Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Bomber Square (Yellow Paper)”?
Artist Statement
BOMBER SQUARE Screen Print 18 x 16 inches Edition of 99 This print was the first version of the Bomber print. Shepard decided he did not like it much and gave most of them away. Around 100 were made. It has been reported that they were never officially put on sale, although other reports indicate that they were sold through MK Gallery (who convinced Shepard to allow the gallery to sell them). This print was done in at least two colors, including yellow, and was screened on both white and yellow papers. Run size information reflects the numbering found on some prints and is assumed to include all square Bomber variations.
Summary
Bomber Square (Yellow Paper) is a 1996 screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 by 16 inches in a stated edition of 99, issued on both white and yellow papers and in at least two colors. The source identifies it as the first version of the Bomber print. Fairey reportedly disliked it and gave most copies away, with around 100 made. Accounts differ on whether it was ever officially sold: some say it was never put on sale, while others indicate it was sold through MK Gallery, which convinced Fairey to allow it. The run-size figure is assumed to cover all square Bomber variations, making its true scarcity uncertain.
Why It Matters
Bomber Square holds a distinctive place in Fairey's catalog as the first version of the Bomber image, a motif he returned to in later years. Its importance is partly historical and partly about its unusual backstory, which the source documents in detail. Fairey reportedly disliked the print and gave most copies away, and accounts conflict over whether it was ever formally sold or only distributed through MK Gallery after the gallery persuaded him. That murky release history, combined with variations in paper color and ink, makes it a genuinely complex object for collectors who value provenance and origin stories over clean editions. As the origin point of the Bomber series, it anchors a lineage that the related works extend across decades, including later large-format and peace-themed Bomber prints. The source pairs its primary collaborations-and-pop-culture framing with a peace-and-anti-war secondary signal, hinting at the aircraft imagery that the Bomber title implies, though the source does not elaborate on the message. For collectors, the appeal lies in owning the first iteration of a recurring motif, with the added intrigue of an artist who nearly discarded it. The uncertainty around how many truly entered circulation, given the give-aways and assumed run figure, means its scarcity is real but hard to fix precisely.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who prize origin points and unusual provenance, since it is the first version of the Bomber image and one Fairey reportedly nearly discarded. The conflicting sale history and the give-away story give it a strong narrative hook. Paper-color and ink variations add interest for completists who track variants. As the start of a motif Fairey revisited for years, it anchors a thematic Bomber grouping that spans decades. The square format and 1996 date make it a focused early piece. Buyers drawn to the peace-and-anti-war thread implied by the aircraft imagery may also find it meaningful, though the source does not detail the message.
Historical Context
Dated 1996, Bomber Square is the first version of a motif Fairey would revisit in later years, making it a notable origin point within his catalog. The source places it in the mid-1990s Obey Giant period and recounts an atypical history: Fairey disliked it, gave most copies away, and its sale through MK Gallery is reported inconsistently. The aircraft imagery implied by the Bomber title and the peace-and-anti-war secondary signal foreshadow themes that recur in his later work, though the source does not elaborate. Its variations in paper and color reflect the loose production practices of his early editions. Within his arc it stands as the seed of the Bomber series, predating his more polished and politically explicit output.
FAQ
Why is Bomber Square notable?
The source identifies it as the first version of the Bomber print, making it the origin of a motif Fairey revisited later. Its backstory is unusual: Fairey reportedly disliked it and gave most copies away, with around 100 made, which adds intrigue for collectors who value provenance.
Was this print ever officially sold?
Accounts differ. The source notes some reports say it was never officially put on sale, while others indicate it was sold through MK Gallery, who convinced Fairey to allow the gallery to sell them. The exact distribution history is therefore uncertain.
What variations exist?
Per the source, the print was done in at least two colors, including yellow, and was screened on both white and yellow papers. The stated run figure of 99 is assumed to include all square Bomber variations, so the scarcity of any single variant is not precisely fixed.
What are its dimensions and medium?
It is a screen print measuring 18 by 16 inches, dated 1996 and published by Obey Giant. The square format distinguishes it within Fairey's catalog and ties it to the square Bomber variations the source describes.
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.