Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Obey Royal Treatment Skull”?
Artist Statement
18 inches by 24 inches. Screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper. Edition of 300. Signed by Shepard Fairey. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to 350.org. $55
Summary
Obey Royal Treatment Skull is a 2016 screen print by Shepard Fairey on cream Speckletone paper. Published by Obey Giant in an edition of 300, it measures 18 x 24 inches and is signed by the artist. The source notes that a portion of proceeds was donated to 350.org, the environmental organization. Using Fairey's ornamental, regal visual language, the skull motif pairs mortality with the trappings of power and wealth. It serves as the companion variant to Obey Royal Treatment Money in the same Royal Treatment release.
Why It Matters
Obey Royal Treatment Skull pairs Fairey's ornate, royal visual idiom with a skull, a memento-mori symbol that overlays mortality onto themes of wealth and power. As the companion to the money variant in the Royal Treatment release, it completes a small thematic set contrasting riches and death. The source documents that a portion of proceeds went to 350.org, tying the print to Fairey's environmental activism and giving the consumerism critique a tangible cause connection. For collectors, the signed Obey Giant edition of 300 at 18 x 24 inches on Speckletone paper is an accessible, attainable Fairey print compared with his large limited works. The skull imagery broadens its appeal beyond pure political collectors to those drawn to bolder, symbolic graphics. Within Fairey's catalog it connects to a wider cluster of power-and-money works, and as half of a deliberate pair it carries added value for collectors seeking both variants. Its modest run and documented charitable tie make it both reachable and meaningful.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who favor Fairey's symbolic, graphic imagery and his consumerism-and-power critique, with the skull motif adding crossover appeal to those drawn to memento-mori and bolder design. The signed Obey Giant edition of 300 at 18 x 24 inches and accessible price keep it attainable. The documented 350.org donation adds cause appeal. As the companion to the money variant, it is especially desirable to collectors assembling the full Royal Treatment pair, and it displays effectively alongside its counterpart in collections themed around power, wealth, and Fairey's iconography.
Historical Context
Obey Royal Treatment Skull belongs to Fairey's mid-2010s consumerism and power commentary. Published by Obey Giant in 2016, it serves as the companion to the money variant in the Royal Treatment release. The documented portion of proceeds donated to 350.org places the print within Fairey's recurring practice of pairing his art with activist causes, here linking wealth critique to environmental advocacy. Printed on cream Speckletone paper in a signed edition of 300, it represents the accessible-format screen prints Fairey regularly issued through Obey Giant, extending his long-running visual examination of power and mortality through the skull motif.
FAQ
What is Obey Royal Treatment Skull?
It is a 2016 Shepard Fairey screen print on cream Speckletone paper, signed by the artist. Published by Obey Giant, it pairs a skull motif with Fairey's ornamental, regal style and serves as the companion to the Obey Royal Treatment Money variant.
What are the edition size and dimensions?
It is an edition of 300, measuring 18 inches by 24 inches. It is a screen print on cream Speckletone paper, signed by Shepard Fairey, with an original price of $55.
Was any of the proceeds donated?
Yes. According to the source, a portion of the proceeds was donated to 350.org, the environmental organization, connecting this print to Fairey's environmental activism.
Is there a matching print?
Yes. It is the companion to Obey Royal Treatment Money from the same 2016 release, and the money and skull variants are commonly collected together as a pair.
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.