Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Scratch On The Wire”?
Artist Statement
Legendary reggae producer and pioneer of the dub sound, Lee "Scratch" Perry, passed away on August 29. I first discovered Lee Perry when I got deep into Bob Marley and the Wailers and found out Perry had produced several seminal Wailers tracks. I also loved the Clash song "Police and Thieves," which I learned was a cover of Jamaican artist Junior Murvin which Lee Perry had produced. Perry also co-produced the song "Complete Control" by the Clash. Perry made a ton of great music with his band, the Upsetters, as well as collaborating with a range of artists from King Tubby, to Adrian Sherwood, to the Beastie Boys. I was excited when photographer Dennis Morris suggested we collaborate on a tribute to Lee "Scratch" Perry, and I decided to make an illustration based on a few of Dennis' 1970's photos of Perry at work in his Black Ark recording studio. I love the visual energy of Perry and the studio itself, which I think conveys the sonic energy and joyful spirit as a musician, producer, and iconic pioneer.?? -Shepard?? From Dennis Morris: "He was the light! The strangest thing about Lee Perry was, whenever I photographed him, I never needed any light. For example, in the last session I did with him in early 2000, we spent the night travelling around London on top of an open-top bus; it was late, it was dark, but Scratch shone, he provided the light! He was truly a magical master of music and sound. He did not just hear music, he saw music, he saw the colours. To see him in the studio perform was truly magical, he jumped, he pounced, he pushed a button… he pushed another button and sounds just exploded from the speakers!" Scratch On The Wire. 24 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Original illustration based on photographs by Dennis Morris. Signed by Shepard Fairey and Dennis Morris. Numbered edition of 600. $95.
Summary
Scratch On The Wire is a 2021 screen print by Shepard Fairey honoring reggae producer and dub pioneer Lee Scratch Perry, who died on August 29, 2021. Published by Obey Giant, it is a 24 x 24 inch screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper, based on 1970s photographs of Perry in his Black Ark studio by Dennis Morris, and signed by both Fairey and Morris in a numbered edition of 600 at a release price of $95. Fairey's text recounts discovering Perry through Bob Marley and the Wailers and the Clash, and describes capturing the visual and sonic energy of Perry at work. The square image is a memorial portrait of Perry in his studio.
Why It Matters
Scratch On The Wire is a music-tribute portrait that doubles as a memorial to one of reggae and dub's most influential producers, made in collaboration with photographer Dennis Morris. Fairey's text traces Perry's reach across genres, from the Wailers to the Clash to the Beastie Boys, framing him as a pioneering figure whose studio work shaped modern music. The collaboration is notable for being dual-signed by Fairey and Morris and for drawing on Morris's intimate 1970s Black Ark photographs, giving the print documentary authority. The square 24 x 24 inch format is distinctive within Fairey's catalog, which more often uses the 18 x 24 portrait orientation. As a database entry it captures how Fairey memorializes musicians soon after their passing, here within weeks of Perry's August 2021 death, and how he partners with the original photographers who documented them. For collectors, it matters as a Lee Scratch Perry tribute, a Dennis Morris collaboration, and a representative node in Fairey's broader music-portrait series spanning reggae, punk and beyond.
Collector Perspective
This appeals to reggae and dub enthusiasts, fans of Lee Scratch Perry, and collectors of Fairey's music-tribute portraits. The dual signature by Fairey and Dennis Morris and the use of Morris's Black Ark photographs add provenance appeal for those who value the photographer collaboration. The distinctive 24 x 24 inch square format makes it a standout display piece in music-focused spaces. At a release price of $95 in an edition of 600, it is an accessible signed print that suits crossover buyers coming from music fandom. It fits a music-portrait collection and pairs naturally with related tributes such as the Bob Marley letterpress prints and the Lemmy portrait.
Historical Context
Scratch On The Wire belongs to Fairey's ongoing music-tribute portraiture, released in 2021 through Obey Giant as a memorial following Lee Scratch Perry's death on August 29 that year. It exemplifies his practice of honoring musicians soon after their passing and of collaborating with the photographers who documented them, here Dennis Morris, whose 1970s Black Ark images anchor the work. Perry's cross-genre influence, from the Wailers to the Clash, ties the print to the reggae and punk lineages Fairey has long engaged. Within his arc, the work shows the artist rooted in skate and punk subculture extending his tribute practice to reggae's foundational producers, using credited source photography and dual signatures to lend the memorial both authenticity and collaborative weight.
FAQ
Who is depicted in this print?
The print depicts Lee Scratch Perry, the legendary reggae producer and pioneer of the dub sound, who the source notes passed away on August 29, 2021. Fairey's image shows Perry at work in his Black Ark recording studio.
Who collaborated on this print?
Fairey created the illustration based on 1970s photographs of Perry by Dennis Morris, who suggested the tribute collaboration. The print is signed by both Shepard Fairey and Dennis Morris, according to the source.
What are the print's specifications?
It is a 24 x 24 inch screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper, issued as a numbered edition of 600. It was published by Obey Giant in 2021 at a release price of $95, and is signed by both artists.
What was Lee Scratch Perry's significance?
Fairey's text credits Perry with producing seminal Wailers tracks and Junior Murvin's Police and Thieves, later covered by the Clash, and co-producing the Clash's Complete Control. Perry also worked with King Tubby, Adrian Sherwood and the Beastie Boys, marking him as a cross-genre pioneer.
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.