Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “My Florist Is A Dick (Large Format)”?
Artist Statement
According to co-curator of "Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent," Pedro Alonzo: This work points out society's blindness to a rigged system and systemic abuse of power. The use of the sinister soldier-like police officer in riot gear mirrors the riots in Ferguson, Missouri caused by the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson. The image builds on a previous piece, "I'm Gonna Kick Your Ass and Get Away With It," which deals with Fairey's personal experience with police brutality. Having been jailed for putting art in public space, the artist has intimate knowledge of police brutality. Apart from being struck in the face by an officer while handcuffed, Fairey, a type 1 diabetic, has been denied insulin while incarcerated; a life-threatening situation. The artist explains that the title, "My Florist is a Dick," is an ironic statement referring to the surprise we'd feel if the local florist was a "sadistic asshole," but that we should not be surprised that "cops are often dicks who abuse power." The flower inserted into the end of the baton is a metaphor Fairey uses to convey non-violent protest. The skull under the riot helmet is a reference to John Carpenter's 1988 film, "They Live," in which an alien elite rules the planet. They control humanity through the use of subliminal messaging in advertising. My Florist is a Dick. Serigraph on 100% Cotton Custom Archival Paper with hand-deckled edges. 30 x 41 inches. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 89. Comes with a certificate of authenticity. $900.
Summary
My Florist Is A Dick (Large Format) is a 2019 screen print published by Obey Giant as a numbered first edition of 89, measuring 30 x 41 inches on 100% cotton custom archival paper with hand-deckled edges, signed and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, offered at $900. The image depicts a sinister, soldier-like police officer in riot gear, with a skull beneath the helmet referencing John Carpenter's 1988 film They Live and a flower inserted into the end of a baton as a metaphor for non-violent protest. The work critiques systemic abuse of power and police brutality through an ironic, provocative title and confrontational imagery.
Why It Matters
This print is one of Fairey's most pointed statements on police brutality and the abuse of institutional power, grounded in both public events and personal experience. The riot-gear figure references the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown, while the work builds on Fairey's earlier piece about his own encounters with police, including being struck while handcuffed and, as a type 1 diabetic, denied insulin while incarcerated. The skull-under-helmet motif borrows directly from John Carpenter's They Live, a touchstone for Fairey's critique of hidden control and subliminal messaging that also underlies his OBEY iconography. The flower in the baton supplies a counter-image of non-violent protest, sharpening the moral contrast. The deliberately ironic title disarms viewers before delivering its message about who actually abuses power. As a small numbered edition of 89 on premium hand-deckled archival paper, it is both a serious political document and a collectible large-format object. It exemplifies the activist core of Fairey's practice and connects his personal history to broader civil-rights and accountability movements, giving the work unusual depth among his protest images.
Collector Perspective
This work suits collectors drawn to Fairey's most overtly political, confrontational imagery and to the civil-rights and police-accountability themes that run through his catalog. The dense backstory tied to Ferguson, his personal experience, and the They Live reference makes it a strong centerpiece for a politically themed collection or for collectors who value narrative weight. At 30 x 41 inches in an edition of 89, signed with a certificate of authenticity, it appeals to buyers seeking scarce, large-format statement pieces rather than decorative works. Its provocative title and imagery make it a deliberate conversation piece. It groups well with his other power-and-protest large-format serigraphs and with works addressing systemic abuse, offering a high-impact anchor for a thematic grouping focused on justice and dissent.
Historical Context
My Florist Is A Dick belongs to the large-format archival serigraphs associated with Fairey's "Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent" period, with commentary supplied by co-curator Pedro Alonzo. It extends a personal and political thread in his work, building directly on his earlier piece "I'm Gonna Kick Your Ass and Get Away With It," which addressed his own experiences with police brutality. The Ferguson reference ties the print to the mid-2010s wave of protest against police violence, while the recurring They Live skull motif connects it to the conceptual roots of his OBEY project and its critique of control through media. Within his arc, the work shows how Fairey channels autobiography and current events into confrontational fine-art editions.
FAQ
What does the title mean?
Fairey explains the title is ironic: we would be surprised if a local florist were a sadistic person, but we should not be surprised that cops are often people who abuse power. The provocative phrasing is meant to disarm viewers before delivering its critique of systemic abuse.
What current event does the image reference?
The riot-gear police figure mirrors the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri caused by the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by officer Darren Wilson. The work also draws on Fairey's own experiences with police brutality during arrests for putting art in public spaces.
What is the meaning of the skull and the flower?
The skull under the riot helmet references John Carpenter's 1988 film They Live, in which an alien elite controls humanity through subliminal advertising. The flower inserted into the baton is Fairey's metaphor for non-violent protest, contrasting with the figure's aggression.
What is the edition size and format?
This large-format first edition is a numbered edition of 89, a serigraph on 100% cotton custom archival paper with hand-deckled edges, measuring 30 x 41 inches. It is signed by Shepard Fairey, comes with a certificate of authenticity, and was offered at $900.
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.