Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Obey Magnifying Glass (Red)”?
Artist Statement
I've been a big fan of Roy Lichtenstein's Pop Art since late high school, and I especially like some of his pieces that conceptually, and often humorously, examine mechanical reproduction. A signature element of Lichtenstein's art is conspicuous halftone dots. Halftone dots are a very commonly used way of creating a sense of grey tones when printing only with black ink by varying the density of the dots. Warhol used halftones in his screen prints, but in a less stylized and exaggerated way than Lichtenstein's approach, placing them front and center as a stylistic signature of his art. When I'd been making my Andre stickers for five years back in 1994, I decided to do a series of Pop Art tributes to celebrate the five-year anniversary. One of them was an homage to Lichtenstein's "Magnifying Glass." I only did the original version as a limited run of 60 t-shirts which explains the "Oil silkscreen on cotton. Private collection" museum label style text below the image. I recently decided that a new iteration with a different composition and using the icon face would be nice as a letterpress. Check out the last images in the carousel to see some of the history of the image. -Shepard Obey Magnifying Glass (Two Colorways: Red and Cream). A limited number of matching numbered sets will be available for $140. Red and Cream sold separately for $70. 10 x 13 inches. Letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 350. Obey publishing chop in lower left corner.
Summary
Obey Magnifying Glass (Red) (2021) is a letterpress print by Shepard Fairey on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, measuring 10 x 13 inches in a signed, numbered edition of 350 with an Obey publishing chop in the lower left. Per Fairey, it is a new iteration of an homage to Roy Lichtenstein's 'Magnifying Glass,' reworked with a different composition and the Obey icon face. The image reflects his admiration for Pop Art's use of conspicuous halftone dots. It was released in two colorways, Red and Cream, available separately or as a matching numbered set.
Why It Matters
Obey Magnifying Glass (Red) is notable for how openly it threads Fairey's work through Pop Art history. In his statement he credits Roy Lichtenstein's conceptual, often humorous examination of mechanical reproduction and his signature use of conspicuous halftone dots, contrasting Lichtenstein's exaggerated approach with Warhol's subtler one. The print is explicitly a new iteration of a Lichtenstein homage, now built around the Obey icon face, fusing his own brand iconography with a canonical Pop Art reference. This matters because it shows Fairey situating himself within a lineage of artists who scrutinize printing and reproduction, the very processes his own practice depends on. As a letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges in an edition of 350, bearing the Obey publishing chop, it is a crafted, brand-marked object. The Red and Cream colorways, offered separately or as a matching numbered set, give collectors choice and a pairing opportunity. The work rewards those interested in Fairey's art-historical references and in his ongoing recycling and reinvention of the Obey icon across mediums and decades.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors interested in Fairey's Obey iconography and in his explicit Pop Art lineage, particularly the Lichtenstein homage. The two colorways, Red and Cream, give buyers a choice or the option to pursue a matching numbered set, which is attractive for those who like complete pairs. At 10 x 13 inches in letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges and the Obey publishing chop, it is a tactile, well-finished object suited to a focused display of Fairey's icon-based works. The numbered edition of 350 keeps it accessible while still limited. It fits collectors building a set of Obey icon variations and those who value the art-historical reference embedded in the image.
Historical Context
Released in 2021 through Obey Giant, Obey Magnifying Glass (Red) reflects Fairey's long habit of revisiting and reworking earlier ideas. His statement notes the image descends from a Pop Art tribute he first made around 1994 to mark the five-year anniversary of his Andre stickers, originally a small run of t-shirts, which accounts for the museum-label-style text in the design. The 2021 letterpress recasts that homage with a new composition and the Obey icon face, connecting his early sticker-era roots to his mature studio practice. Within his arc, the print exemplifies how Fairey continually mines his own history and his Pop Art influences, layering the Obey icon onto references like Lichtenstein to extend a decades-long conversation about reproduction and image-making.
FAQ
What is the Pop Art reference behind this print?
Per Fairey's statement, the print is an homage to Roy Lichtenstein's 'Magnifying Glass.' Fairey describes his admiration for Lichtenstein's conceptual examination of mechanical reproduction and his signature conspicuous halftone dots, reworking the homage here with a new composition and the Obey icon face.
What are the two colorways?
The print was released in two colorways, Red and Cream. They were sold separately, and a limited number of matching numbered sets were also offered, allowing collectors to acquire one colorway or pursue a paired set.
What are the dimensions, medium, and edition size?
It is a 10 x 13 inch letterpress print on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered in an edition of 350, with the Obey publishing chop in the lower left corner. It was published by Obey Giant in 2021.
Does the image have an earlier history?
Yes. Fairey states the image descends from a Pop Art tribute he first made around 1994 for the five-year anniversary of his Andre stickers, originally a limited run of 60 t-shirts. That history explains the museum-label-style text included in the composition.
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.