Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “P.O.P. Wave (Blue)”?
Artist Statement
"This P.O.P. Wave print is a collaboration with artist and photographer Craig Stecyk A.K.A. C.R. Stecyk III. If you aren't familiar with Stecyk by name, you probably know many of the things he has done over the years. In the 1970's Stecyk was co-founder of the Zephyr surf team and a seminal creative force in the the Dogtown surf and skate scene. Stecyk went on to work as a creative director for Powell-Peralta skateboards during their 1980's era of domination. In addition to creating well known iconography like Powell-Peralta's "Rat Bones" logo and the Thrasher "Skate and Destroy" typography, Stecyk was very involved in the highly influential Bones Brigade skateboard videos. Around the year 2000 I reached out to Stecyk to get his OK to do a "Paste and Destroy"(a poster wheat-sting reference) tee shirt design inspired by his "Skate and Destroy." He gave me his blessing, and in hindsight, I'm glad I asked permission, because shortly after that I was asked to design the soundtrack package for the documentary film Dogtown and Z-Boys which featured Stecyk's photography. Stecyk didn't hate the work I did on the soundtrack package, so he let me make an illustration of legendary skateboarder Jay Adams based on one of his photos. Craig and I have remained friends and the opportunity recently came up for us to collaborate again on imagery for a mural in Venice, CA, Stecyk's stomping grounds. I have enjoyed making illustrations of waves as part of my environmentally themed art over the last few years, so I was excited to make an illustration based on Stecyk's 1970's photo of a wave curling in front the decaying Pacific Ocean Park pier (P.O.P.). The Zephyr surf team used to localize the pier and shoot the waves through its ragged pilings in poetic demonstrations of humankind and nature in harmony rather than conflict. The P.O.P. Wave is a reminder not to mess with nature unless you want to be punched back hard. In the battle of the waves versus the P.O.P., the surfers knew who would prevail." -Shepard "The Pacific Ocean Park pier straddled a dividing line between the cities of Santa Monica and Los Angeles. It was in equal portions: a legal quagmire; an abandoned amusement park; a venerable historic artifact; a phenomenal surfing spot, home to acres of unregulated skateable concrete; a site of endless free building materials; and blocks of free space to host any imaginable enterprise. For a time I worked the POP enviorns for all of the above reasons. Cops from the differing municipalities were loathe to interdict there, as it constituted a jurisdictional no-man's land. So no one ever bothered me. It was a great time and a phenomenally inspirational place. This photo documents one such morning. " - C.R.Stecyk lll "P.O.P. Wave" print collaboration with C.R. Stecyk III, offered in two editions: Blue, and Gold. Prints are signed by Shepard and C.R. Stecyk III. Both numbered editions of 300. $65. 18 inches by 24 inches screen print
Summary
P.O.P. Wave (Blue) is a 2016 screen print by Shepard Fairey in collaboration with photographer and artist Craig Stecyk (C.R. Stecyk III), published by Obey Giant at 18 by 24 inches. It is a signed, numbered edition of 300, offered in Blue and Gold variants and signed by both Fairey and Stecyk. The image is based on Stecyk's 1970s photograph of a wave curling in front of the decaying Pacific Ocean Park pier. Released April 5, 2016, at $65, it ties Fairey's environmental wave imagery to Dogtown-era skate and surf history.
Why It Matters
P.O.P. Wave fuses two strands of Fairey's work: his environmentally themed wave imagery and his deep roots in skate and surf culture. The collaboration is with Craig Stecyk, the source notes, a co-founder of the Zephyr surf team, a seminal force in the Dogtown skate scene, and the creator of iconic graphics like Powell-Peralta's 'Rat Bones' logo and the Thrasher 'Skate and Destroy' typography. Fairey recounts a relationship dating to around 2000, when he sought Stecyk's blessing for a 'Paste and Destroy' tee, later illustrating skater Jay Adams from a Stecyk photo. Here Fairey builds an illustration from Stecyk's 1970s photo of a wave breaking before the decaying Pacific Ocean Park pier, framing it as a reminder, in his words, not to mess with nature. For collectors, the dual signatures, the documented Dogtown lineage, and the environmental message converge in a single accessible edition of 300. Offered in Blue and Gold colorways, it carries a modest set-collecting appeal. The piece bridges Fairey's contemporary climate-conscious art with the 1970s Venice surf-and-skate world Stecyk helped define, giving it crossover significance for environmental, skate, and Fairey collectors alike.
Collector Perspective
P.O.P. Wave (Blue) appeals to a wide crossover audience: environmental-art collectors, Dogtown skate and surf devotees, Craig Stecyk admirers, and Fairey enthusiasts. The dual signatures of Fairey and Stecyk and the documented link to 1970s Venice surf history give it strong narrative depth. As a numbered edition of 300 offered in Blue and Gold, it invites modest set collecting for those who want both colorways. Its wave imagery suits coastal, beach-house, or nature-themed interiors as well as skate-culture spaces, and it pairs naturally with Fairey's other environmental and ocean-themed prints. The accessible original price and broad subject appeal make it an easy acquisition for collectors entering from the surf or environmental angle rather than fine art.
Historical Context
P.O.P. Wave connects Fairey's ongoing environmental art to the 1970s Dogtown surf-and-skate culture that shaped so much of the aesthetic he grew up within. The source identifies collaborator Craig Stecyk as a Zephyr surf team co-founder and creator of landmark skate graphics, and traces his relationship with Fairey to around 2000 and the 'Paste and Destroy' tee, plus Fairey's later Jay Adams illustration and a shared Venice mural project. Built from Stecyk's 1970s photograph of a wave before the decaying Pacific Ocean Park pier, the print extends Fairey's mid-2010s practice of producing climate-conscious wave imagery. Released in 2016 through Obey Giant in Blue and Gold editions, it sits among his environmental and collaboration prints of the period. The work documents a meaningful intergenerational link between Fairey and a foundational figure of California skate-surf culture, uniting environmental messaging with the Venice scene's history.
FAQ
Who collaborated on P.O.P. Wave?
The print is a collaboration with photographer and artist Craig Stecyk (C.R. Stecyk III), a co-founder of the Zephyr surf team and a seminal figure in the Dogtown skate scene. It is signed by both Shepard Fairey and Stecyk and based on Stecyk's 1970s wave photograph.
What is the image based on?
According to the source, the image is Fairey's illustration of Stecyk's 1970s photograph of a wave curling in front of the decaying Pacific Ocean Park (P.O.P.) pier. Fairey frames it as part of his environmental art and a reminder not to mess with nature.
What editions and sizes were offered?
P.O.P. Wave was offered in two colorways, Blue and Gold, each a numbered edition of 300, signed by both Fairey and Stecyk. The screen print measures 18 by 24 inches, was published by Obey Giant in 2016, and originally sold for $65.
How does it fit Fairey's environmental work?
The source notes Fairey has enjoyed making wave illustrations as part of his environmentally themed art, presenting the Zephyr surfers' relationship to the pier as a demonstration of humankind and nature in harmony rather than conflict.
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.