Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Obey Destroyers”?
Artist Statement
OBEY DESTROYERS Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 200
Summary
Obey Destroyers is a 2001 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 200, measuring 18 x 24 inches. The title combines the OBEY brand with militaristic language, fitting Fairey's pattern of pairing his icon with imagery of power and force. The record assigns it pop-culture and consumerism-and-power themes, reflecting commentary on authority and branding. The source confirms medium, year, dimensions, and edition size, but provides no extended artist statement, so the specific composition is not detailed beyond the title here.
Why It Matters
Obey Destroyers sits within Fairey's prolific 2001 run of OBEY Giant screen prints, a period when he was attaching the OBEY brand to imagery of power, military force, and authority to interrogate how propaganda operates. The militaristic title aligns with the record's consumerism-and-power theme, suggesting the OBEY icon is being deployed to critique aggression and control rather than to celebrate it. For collectors, this print matters as part of a tightly connected family of 2001 OBEY-branded works that show Fairey building a consistent visual argument about manipulation and obedience. The edition of 200 keeps it among the more limited sheets of the era, attractive to those who prioritize scarcity. Its database value comes from positioning it alongside its close siblings, such as Obey Pole and Propaganda Industries, which share both year and theme. Because the source gives only the title, themes, and production facts, the interpretation stays cautious and grounded in Fairey's documented propaganda vocabulary rather than asserting unrecorded specifics. That restraint helps a serious collector weigh it accurately against the period's better-documented prints.
Collector Perspective
Obey Destroyers appeals to collectors focused on Fairey's propaganda-and-power commentary and on the OBEY icon's militaristic deployments. The 18 x 24-inch size frames readily and groups naturally with other 2001 OBEY-branded prints. The edition of 200 offers relative scarcity that completists value. Its consumerism-and-power framing makes it a fitting anchor for a collection narrative about authority, force, and obedience rather than purely decorative display. With limited documentation in the source, it best suits buyers prepared to verify provenance and condition on their own and who appreciate the print as part of a connected period series.
Historical Context
Obey Destroyers was produced in 2001, during Fairey's posters-and-propaganda phase, when he was issuing numerous Obey Giant screen prints that fused his icon with imagery of power and militarism. This work builds on the OBEY sticker and icon campaigns of the prior decade while advancing his strategy of using branded propaganda forms as critique. The militaristic title and the record's power theme reflect how Fairey was probing the mechanics of authority and obedience at this stage. Anchored by its 2001 date, Obey Giant publisher, and edition of 200, it fits clearly within this transitional, commentary-driven stretch of his career.
FAQ
When was Obey Destroyers created and by whom was it published?
Obey Destroyers was created in 2001 and published by Obey Giant, Fairey's imprint. It is part of his early-2000s OBEY-branded screen prints that pair the icon with imagery of power and force.
What is the edition size and how big is the print?
It is a first edition of 200 copies, measuring 18 x 24 inches, a standard mid-size format for Fairey's period poster prints.
What does the print's theme address?
The record lists pop-culture and consumerism-and-power themes. The militaristic title suggests the OBEY icon is used to comment on authority and force, in line with Fairey's propaganda-inspired approach.
Is this print rare?
With an edition of 200, it is moderately scarce versus Fairey's later large-run releases. The source does not confirm it is sold out, and the record states no market or auction value.
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.