Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Andy Gill Anti-Hero US”?
Artist Statement
Gang of Four has been a profound inspiration for me because the band demonstrates that great art can powerfully merge pleasure and intellectual provocation. I was devastated to hear of Andy Gill's passing, but honored to make a portrait of him in the hope of creating an iconic image of one of my heroes—with apologies to Andy, to me he was a hero—to serve as a reminder that though life may be fleeting, Andy's potent art and ideas will endure. -Shepard Andy Gill Anti-Hero US. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 400. $75.
Summary
Andy Gill Anti-Hero US is a 2020 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a numbered edition of 400 at 18 x 24 inches on cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Fairey and priced at $75, it portrays Andy Gill, guitarist of the post-punk band Gang of Four, who had recently passed away. A Red variant was also issued. Rendered in Fairey's bold graphic portrait style, the print is a tribute that, in Fairey's words, aims to create an iconic image of one of his heroes and a reminder that Gill's art and ideas will endure beyond his life.
Why It Matters
Andy Gill Anti-Hero US is a personal tribute from Shepard Fairey to a musician he cites as a profound influence: the guitarist of Gang of Four, a band Fairey credits with showing that great art can merge pleasure with intellectual provocation. The source quotes Fairey directly on his devastation at Gill's passing and his hope to create an iconic, enduring image of his hero, giving the print clear emotional authenticity. This connects to a central thread in Fairey's career: his deep roots in punk and post-punk, whose ethos of socially conscious art shaped his own practice. For collectors, the print sits in the well-loved music-and-counterculture category and documents a specific moment of artistic mourning and homage. Issued in a numbered edition of 400 with a Red variant also produced, it offers defined scarcity and a colorway dimension for set-minded collectors. Its importance lies in how it memorializes a figure who helped form Fairey's artistic worldview, translating a post-punk icon into the same graphic portrait language Fairey uses for his most celebrated subjects, and affirming the lasting power of politically charged music.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors of Shepard Fairey's music portraits and to fans of Gang of Four, post-punk, and politically engaged music. The personal tribute backstory, quoted from Fairey in the source, adds meaning for collectors who value works tied to the artist's own influences. The numbered edition of 400 and an additional Red variant give it defined scarcity and a colorway angle. At 18 x 24 inches it frames easily as part of a music-themed wall, and it fits naturally alongside Fairey's other musician portraits, making it a strong addition to a counterculture or music-focused collection.
Historical Context
Andy Gill Anti-Hero US reflects Fairey's deep grounding in punk and post-punk culture, here memorializing Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill following his death. The source records Fairey naming the band as a profound inspiration for showing that art can merge pleasure with intellectual provocation, an ethos central to his own work. Published by Obey Giant in 2020 in a numbered edition of 400, with a Red variant also issued, the print continues Fairey's long series of portraits honoring musicians who shaped his sensibility. It belongs to the Music phase of his career devoted to musicians and counterculture figures, extending his practice of creating iconic graphic portraits of artists whose socially conscious work mattered to him personally.
FAQ
Who is the subject of this print?
The print portrays Andy Gill, guitarist of the post-punk band Gang of Four. Shepard Fairey created it as a tribute following Gill's death, calling the band a profound inspiration and Gill one of his heroes, per the source description.
What are the size and edition?
Andy Gill Anti-Hero US measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print on cream Speckletone paper. It was published by Obey Giant in 2020 in a numbered edition of 400 at an original price of $75, and a Red variant was also issued.
Why did Fairey make this print?
Per the source, Fairey was devastated by Andy Gill's passing and made the portrait hoping to create an iconic image of one of his heroes, as a reminder that Gill's art and ideas will endure even though life is fleeting.
Is there more than one version?
Yes. In addition to this First Edition, the source lists a Red variant of Andy Gill Anti-Hero US, giving collectors a colorway option within the release.
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.