Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “John Lewis - Good Trouble”?
Artist Statement
John Lewis is a hero of mine because of his civil rights activism and dedication to justice throughout his life's work, both in the streets and in politics. Rep. Lewis worked as a grassroots organizer and was beaten by police while marching for racial equality, but also campaigned, was elected to congress, and served as a lawmaker for 40 years. John Lewis is a role model for using what I call "the inside/outside strategy," which entailed working in whatever zone necessary, outside the system or inside, and using his powers as an organizer and communicator to make the nation better. There is no better example of dedication to justice and civic engagement than Rep. John Lewis. With the election approaching and the rise of voter suppression strategies utilized by the Republicans, I felt an image of John Lewis reminding people that the hard-fought progress on voting rights and equality must be maintained vigilantly when threatened, would be an important message to send before Nov. 3. I also wanted to symbolically thank John Lewis for all his service to humanity. When John Lewis made his cancer diagnosis public, my friend & photographer, Steve Schapiro, suggested that we collaborate to honor him. I was thrilled by that idea and wrote a letter to John Lewis proposing the image of him. He gave the project his blessing but sadly passed away shortly before the art was completed. I know he was a humble person, but I hope he'd be proud that his actions have given inspiration and fuel to me and millions of others. Thanks for the fire, John Lewis! A portion of proceeds from this print will go to Fair Fight. Thanks for caring, and don't forget to vote! -Shepard John Lewis – Good Trouble. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Original photo by Steve Schapiro. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 550. $80. Proceeds go to Fair Fight.
Summary
John Lewis - Good Trouble is a 2020 Obey Giant screen print honoring civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis. It measures 18 x 24 inches, printed on thick cream Speckletone paper from an original photograph by Steve Schapiro, signed by Shepard Fairey, in a numbered edition of 550. Released ahead of the November 3 election, the portrait was conceived as a reminder to protect voting rights and as a tribute to Lewis's lifelong activism. Lewis gave the project his blessing but passed away before completion. A portion of proceeds went to Fair Fight. The image frames Lewis as a model of civic engagement and 'good trouble.'
Why It Matters
This portrait is one of Fairey's most pointed civil-rights tributes, made at a charged political moment. Created in collaboration with photographer Steve Schapiro, it honors John Lewis as a hero of the civil rights movement and a 40-year lawmaker, and it was timed before the November 2020 election to push back against what Fairey describes as voter suppression. The piece carries unusual emotional weight: Fairey wrote to Lewis proposing the image, received his blessing, and learned Lewis died shortly before the art was finished, making it a memorial as much as a call to action. The dedication of proceeds to Fair Fight ties the work directly to voting-rights advocacy. For collectors, it sits at the heart of Fairey's most resonant subject matter, portraits of justice figures rendered in his signature graphic style, and connects to a documented historical moment and a named photographer collaboration. The combination of a beloved subject, a real charitable purpose stated in the source, and the timing around a national election gives the print lasting significance beyond decoration. It exemplifies how Fairey uses portraiture to memorialize moral leaders and to mobilize around democratic participation.
Collector Perspective
This print draws collectors focused on civil rights, voting rights, and portraits of moral leaders. Fans of Fairey's politically engaged work and admirers of John Lewis will value its sincerity and the documented Fair Fight charitable tie. The Steve Schapiro photographic collaboration adds appeal for those who follow Fairey's source-photo partnerships. As an 18 x 24 inch screen print on cream Speckletone in an edition of 550, it is a recognizable, displayable format that anchors a civic or social-justice themed collection. Its memorial dimension, completed just after Lewis's passing, gives it emotional resonance that elevates it above a standard portrait, making it a centerpiece piece for collectors of Fairey's legacy and justice portraits.
Historical Context
Released in October 2020, this print belongs to Fairey's election-year output addressing voting rights and racial justice. It reflects his recurring strategy of portraiture as activism, here honoring John Lewis's civil rights legacy and his decades in Congress. The work is rooted in a specific moment: rising concern over voter suppression before the November 3 election, and the recent death of Lewis, who blessed the project before passing. Built from a Steve Schapiro photograph, it continues Fairey's long practice of collaborating with documentary photographers to render historical figures. Within his arc it stands among his modern-era justice portraits, connecting his Obama-era roots in political iconography to his continued engagement with civic and human-rights themes.
FAQ
Who created the photograph used for this print?
The portrait is based on an original photograph by Steve Schapiro. Fairey writes that Schapiro suggested they collaborate to honor Lewis after his cancer diagnosis became public, and Fairey wrote to Lewis proposing the image, which Lewis blessed before his death.
Did proceeds support a cause?
Yes. The source states that a portion of proceeds from this print went to Fair Fight, the voting-rights organization, aligning the work with its message of protecting hard-won voting rights ahead of the November 3 election.
What are the print's specifications?
It is an 18 x 24 inch screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper, signed by Shepard Fairey and issued in a numbered edition of 550. It was published by Obey Giant in 2020.
Why did Fairey make this print when he did?
He created it before the November 3 election to remind people to safeguard voting rights amid what he describes as voter suppression, and to thank Lewis for his service. Lewis gave his blessing but passed away shortly before the art was completed.
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.