Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Twenty-One”?
Artist Statement
I originally designed this poster for the first-ever show at my gallery Subliminal Projects in '95 and now they're releasing a limited edition Screen print, remixed by my creative agency Studio Number One, to coincide with their current show Twenty-One, on view Wed-Sat from 12pm-6pm until July 15. Twenty-one. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on white Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 250. $45.
Summary
Twenty-One is a 2017 screenprint on white Speckletone paper, 18 x 24 inches, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered in a first edition of 250, published by Subliminal Projects. Fairey notes the image was originally designed as a poster for the first-ever show at his gallery Subliminal Projects in 1995, and was reissued as a limited screenprint remixed by his creative agency Studio Number One to coincide with the gallery's anniversary exhibition, Twenty-One. The print marks twenty-one years of the gallery and ties a foundational early design to a later editioned release.
Why It Matters
Twenty-One is significant as a piece of Fairey's own institutional history rather than a topical political statement. The source establishes that its imagery originates from the poster for the very first show at Subliminal Projects in 1995, the Los Angeles gallery Fairey co-founded. Reissued in 2017 and remixed by his studio, Studio Number One, to mark the gallery's anniversary show, the print functions as a self-referential document connecting Fairey's mid-1990s roots to his mature practice. That provenance gives it appeal for collectors interested in the origins of his career and the platforms he built. Published by Subliminal Projects rather than Obey Giant, it carries a distinct imprint tied directly to the gallery it commemorates. The edition of 250 is moderate, and the work's anniversary nature makes it a commemorative object as much as a standalone image. For collectors who value the story behind Fairey's institutions and the continuity between his early and later work, Twenty-One offers a meaningful, well-provenanced piece that captures a milestone for one of the spaces central to his artistic and curatorial life.
Collector Perspective
Twenty-One appeals to collectors focused on Fairey's career history and the institutions he built, especially those interested in Subliminal Projects and his Los Angeles roots. Its provenance, a 1995 first-show poster reissued for the gallery's anniversary, gives it a documentary, commemorative quality that distinguishes it from his message-driven prints. The clean 18 x 24 inch format displays well and suits collections oriented around the artist's biography. Signed and numbered in an edition of 250, it balances collectibility with attainability. Because it was published by Subliminal Projects and remixed by Studio Number One, it carries distinct provenance that collectors of Fairey ephemera and gallery-related releases will value. It fits naturally with other Subliminal-affiliated and same-year works.
Historical Context
Twenty-One links two points in Fairey's career: the 1995 founding-era of his Subliminal Projects gallery and its 2017 anniversary. The image was first made as the poster for the gallery's inaugural show, then remixed by Studio Number One, Fairey's creative agency, for a screenprint coinciding with the anniversary exhibition. This makes the work a marker of Fairey's parallel role as gallerist and studio principal, not only as a poster artist. Published under the Subliminal Projects imprint, it reflects the infrastructure Fairey built around his practice in Los Angeles. Within his arc, it stands apart from his protest and music prints as a piece of institutional memory, celebrating the longevity of a space that has been central to his curatorial and artistic activity for over two decades.
FAQ
What does Twenty-One commemorate?
The print marks twenty-one years of Fairey's gallery Subliminal Projects. The image was originally designed as the poster for the gallery's first-ever show in 1995, then reissued as a limited screenprint to coincide with the anniversary exhibition, Twenty-One.
Who published and remixed this print?
It was published by Subliminal Projects, Fairey's gallery, and the original 1995 poster design was remixed for this release by Studio Number One, his creative agency. This gives the print provenance distinct from his Obey Giant releases.
What are the size, paper, and edition?
Twenty-One is a screenprint on white Speckletone paper measuring 18 x 24 inches, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered in a first edition of 250. It was released in 2017 at an original price of $45.
Is the design new or older?
The design is older. According to Fairey, it was first created in 1995 as the poster for the inaugural Subliminal Projects show, making the 2017 screenprint a reissue of an early gallery image rather than an entirely new composition.
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.