Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Floral Takeover 2017 (Red / Cream)”?
Artist Statement
Floral Takeover 2017 (Red/Cream). 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 200. $45.
Summary
Floral Takeover 2017 (Red/Cream) is a Shepard Fairey screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper, 18 x 24 inches, signed and issued in a numbered edition of 200 by Obey Giant in 2017. Part of Fairey's recurring floral motif series, the image arranges blooms and decorative botanical forms within his signature ornamental, pattern-driven graphic style. The release was offered in several colorways, including Black/Red, Cream/Red, Red/Black, and Red/Cream. It carried an original price of $45 and is signed by Shepard Fairey.
Why It Matters
Floral Takeover belongs to Fairey's ongoing floral and ornamental work, where he uses decorative botanical patterning as both a design exercise and a softer counterpoint to his harder political imagery. The motif recurs across his catalog, and the Takeover prints distill it into a richly patterned, symmetrical composition that showcases his debt to decorative and ornamental design traditions. For collectors, floral works occupy a distinct and consistently popular lane in Fairey's output, prized for their display versatility and the way they pair with both his political and his purely aesthetic pieces. This 2017 edition is notable for its relatively small numbered run of 200, tighter than many of his releases, and for being offered across multiple color combinations, which appeals to collectors who pursue colorway variants. The accessible original price and standard 18 x 24 format have historically made the floral prints approachable entry points. As a clean example of Fairey's ornamental design language, Floral Takeover provides balance within a collection otherwise weighted toward propaganda and protest imagery, and it connects to a broader family of floral, lotus, and rose-motif works across his career.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors drawn to Fairey's decorative and floral output rather than his overtly political work, as well as those who chase colorway variants. With multiple combinations released, completists may seek several versions, and the contained edition of 200 adds appeal for buyers seeking tighter runs. At 18 x 24 inches the print frames easily and works as a softer visual anchor among bolder graphic pieces. It pairs naturally with other floral, lotus, and rose-themed works, and its ornamental symmetry makes it versatile for display in settings where the political subject matter of other Fairey prints might be less suited. It suits both new collectors entering at an accessible price and established collectors building a dedicated floral sub-series.
Historical Context
Floral Takeover 2017 sits within Fairey's recurring engagement with floral and ornamental motifs, a strand of his practice that runs parallel to his political poster work and draws on decorative art and pattern-design traditions. Released through Obey Giant on cream Speckle Tone paper in a numbered edition of 200, it reflects his standard studio-edition practice of the period while extending a botanical theme he revisits across many years. Within his arc, the floral works function as aesthetic and design-focused counterpoints to his activist imagery, linking to a wider family of flower, lotus, vine, and rose-geometric prints that span his catalog from earlier releases through later editions.
FAQ
What colorways was Floral Takeover 2017 released in?
The release was offered in several listed color combinations, including Black/Red, Cream/Red, Red/Black, and Red/Cream. This record is the Red/Cream version. All share the same 18 x 24 screen-print format on cream Speckle Tone paper.
What is the edition size?
Floral Takeover 2017 (Red/Cream) is a numbered edition of 200, signed by Shepard Fairey and published by Obey Giant in 2017. That makes it a relatively contained run compared with many of Fairey's larger editions.
What are the size and medium?
It is a screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper measuring 18 x 24 inches. It was released by Obey Giant in 2017 at an original price of $45 and is signed by the artist.
How does this fit a Fairey collection?
Floral Takeover sits in Fairey's decorative and floral output, offering an ornamental, pattern-driven counterpoint to his political prints. It pairs well with other flower, lotus, and rose-motif works and provides aesthetic balance within a broader collection.
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.