Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Big Brother 2”?
Artist Statement
Big Brother 2 Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 200 $30
Summary
Big Brother 2 is a 2001 Shepard Fairey screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 200. The title and series draw directly on Orwellian surveillance imagery central to Fairey's OBEY Giant project, where the all-seeing eye and watchful authority confront the viewer. Rendered in his high-contrast, propaganda-influenced poster style, the work extends his ongoing Big Brother motif. It belongs to the early-2000s body of editioned screen prints that established his visual critique of monitoring and control.
Why It Matters
Big Brother 2 is part of Shepard Fairey's recurring Big Brother series, one of the clearest expressions of the surveillance and control themes that anchor his OBEY Giant project. Drawing on George Orwell's 1984, the imagery confronts viewers with the watchful authority of the modern state and media, turning propaganda aesthetics into a warning rather than a command. As a 2001 first edition of 200, it sits within the early period when Fairey was systematically developing these motifs into a coherent body of work. The Big Brother theme is among his most enduring, recurring across multiple years and prints, which makes any entry in the series valuable for collectors tracing how the idea evolved. This particular work connects directly to earlier and later Big Brother pieces, giving it a clear place in a thematic sequence. Its critique of surveillance has only grown more resonant over time, lending the print ongoing cultural relevance. For collectors, it represents both a discrete strong image and a node in one of Fairey's signature conceptual threads, making it a meaningful acquisition within the early catalog.
Collector Perspective
Big Brother 2 appeals strongly to collectors drawn to Shepard Fairey's surveillance and Orwellian themes, and to those assembling the full Big Brother series. The edition of 200 and 2001 date make it a credible early-period acquisition with clear thematic identity. At 18 x 24 inches it displays effectively as a focused statement or grouped with related Big Brother works. Buyers interested in the political and surveillance dimension of Fairey's catalog, rather than his music or floral output, will find it highly coherent. Its direct connection to other Big Brother prints makes it especially attractive for thematic collectors building a recognizable sequence.
Historical Context
Big Brother 2 dates to 2001, within the early Obey Giant period when Shepard Fairey was building out his recurring motifs into editioned screen prints. The Big Brother theme, drawn from Orwell's 1984, became one of his most persistent threads, echoing the obedience-and-control logic of his foundational OBEY Giant project that grew out of his late-1980s sticker campaign. The edition of 200 is typical of his early-2000s runs. As the numbered continuation of the Big Brother motif, the work documents Fairey deepening a signature theme during the formative stretch of his catalog, before his later mainstream prominence. It belongs to the body of early work collectors examine to trace the surveillance thread across his career.
FAQ
What is Big Brother 2 by Shepard Fairey?
Big Brother 2 is a 2001 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 200. It measures 18 x 24 inches and continues his Big Brother series engaging Orwellian surveillance imagery.
How large is the edition?
Big Brother 2 was published in a first edition of 200 by Obey Giant. This edition size is typical of Fairey's early-2000s screen-print runs from the Obey Giant project.
What theme does it explore?
The work draws on the Big Brother motif from George Orwell's 1984, confronting viewers with surveillance and watchful authority. This theme is central to Fairey's OBEY Giant project and recurs across several of his prints over the years.
What are the dimensions and medium?
Big Brother 2 is a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in 2001 as part of Shepard Fairey's early editioned output.
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.