Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Post-Punk Flower (Red)”?
Artist Statement
Post-Punk Flower (Two Colorways: Red & Black). A limited amount of matching numbered sets will be available for $160. Black and Red sold separately for $85. 12 x 18 inches. Letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 375.
Summary
Post-Punk Flower is a 2022 Shepard Fairey letterpress print published by Obey Giant, measuring 12 x 18 inches, printed letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, signed and numbered in an edition of 375. It is offered in two colorways, Red and Black, sold separately, with a limited number of matching numbered sets also available. This entry covers the Black colorway of the pair. The source description provides production and edition details, pairing a floral motif with a post-punk sensibility implied by the title, but offers no extended artist statement about the imagery's meaning.
Why It Matters
Post-Punk Flower connects two of Fairey's most persistent reference points, the decorative flower motif and the post-punk musical and cultural sensibility that has shaped his work since his earliest days. The letterpress production on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges marks it as a more craft-oriented, tactile object than his standard screen prints, appealing to collectors who value printmaking technique and finish. Offered in coordinated Red and Black colorways with matching numbered sets available, it follows Fairey's familiar pattern of building small collectible families around a single image. The source for this record is comparatively sparse, focused on materials and edition structure rather than a detailed artist statement, so its significance rests more on format and motif than on a documented conceptual message. Even so, the pairing of floral imagery with a post-punk title situates it within Fairey's ongoing dialogue between visual decoration and music-rooted counterculture. For a database, the notable, verifiable distinctions are the letterpress medium, the cotton paper with deckled edges, and the two-colorway set structure, all of which differentiate it from his more common screen-printed editions.
Collector Perspective
Post-Punk Flower suits collectors who appreciate letterpress craft and the tactile quality of cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, as well as those drawn to Fairey's intersection of floral imagery and music-rooted counterculture. The smaller 12 x 18 format makes it an approachable, easily framed piece, and the Red and Black colorways with matching numbered sets give pairing-minded collectors a clear goal. At an edition of 375 per colorway it is moderately available among his signed editions. It fits collections organized around his music and counterculture themes, his floral and decorative work, or his letterpress output specifically. With a relatively sparse documented backstory, it is best approached as a handsome, format-driven acquisition rather than a heavily message-laden statement print.
Historical Context
Post-Punk Flower sits in Fairey's early-2022 output and reflects his ongoing interest in marrying floral decoration with the post-punk sensibility that traces back to his formative immersion in punk and hardcore culture. The choice of letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges aligns with a craft-forward strand of his releases, distinct from his higher-volume screen prints, in which production technique itself becomes part of the appeal. Issued in two colorways with matching numbered sets, it follows his routine practice of building coordinated color families. Because the source offers limited interpretive detail, the print is best understood through its materials, format, and recurring motifs rather than a specific documented event or cause. Within his arc it represents a continuation of established themes and a measured, craft-oriented release rather than a thematic turning point.
FAQ
What colorways does Post-Punk Flower come in?
It is offered in two colorways, Red and Black, sold separately for $85 each, with a limited number of matching numbered sets available for $160. This entry covers the Black colorway. Both versions share the same 12 x 18 inch letterpress format and edition structure.
How was this print made?
Post-Punk Flower is a letterpress print on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, measuring 12 x 18 inches. The letterpress technique and cotton paper give it a more tactile, craft-oriented character than Fairey's standard screen prints. It is signed by Shepard Fairey.
What is the edition size?
It is a numbered edition of 375 per colorway, signed by Shepard Fairey. The source provides production and edition details but does not include an extended artist statement explaining the imagery, so its documented backstory is limited.
What is the print's theme?
The title pairs a floral motif with a post-punk sensibility, linking Fairey's recurring flower imagery to his longstanding ties to punk and counterculture. The source does not provide a detailed message statement, so this reading rests on the title and motif rather than an explicit explanation.
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.