Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Paint It Black”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24 inch screen print on Speckletone paper. Signed and numbered edition of 450. Limit 1 per person/household. A portion of the proceeds will got to the NRDC to support responsible environmental policy. Release date: May 6, 2014
Summary
Paint It Black 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, printed on Speckletone paper. Per the source, a portion of the proceeds was directed to the NRDC to support responsible environmental policy. The release was limited to one per person/household and went out on May 6, 2014. The source provides edition, paper, dimensions, release date, and the environmental donation, but limited detail about the specific imagery or color treatment.
Why It Matters
Paint It Black connects Fairey's graphic practice to his ongoing environmental advocacy through a concrete charitable tie. The source confirms that a portion of the proceeds went to the NRDC to support responsible environmental policy, the same organization Fairey backed with other 2014 climate-themed releases, signaling a sustained commitment rather than a one-off gesture. That cause linkage gives the work meaning within his environmental output and places it alongside his oil, water, and energy prints from the same period. The print's material details add collector interest: it was produced on Speckletone paper, a textured stock, in a signed and numbered edition of 450, with a one-per-household purchase limit at release that suggests demand management typical of his sought-after drops. Because the source description is brief on imagery, the work's documented value rests on its edition quality, paper, and environmental purpose rather than an elaborated concept. For collectors, it functions as an accessible, cause-driven entry in Fairey's climate-aware catalog, and it sits naturally in a thematic environmental grouping. Its connection to the NRDC and its 2014 placement among related oil-and-energy works make it a coherent piece for those building a focused environmental set.
Collector Perspective
This print suits collectors assembling a Fairey environmental or climate group and those who appreciate cause-linked releases, given the documented NRDC donation. The Speckletone paper and signed-and-numbered edition of 450 appeal to buyers who value material quality and standard-format collectibility, while the one-per-household limit at release reflects the kind of demand that interests collectors. At 18 x 24 inches it frames easily and pairs with Fairey's other 2014 environmental prints. Because the source offers limited imagery detail, buyers drawn to it tend to prioritize its thematic fit and cause connection over a specific visual narrative. It works well as an accessible anchor within an environmentally focused Fairey collection.
Historical Context
Released May 6, 2014, Paint It Black falls within Fairey's environmental period, when climate and energy concerns became a recurring pillar of his Obey Giant releases. The source ties it to the NRDC, the organization Fairey supported across multiple 2014 environmental prints, reinforcing a sustained advocacy thread. Its placement among related oil-and-energy works of the same year situates it within a cluster of climate-aware releases. The use of Speckletone paper reflects Fairey's attention to material presentation in his editions. Within his arc, the print exemplifies how he pairs accessible screen-print drops with environmental causes, embedding policy advocacy into his catalog during this era.
FAQ
Did this print support a cause?
Yes. According to the source, a portion of the proceeds went to the NRDC to support responsible environmental policy. This connects the print to Fairey's broader environmental advocacy in 2014, when he supported the NRDC across several climate-themed releases.
What paper is the print on?
Per the source, Paint It Black is an 18 x 24 inch screen print on Speckletone paper, a textured stock. It is signed and numbered in an edition of 450, with a one-per-person/household limit noted at release on May 6, 2014.
What is the edition size?
The source lists a signed and numbered edition of 450 at 18 x 24 inches. This is a standard mid-size run for Fairey, keeping the print accessible to a broad range of collectors rather than positioning it as a rarity.
When was it released?
According to the source, the release date was May 6, 2014, with a limit of one per person/household. The print was published by Obey Giant as a first edition. The source provides edition and cause details but limited information on the specific imagery.
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.