Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “50 Shades Of Black (Box Set)”?
Artist Statement
Accompanying the artworks featured in the upcoming 50 Shades of Black opening, Shepard Fairey has created a limited edition box set with screen prints of each of his 50 new album cover designs inspired by the 12-inch record cover format. The 50 Shades of Black box set is the largest number of images to date and is a work of art itself! Each box set is a limited edition of 200 and includes 50 signed and numbered screen prints of all new album cover designs, as well as an album cover stencil, an LP sticker sheet, and a certificate of authenticity. The box is hand made and features the Sound and Vision LP graphic on the cover presented in gold foil stamping with embossed highlighting throughout. These will be available in limited quantity for in-person only purchases during the opening on Wednesday, April 16; no phone orders and credit card only please. Limit 1 per person/household/credit card. Remaining box sets will be available on the OBEY website on Thursday, April 24; Two releases are scheduled for 10 am and 3pm PST. 50 Shades of Black Box Set Edition of 200 Signed and Numbered Box – 13 x13 x 2 inches Print editions – 12 x 12 inches 2014 $1,100
Summary
50 Shades Of Black (Box Set) is a 2014 limited-edition portfolio by Shepard Fairey, published by Subliminal Projects in an edition of 200. Per the source, each signed and numbered box set contains 50 screen prints of new album-cover designs inspired by the 12-inch record format, plus an album-cover stencil, an LP sticker sheet, and a certificate of authenticity. The handmade box measures 13 x 13 x 2 inches with print editions at 12 x 12 inches, and features the Sound and Vision LP graphic in gold foil with embossed highlighting. It was priced at $1,100 and is described as the largest number of images Fairey had assembled to date.
Why It Matters
This box set is an unusually ambitious object in Fairey's output, described in the source as the largest number of images to date and a work of art in itself. Rather than a single print, it gathers 50 screen prints of new album-cover designs built around the 12-inch record format, making it a concentrated statement on Fairey's lifelong dialogue with music and record-cover art. The release accompanied the 50 Shades of Black exhibition, grounding it in a gallery moment rather than a routine drop. Its construction signals collector intent: a handmade box with the Sound and Vision LP graphic in gold foil and embossed highlighting, plus an album-cover stencil and an LP sticker sheet that echo Fairey's street and OBEY iconography. The edition of 200, paired with the sheer volume of included works, makes complete sets desirable and harder to keep intact over time. For collectors, it functions as both a portfolio survey of Fairey's music-graphic sensibility and a designed objet. The $1,100 release price reflected its scope and packaging. As a multi-component, exhibition-linked set, it occupies a distinctive tier above standard single prints and rewards collectors who value depth, presentation, and the music-and-OBEY intersection.
Collector Perspective
This box set targets serious Fairey collectors and music-graphics enthusiasts who want a comprehensive, designed object rather than a single image. The 50 album-cover prints at 12 x 12 inches, plus the stencil, LP sticker sheet, and gold-foil handmade box, make it a portfolio and a display piece in one. The edition of 200 and the multi-component format mean intact, complete sets carry premium appeal, since loose or incomplete examples lose value. It suits collectors who appreciate the record-cover lineage of Fairey's work and the OBEY iconography woven through the materials. At 13 x 13 inches the box stores and displays compactly, while individual prints can be framed selectively, giving owners flexible ways to show a deep, cohesive body of work.
Historical Context
Released April 16, 2014, through Subliminal Projects, the box set accompanied Fairey's 50 Shades of Black exhibition and reflects his enduring engagement with music and record-cover design. The 12-inch-album format of the prints connects directly to LP culture, while the included stencil and LP sticker sheet tie back to his street-art and OBEY roots. The source frames it as the largest number of images he had assembled to date, marking it as a milestone portfolio within his catalog. Within Fairey's arc, it crystallizes the long-running overlap between his graphic practice, punk and music influences, and his iconography, presented as a single deluxe, exhibition-linked object.
FAQ
What is included in the box set?
Per the source, each box set includes 50 signed and numbered screen prints of new album-cover designs, an album-cover stencil, an LP sticker sheet, and a certificate of authenticity. The handmade box features the Sound and Vision LP graphic in gold foil stamping with embossed highlighting throughout.
How large is the box and the prints?
According to the source, the box measures 13 x 13 x 2 inches, while the individual print editions measure 12 x 12 inches, a format inspired by 12-inch record covers. The compact box stores easily while prints can be framed individually.
What is the edition size and price?
The source lists the 50 Shades of Black Box Set as a signed and numbered edition of 200, priced at $1,100. Fairey describes it as the largest number of images to date and a work of art in itself, reflecting its scope and deluxe construction.
How was the box set released?
Per the source, box sets were available for in-person purchase during the opening on Wednesday, April 16, 2014, with a limit of one per person, household, and credit card. Remaining sets went on the OBEY website on Thursday, April 24, with releases at 10am and 3pm PST.
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.