Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Sun Is Shining”?
Artist Statement
I bought Bob Marley's Rastaman Vibrations shortly after I started skateboarding in 1984, purely because the only good skateboard ramp where I lived was called "The Rasta Ramp." I had mostly been listening to punk rock, but I was excited to discover reggae, which even more boldly embodied many of the same elements of social protest as punk but in a way that was much more palatable to my parents. I think my parents bought me Bob Marley and the Wailers records for every Christmas or birthday until I had accumulated their entire catalog. Bob Marley's music always cheered me up during my high school years of personal struggle. I'm always inspired by how steadfast and positive Bob was. I consider "Get Up Stand Up" one of the greatest protest songs of all time, evergreen in relevance, but Marley's entire catalog is powerful and enduring. These two prints,"Sun is Shining" and "Catch a Fire" are based on a beautiful photograph by Dennis Morris and inspired by Marley's music and ideas. Marley was sometimes fiery, sometimes joyful, sometimes contemplative, but always visionary and poetic. I love this intimate, thoughtful moment Dennis captured and I'm honored to translate it in my style. I'm glad I can hear stories of Dennis' first-hand interaction with Bob Marley. -Shepard Bob once told me: "you are a tropical plant, uprooted and replanted in a concrete soil; you know how strong you have to be to grow, Dennis?" Sun is Shining "When the sun is shining, take a look around; are you happy with the life you are living?" Bob had a way of saying things, then he would pause, then break into a smile and then look away. Someone asked me recently, what Sid and Nancy were like, I replied: they were two plants that could not grow in the same pot; Shepard and I, we can be in the same pot, two different plants, one vision from opposite angles. Shepard has brought a Rodin type quality to my Marley photo: the Thinker; this was what I was looking for; It is the etching for the sculpture, hence the collaboration. –Dennis Morris SUN IS SHINING. 24 X 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Original photo by Dennis Morris. Signed by Shepard Fairey and Dennis Morris. Numbered edition of 500. $95.
Summary
Sun Is Shining is a 2020 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a numbered edition of 500 at 24 x 24 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper. The portrait of Bob Marley is based on an original photograph by Dennis Morris and is signed by both Shepard Fairey and Dennis Morris, priced at $95. The square composition renders an intimate, contemplative image of Marley in Fairey's graphic style. Released alongside a companion print, Catch a Fire, it celebrates Marley's music and message, with Fairey and Morris describing the work as a collaborative translation of Morris's photograph into Fairey's idiom.
Why It Matters
Sun Is Shining is a documented collaboration between Shepard Fairey and photographer Dennis Morris, who had first-hand interactions with Bob Marley, giving the portrait unusual authenticity. The source includes extended reflections from both artists: Fairey recounts discovering reggae through skateboarding in 1984 and the lifelong importance of Marley's music, while Morris describes Fairey bringing a Rodin-like, Thinker quality to his Marley photograph. That dual artist commentary makes the print a richly contextualized object rather than a simple music portrait. For collectors, it sits at the intersection of two of Fairey's most popular categories, music and collaboration, and honors one of the most globally beloved figures in music history. The square 24 x 24 format and intimate, contemplative mood distinguish it from more confrontational Fairey portraits. Released together with Catch a Fire, it forms part of a coherent two-print Marley set built on the same Morris photograph and shared signatures. Its importance comes from the convergence of a legendary subject, a photographer with direct ties to that subject, and Fairey's interpretive style, producing a portrait that is both personal testimony and a celebration of Marley's enduring artistic and social influence.
Collector Perspective
This print is a natural fit for collectors of Shepard Fairey's music portraits and collaborations, and especially for Bob Marley fans and reggae enthusiasts. The dual signatures of Fairey and photographer Dennis Morris add provenance appeal, and the documented backstory from both artists deepens its narrative value. At 24 x 24 inches the square format frames cleanly as a focal music piece, and the contemplative mood gives it broad display appeal beyond hardcore protest-art collectors. It pairs especially well with its companion Catch a Fire and with Fairey's other Marley and music-counterculture releases, making it an anchor for a music-themed collection.
Historical Context
Sun Is Shining belongs to Fairey's extensive music-portrait output and his ongoing collaborations with photographers. The source recounts Fairey's personal history with reggae beginning in 1984 through skateboarding and his deep admiration for Bob Marley, framing the print as a heartfelt tribute. Made with photographer Dennis Morris, who knew Marley directly, and released alongside the companion print Catch a Fire from the same photograph, it reflects Fairey's practice of building portrait editions on documentary photography and crediting his collaborators with shared signatures. Published by Obey Giant in 2020, it sits in the Music phase of his career devoted to musicians and counterculture figures, continuing his long engagement with artists whose work merged pleasure with social protest.
FAQ
Who created Sun Is Shining?
Sun Is Shining is a collaboration between Shepard Fairey and photographer Dennis Morris, based on Morris's original photograph of Bob Marley. It is signed by both Fairey and Morris and was published by Obey Giant in 2020.
What are the size and edition?
The print measures 24 x 24 inches and is a screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. It was released as a numbered edition of 500 at an original price of $95, signed by both artists.
Is there a companion print?
Yes. The source notes that Sun Is Shining and Catch a Fire are two prints both based on the same Dennis Morris photograph of Bob Marley, released together as part of Fairey's Marley tribute.
What inspired the work?
Per the source, Fairey describes discovering reggae through skateboarding in 1984 and his lifelong admiration for Bob Marley's music and message. Morris, who knew Marley personally, describes Fairey bringing a Rodin-like Thinker quality to his original photograph.
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.