Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “No Bees No Honey”?
Artist Statement
The Clash are my all-time favorite band and their frontman, Joe Strummer, is a hero of mine for his music, lyrics, wit, compassion for the underdog, and stance against injustice. To celebrate the release of JOE STRUMMER 002 and in honor of Joe's 70th birthday, a limited edition print inspired by the Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros song, JOHNNY APPLESEED, will be available on 9/20 exclusively from the official Joe Strummer store: https://shop.joestrummer.com with an alternate version available on obeygiant.com. Joe's lyric "If you're after getting the honey, then you don't go killing all the bees" applies to lots of things, like mistreating factory workers, but for me the idea that bees are pollinators who are crucial to sustaining Earth's fragile eco-systems is a powerful idea. I hope to honor Joe's music and extend his ideas with my No Bees No Honey print. A portion of proceeds will go to the Joe Strummer Foundation. –Shepard No Bees No Honey. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 325. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $70. Proceeds go to Joe Strummer Foundation.
Summary
No Bees No Honey is a 2022 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 x 24 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper. Created to honor Joe Strummer's 70th birthday and the release of JOE STRUMMER 002, it is inspired by the Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros song 'Johnny Appleseed' and its lyric about not killing all the bees if you're after honey. Fairey ties the line to the crucial role of bees as pollinators sustaining Earth's fragile ecosystems. A portion of proceeds benefits the Joe Strummer Foundation. The print is signed in a numbered edition of 325, with a Verisart Digital Certificate of Authenticity.
Why It Matters
No Bees No Honey unites two of Fairey's enduring passions: music and environmental advocacy. He calls The Clash his all-time favorite band and frontman Joe Strummer a personal hero for his music, lyrics, wit, compassion for the underdog, and stance against injustice. The print honors Strummer's 70th birthday and the release of JOE STRUMMER 002, drawing its title and concept from the Mescaleros song 'Johnny Appleseed' and its lyric, 'If you're after getting the honey, then you don't go killing all the bees.' Fairey extends that line into an environmental message about bees as pollinators crucial to sustaining Earth's fragile ecosystems, while noting it also applies to issues like mistreating factory workers. This dual-origin concept, a music tribute that doubles as ecological commentary, makes the print distinctive in his catalog. It was released both through the official Joe Strummer store and, in an alternate version, on obeygiant.com, with proceeds benefiting the Joe Strummer Foundation. With a notably smaller edition of 325 and an $70 release price, signed and Verisart-certified, the work appeals strongly to both music-print collectors and those drawn to Fairey's environmental output.
Collector Perspective
No Bees No Honey has crossover appeal for both music-print collectors and environmental-theme collectors, given its Joe Strummer and Clash tribute layered over an ecological message. Fans of Fairey's music collaborations will prize its connection to Strummer's 70th birthday and the Joe Strummer Foundation charitable tie. The 18 x 24 inch format frames easily and works in music rooms or environmental groupings alike. Its edition of 325 is among the smaller in this batch, which scarcity-minded collectors will note, and an alternate version existed alongside the main release. At an original $70 in a signed, numbered edition with Verisart documentation, it offers a meaningful, story-rich acquisition that bridges Fairey's musical and environmental interests.
Historical Context
No Bees No Honey sits at the crossroads of Fairey's lifelong engagement with music, especially punk and The Clash, and his early-2020s environmental advocacy. Released in 2022 to mark Joe Strummer's 70th birthday and the JOE STRUMMER 002 release, it reflects Fairey's long pattern of honoring musicians who shaped his politics and aesthetics. The print's dual distribution through the official Joe Strummer store and obeygiant.com, plus proceeds to the Joe Strummer Foundation, illustrates his collaborative, cause-linked release model. By translating a Strummer lyric into a statement on pollinators and ecosystems, the work fuses tribute and activism, situating it among both his music-collaboration prints and his climate-themed output of the period rather than his earlier OBEY street work.
FAQ
What inspired No Bees No Honey?
It was created to honor Joe Strummer's 70th birthday and the release of JOE STRUMMER 002, inspired by the Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros song 'Johnny Appleseed.' Fairey, a devoted Clash and Strummer fan, drew on the lyric about not killing all the bees if you want honey.
What is the environmental message?
Fairey ties Strummer's lyric to the idea that bees are pollinators crucial to sustaining Earth's fragile ecosystems. He notes the concept also applies to other issues, such as mistreating factory workers, hoping to honor Joe's music while extending his ideas.
Does the print support a cause?
Yes. According to the release, a portion of proceeds goes to the Joe Strummer Foundation. The print was offered via the official Joe Strummer store, with an alternate version available on obeygiant.com.
What are the edition size and dimensions?
No Bees No Honey is an 18 x 24 inch screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper, issued in 2022 as a numbered first edition of 325. It is signed by Shepard Fairey and includes a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart.
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.