Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “3 Face Poster Set (Cream)”?
Artist Statement
3 Face Image on thick paper (sold as set of 3) Each poster is 28.7" x 24 ". All 3 posters are signed, Open Edition, (not numbered) "Consistent with the posters you see on the street this Obey Offset Poster Set Cream (on thick paper) is now being offered for those who want their very own Authentic Street Version! ATTENTION: these posters are smaller than the White and Black version. 3-Face Image poster Thin paper (sold as set of 3) $35 Thick paper (sold as set of 3) $45
Summary
3 Face Poster Set (Cream) is a 2016 Shepard Fairey offset lithograph set, published by Obey Giant and sold as a set of three posters on thick cream paper. The source notes each poster is signed, open edition, and not numbered, and describes them as authentic street-version posters consistent with what is seen on walls. The set features Fairey's 3 Face image, a core piece of OBEY iconography. The description indicates these cream posters are smaller than the White and Black versions, and references thin-paper and thick-paper set options at differing prices. The work offers an accessible, signed entry into Fairey's street-poster output.
Why It Matters
The 3 Face Poster Set (Cream) embodies one of Fairey's foundational ideas: bringing the authentic street-poster experience into collectors' hands. The source explicitly frames the set as the 'Authentic Street Version' consistent with posters seen on the street, making it a deliberate bridge between Fairey's public wheatpaste practice and the collector market. The 3 Face image itself is a recurring piece of OBEY iconography, and offering it as a signed, open-edition offset set keeps it affordable and widely available, in keeping with Fairey's democratizing ethos. The cream variant is part of a small family of versions (cream and white), with the description noting it is smaller than the White and Black versions, which gives collectors a clear way to differentiate within the set. While open editions carry less scarcity-driven value, this set matters as a representative, hand-signed example of Fairey's poster aesthetic and his commitment to accessible art. For collectors who want genuine OBEY street iconography in a wall-ready format without chasing a numbered screen print, it is a sensible and characteristic choice.
Collector Perspective
This set appeals to collectors who want authentic OBEY street-poster iconography in an accessible, signed format. Because it is an open edition offered as a set of three on thick cream paper, it is well suited to newer collectors or those decorating with Fairey's graphic language rather than pursuing rarity. The signed posters display effectively as a grouped triptych and capture the look of Fairey's wall work, which the source explicitly markets as the authentic street version. It fits naturally in an OBEY-iconography focused collection and pairs with the related collage and large-format icon prints. Buyers should note these are unnumbered open editions and that the cream version is smaller than the White and Black versions.
Historical Context
The 3 Face image is part of Fairey's long-running OBEY iconography, rooted in the sticker and wheatpaste campaign that defined his early career. This 2016 offset set, published by Obey Giant, reflects his ongoing practice of translating street posters into affordable, signed collector editions. By describing the posters as authentic street versions consistent with what appears on walls, the source ties the set directly to Fairey's public-art roots while making the imagery available to a home audience. As an open-edition offset lithograph set rather than a numbered screen print, it illustrates the accessible tier of his output, designed to spread the iconography widely rather than to function as a scarce object.
FAQ
Is the 3 Face Poster Set (Cream) numbered?
No. The source states all three posters are signed but are an open edition and not numbered. The set is published by Obey Giant on thick cream paper and sold as a set of three.
How does the cream version differ from other versions?
The description notes the cream posters are smaller than the White and Black versions. It also references both thin-paper and thick-paper set options offered at different prices.
What makes this an 'authentic street version'?
The source markets the set as consistent with the posters seen on the street, offering collectors their own authentic street version of Fairey's 3 Face image in offset poster form.
What medium is this set?
It is an offset lithograph set, sold as three posters, each signed by Shepard Fairey, published in 2016.
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.