Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Strummerville”?
Artist Statement
STRUMMERVILLE The Clash are my all-time favorite band and their frontman, Joe Strummer, is a hero of mine for his music, lyrics, wit, compassion for the underdog, and stance against injustice. Joe’s widow Lucinda approached me about creating an image of Joe to help raise funds for Strummerville, the charity set up to honor and fulfill Joe’s belief that music can inspire and empower. Strummerville provides opportunities for musicians around the globe. I was incredibly honored that Lucinda asked me to be involved, and I was moved when she shared her opinion that Joe and I have similar philosophies. The print is a collaboration with photographer Kate Simon, who shot the first Clash cover. Please check out what Strummerville is about and show your support! Thanks for caring. -Shepard JOE STRUMMERVILLE Poster FNL 18 x 24 inch screen print. Signed and numbered edition of 450. $65. Photo by Kate Simon. Release date: Tuesday April 15, 2014
Summary
Strummerville is a 2014 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a signed and numbered first edition of 450 at 18 x 24 inches, priced at $65. The work is a portrait of Joe Strummer, frontman of The Clash, created in collaboration with photographer Kate Simon, who shot the first Clash cover. Per the source, Strummer's widow Lucinda asked Fairey to create the image to raise funds for Strummerville, the charity honoring Joe's belief that music can inspire and empower musicians worldwide. Fairey calls The Clash his all-time favorite band.
Why It Matters
This print is among Fairey's most personal music tributes, honoring a musician he names as a hero and whose band he calls his all-time favorite. The source makes the emotional stakes explicit: Joe Strummer's widow Lucinda approached Fairey directly, and she told him she saw shared philosophies between Joe and Shepard, a connection Fairey describes as deeply moving. That personal endorsement gives the work unusual authenticity within his catalog. The print is also a genuine collaboration with photographer Kate Simon, who shot the first Clash cover, anchoring the image in foundational punk documentation. Its purpose is charitable: the source explains it raises funds for Strummerville, the charity built around Joe's conviction that music can inspire and empower, providing opportunities for musicians around the globe. For collectors, the work braids together several high-value threads, punk history, a beloved frontman, a credited photographic collaboration, and a cause-based mission. The edition of 450 keeps it accessible, but the depth of story behind it elevates it above a routine portrait. It is a cornerstone piece for anyone collecting Fairey's music and counterculture work, and especially for Clash and punk-era enthusiasts.
Collector Perspective
This print is a magnet for two passionate audiences: Fairey collectors assembling a music portrait set, and Clash and punk fans seeking a museum-quality tribute to Joe Strummer. The documented collaboration with photographer Kate Simon, who shot the first Clash cover, and the charitable tie to Strummerville add layers of meaning that reward collectors who value backstory. At 18 x 24 inches it frames cleanly for a music room, studio, or gallery wall. The edition of 450 keeps it accessible to mid-level buyers, while the personal connection, Strummer's widow commissioning the piece, makes it feel singular rather than mass-produced. It pairs naturally with Fairey's other punk and rock portraits and carries strong emotional resonance for display.
Historical Context
Released April 15, 2014, Strummerville sits within Fairey's deep catalog of musician tributes, a strand reflecting his roots in punk and skate culture. The work directly engages The Clash's legacy, a band central to Fairey's own influences, and was commissioned by Joe Strummer's widow Lucinda to benefit the Strummerville charity, which the source says provides opportunities for musicians worldwide. The collaboration with Kate Simon, photographer of the first Clash cover, ties the image to primary punk-era documentation. Within Fairey's arc, the print exemplifies how he channels personal musical heroes into cause-driven releases, blending homage, collaboration, and philanthropy in a single work.
FAQ
Who is the subject of this print?
The print portrays Joe Strummer, frontman of The Clash. In the source, Fairey calls The Clash his all-time favorite band and Strummer a hero for his music, lyrics, wit, compassion for the underdog, and stance against injustice, making this one of his most personal music tributes.
Was this a collaboration?
Yes. According to the source, the print is a collaboration with photographer Kate Simon, who shot the first Clash cover. The image was also created at the request of Joe Strummer's widow Lucinda, who approached Fairey to create a tribute image of Joe.
What cause does the print support?
Per the source, the print raises funds for Strummerville, the charity set up to honor and fulfill Joe Strummer's belief that music can inspire and empower. The source notes Strummerville provides opportunities for musicians around the globe.
What are the edition details?
The source describes Strummerville as an 18 x 24 inch screen print, signed and numbered in an edition of 450, priced at $65, with a release date of Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Photography for the image is credited to Kate Simon.
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.