Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Covert To Overt - Big Brother (Gold Edition)”?
Artist Statement
Covert to Overt – Big Brother, 2015 3 color screen print (Gold Edition) Numbered edition of 350; Signed by Shepard Fairey and Jon Furlong. 18 x 24 inches $55
Summary
Covert to Overt - Big Brother (Gold Edition) is a 2015 Shepard Fairey screen print, published by Obey Giant on October 23, 2015. It is a 3-color screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, issued as a numbered Gold Edition of 350 at $55 and signed by both Shepard Fairey and Jon Furlong. The 'Big Brother' subject continues Fairey's long-running engagement with surveillance and authoritarian watching, a motif he has revisited since his early work. A Silver edition was also produced as part of the same release.
Why It Matters
Covert to Overt - Big Brother matters as a 2015 entry in one of Fairey's most enduring motifs, the 'Big Brother' surveillance image that he has returned to repeatedly since the early years of his career. The 'covert to overt' framing sharpens that history, suggesting surveillance has moved from hidden to openly accepted, a pointed observation for the era. The dual signature by Shepard Fairey and Jon Furlong, and the issuance as a Gold Edition alongside a Silver variant, mark this as a special collaborative release rather than a standard solo print. At an edition of 350 it is somewhat scarcer than Fairey's common 450-run screen prints, and the 3-color treatment with metallic-toned editions gives it added visual distinction. For collectors, the print connects a single accessible 2015 work to a deep lineage of Big Brother imagery stretching back across Fairey's catalog, making it especially appealing to those tracking the evolution of his surveillance theme. It functions both as a standalone statement and as a clear waypoint within that long-running visual thread.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors drawn to Fairey's surveillance theme and to those tracking the long evolution of his recurring Big Brother imagery. The dual signature with Jon Furlong, the Gold Edition designation, and the companion Silver variant add collectible distinction beyond a standard screen print. At an edition of 350 it is modestly scarcer than Fairey's typical 450 runs, which appeals to buyers who value smaller editions and special-release status. The 18 x 24 inch format frames easily and displays well alongside earlier Big Brother works, making it a natural anchor for a surveillance-themed Fairey grouping. Collectors interested in thematic lineage will value how it connects to decades of related imagery in his catalog.
Historical Context
Covert to Overt - Big Brother dates to October 2015 and ties to Fairey's Covert to Overt project of that year, while extending a Big Brother surveillance motif he has revisited since the early years of his career. The image continues a thread present in works going back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, making the 2015 edition a mature restatement of a foundational theme. The 'covert to overt' framing reflects a moment of heightened public awareness of surveillance, and the collaborative dual signature with Jon Furlong situates it among Fairey's special, partner-signed releases. It marks a point where Fairey revisited and updated core motifs for a contemporary context.
FAQ
Who signed this print?
The Gold Edition is signed by both Shepard Fairey and Jon Furlong, making it a dual-signed collaborative release. It is a numbered edition of 350, which distinguishes it from Fairey's standard solo-signed screen prints from the same period.
What is the edition size and are there variants?
This is the Gold Edition, numbered to 350. A Silver edition was also produced as part of the same 2015 release, giving collectors two metallic-toned variants of the Covert to Overt Big Brother image.
What does the Big Brother imagery represent?
The Big Brother motif engages themes of surveillance and authoritarian watching, a subject Fairey has revisited across his career. The 'covert to overt' framing suggests surveillance has shifted from hidden to openly accepted, sharpening the print's commentary.
What are the print's specifications?
It is a 3-color screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in 2015 at an issue price of $55. The Gold Edition is numbered to 350 and signed by Shepard Fairey and Jon Furlong.
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.