Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Pyramid Top Icon (Screenprint)”?
Artist Statement
Shepard Fairey ?? Pyramid Top Icon, 2021?? 3-color Hand-pulled Screen Print on 250 gsm Somerset Paper with Deckled Edge?? 16 x 20 in.?? Edition of 50?? $250??
Summary
Pyramid Top Icon is a 2021 hand-pulled screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Subliminal Projects. It is a 3-color screen print on 250 gsm Somerset paper with a deckled edge, measuring 16 x 20 inches, in an edition of 50, released at $250. The source material is brief, identifying the work as a small-edition OBEY icon variation rendered in Fairey's graphic style. The record notes both letterpress and screenprint editions exist, with this entry described as the screenprint version.
Why It Matters
Pyramid Top Icon belongs to Fairey's enduring OBEY iconography, the visual language built around the stylized face that has defined his work since the late 1980s sticker campaign. As a small edition of 50 hand-pulled on heavyweight Somerset paper with a deckled edge, it is among the more limited and craft-forward treatments of the icon, which gives it appeal to collectors who focus on the OBEY motif and on low-edition studio prints. Its publication through Subliminal Projects, Fairey's own gallery and project space, rather than the usual Obey Giant channel, marks it as a gallery-edition release. The source description is sparse, so its significance rests primarily on the icon lineage, the small edition size, and the quality of materials rather than on a stated narrative or cause. For collectors building an OBEY icon set or seeking scarce, well-made editions, Pyramid Top Icon offers a focused, recognizable example, though the limited documentation warrants cautious interpretation of its broader importance.
Collector Perspective
This print suits OBEY icon completists and collectors who prioritize small editions and premium materials. At an edition of just 50, hand-pulled in three colors on 250 gsm Somerset paper with a deckled edge, it carries the scarcity and tactile quality that icon-focused buyers seek. Its release through Subliminal Projects adds a gallery-edition character that some collectors value. The 16 x 20 format displays cleanly among other icon works, and the limited run makes it harder to acquire than open or large editions. Because the source provides little narrative, collectors will weigh it mainly on edition size, materials, and its place in the OBEY icon lineage rather than on a documented backstory.
Historical Context
Pyramid Top Icon extends Fairey's decades-long development of the OBEY icon, the central motif of his career, into a small, materials-focused gallery edition. Its publication by Subliminal Projects in 2021 reflects Fairey's use of his own gallery to issue limited, craft-oriented works distinct from the larger Obey Giant drops. The heavyweight Somerset paper, deckled edge, and three-color hand-pulled screenprinting place it among the more refined icon treatments of the early 2020s. With limited descriptive source material, its historical role is best understood as a low-edition iteration within the long arc of OBEY icon variations rather than as a milestone tied to a specific event or campaign.
FAQ
How large is the edition?
Pyramid Top Icon is an edition of 50, making it one of Fairey's smaller print runs. It was published by Subliminal Projects in 2021 at an original price of $250 as a 3-color hand-pulled screen print.
What paper and process were used?
It is a 3-color hand-pulled screen print on 250 gsm Somerset paper with a deckled edge, measuring 16 x 20 inches. The heavyweight Somerset stock and deckled edge give it a refined, craft-forward quality.
Who published this print?
It was published by Subliminal Projects, Shepard Fairey's own gallery and project space, in 2021. This distinguishes it as a gallery edition rather than a standard Obey Giant release.
What is the subject of the print?
The work is a variation on Fairey's OBEY icon, the stylized face motif that has anchored his art for decades. The available source description is brief, so details beyond its icon subject, materials, and edition size are limited.
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.