Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (Offset Poster)”?
Artist Statement
24 x 36 inches. Offset poster on thick cream Speckle Tone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Open edition (not numbered).
Summary
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (Offset Poster) is a 2018 offset lithograph by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant. Measuring 24 x 36 inches, it is printed on thick cream speckle-tone paper, signed by the artist, and issued as an open edition that is not numbered. The title invokes the French republican motto, framing the work within Fairey's recurring engagement with ideals of liberty, equality and civic solidarity. As an accessible signed offset poster, it offers his graphic political messaging in an affordable, wider-availability format rather than a limited screen-print edition.
Why It Matters
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité connects Fairey's graphic activism to the foundational language of the French Republic, using a motto synonymous with liberty, equality and solidarity. As an offset poster issued as a signed open edition, the work reflects a recurring strategy in Fairey's practice: making politically charged imagery broadly accessible rather than restricting it to scarce screen prints. That accessibility is itself meaningful, echoing the propaganda-poster tradition of mass distribution that has shaped his work since the OBEY campaign. The piece is signed but, per the source, open and not numbered, which positions it as an entry point for collectors and a vehicle for spreading its civic message at scale. At 24 x 36 inches on thick cream speckle-tone paper, it is a substantial poster suited to display. While the record's source detail is comparatively limited, the title and format together make the work a clear statement of solidarity with republican ideals. For collectors, its value lies less in scarcity than in message, signature, and its place among Fairey's affordable offset releases that broaden the reach of his political imagery.
Collector Perspective
This poster suits collectors who prioritize Fairey's political messaging and accessibility over scarcity. As a signed open edition at a low price point, it is an approachable entry for newer collectors and a natural fit for those building a broad survey of his offset output. At 24 x 36 inches on thick cream speckle-tone paper, it displays well and pairs with other affordable signed posters in his catalog. Because it is not numbered, it appeals to buyers focused on the signed image and its civic theme rather than edition rarity. It fits collections organized around Fairey's political and solidarity-themed work, where the French republican motto adds a distinct international and ideological dimension.
Historical Context
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité sits within Fairey's prolific offset-poster output, the affordable, often open-edition format he uses to circulate political imagery widely. Published by Obey Giant in 2018, it invokes the French republican motto, extending his engagement with civic ideals into an explicitly European frame of reference. The open, signed-but-unnumbered format aligns with Fairey's long-running practice, rooted in the OBEY street campaign, of prioritizing mass distribution and accessibility for message-driven works. The source provides limited detail beyond format, dimensions and edition status, so its place is best understood as part of his broader stream of solidarity- and liberty-themed posters rather than a singular limited release. It exemplifies how Fairey balances scarce screen-print editions with widely available posters that keep his political vocabulary in broad circulation.
FAQ
What does the title Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité refer to?
The title invokes the French republican motto meaning liberty, equality and fraternity. Fairey uses it to frame the poster around civic ideals of freedom and solidarity, consistent with his political messaging.
Is this print numbered or limited?
No. According to the source it is an open edition that is not numbered, though it is signed by Shepard Fairey. It is an accessible offset poster rather than a scarce limited screen print.
What are the dimensions and medium?
It measures 24 x 36 inches and is an offset lithograph (offset poster) printed on thick cream Speckle Tone paper, published by Obey Giant in 2018.
Why is it priced affordably?
As a signed open-edition offset poster, it follows Fairey's practice of making political imagery widely accessible. The source lists a $35 price, reflecting its broad-availability format rather than limited rarity.
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.