Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “50 Shades Of Black Large Format Print Set (First Edition)”?
Artist Statement
42 x 42 Large Format Serigraph Prints. Matched Numbered Sets of 8. Signed and Numbered Edition of 50. 1 Color printed on Varnished 100% Cotton Rag Archival Paper. A limited number of sets will be available Thursday June 5, 2014
Summary
50 Shades Of Black Large Format Print Set (First Edition) is a 2014 Shepard Fairey release published by Obey Giant, comprising matched numbered sets of eight 42 x 42 inch large-format serigraphs. Each print is a one-color work on varnished 100% cotton rag archival paper, signed and numbered in an edition of 50. The set was offered in a limited quantity beginning Thursday, June 5, 2014. As a coordinated eight-piece grouping at monumental scale, it is conceived as a unified collection rather than individual prints, emphasizing graphic black-toned imagery across a matched, gallery-oriented presentation.
Why It Matters
This set is notable as a complete, matched eight-piece grouping of Fairey's 42 x 42 inch large-format serigraphs, assembled into matched-numbered sets within an edition of 50. Acquiring all eight prints together as a unified set is a distinctly different proposition from buying individual works: it offers a coordinated installation at architectural scale and a single matched edition number across the group. The single-color treatment on varnished 100% cotton rag archival paper aligns the set with Fairey's premium large-format program, where restraint in color foregrounds composition and graphic strength. The 'limited number of sets' offered makes complete sets the scarcest way to own this body of work. For collectors and institutions, the appeal lies in the rarity of intact matched sets, the dramatic visual cohesion of eight monumental panels, and the curatorial statement such a grouping makes. It represents the most ambitious tier of Fairey's 2014 serigraph output, rewarding buyers who want a self-contained collection with built-in thematic and formal unity rather than a single statement piece.
Collector Perspective
This set targets serious collectors and institutions seeking a complete, matched grouping rather than a single work. The eight-print matched-numbered format makes it an installation-grade acquisition, ideal for a large wall, gallery, or dedicated room where the panels can be shown together for maximum cumulative impact. At a 42 x 42 inch scale per piece on archival cotton rag, it demands significant space and rewards ambitious display. Because only a limited number of complete sets were offered, it appeals to collectors who prize intact sets and the difficulty of reassembling them later. It anchors a Fairey collection focused on his large-format serigraph program and complements his other 2014 same-scale works.
Historical Context
The 50 Shades Of Black set belongs to Fairey's 2014 large-format serigraph program through Obey Giant, the same body of 42 x 42 inch single-color works that defined his collectible fine-art output that year. Offering these as matched-numbered eight-print sets reflects an ambition to present the large-format pieces as a curated whole rather than as standalone releases. This packaging approach situates the work at the most collection-oriented end of Fairey's mid-2010s practice, building on the screen-printing craft he developed from his early OBEY era into a premium, set-based presentation aimed at dedicated collectors and exhibition contexts.
FAQ
What does the 50 Shades Of Black set include?
It is a matched numbered set of eight 42 x 42 inch large-format serigraph prints. Each is a one-color work on varnished 100% cotton rag archival paper, and the eight prints share a single matched edition number within the edition of 50.
How is it numbered and editioned?
The set is a signed and numbered edition of 50, sold as matched numbered sets of eight. The matched numbering means the eight prints carry the same edition number, making complete intact sets a coordinated unit rather than separate works.
When was the set released?
The record lists a date of June 5, 2014, published by Obey Giant, and notes that a limited number of sets would be available Thursday, June 5, 2014.
Why collect the full set rather than single prints?
The set is conceived as a unified eight-panel grouping at monumental scale with matched numbering. A limited number of complete sets were offered, so intact sets are the most cohesive and hardest-to-assemble way to own this body of large-format work.
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.