The dual-signed format is consistent with Fairey's gallery collaborations of the era, where co-signing with the source photographer was common. The piece sits comfortably among his many counterculture and music-icon portraits.
FAQ
Who signed this print?
According to the source, Bob Marley (First Edition) is signed by both Shepard Fairey and photographer Dennis Morris. The dual signatures indicate the portrait is a collaboration built on Morris's photography, adding provenance that many collectors value over single-artist works.
What is the edition size?
The source lists an edition of 450 at 18 x 24 inches. This is a standard mid-size run for Fairey, keeping the print broadly accessible to collectors rather than positioning it as a rare or limited-quantity release.
Who published this print?
Per the source, the print was published by Known Gallery in 2014. This reflects Fairey's practice of releasing certain works through gallery partners rather than exclusively through his own Obey Giant imprint.
What is the subject of the print?
The work is a portrait of reggae musician Bob Marley, rendered in Fairey's graphic style and based on photography by Dennis Morris, who co-signed the edition. The source provides the subject and collaboration details but limited information on color or composition.
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.