Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Ian Curtis Heart And Soul”?
Artist Statement
I first discovered Joy Division through my friend Jay Haley in 1985-86. Jay was a little more open-minded than I was, so he was listening to aggressive punk and hardcore, but also, more moody music like The Smiths, The Cure, early Cult, and Joy Division. I initially liked some of Joy Division's melodies, but I generally found the music a bit cold, sparse, and haunting on the verge of depressing. However, the music grew on me over time and the qualities I just described as liabilities became assets. As I grew out of my punk rock orthodoxy phase I realized no band sounded quite like Joy Division. My love of Joy Division has only grown over the years along with my appreciation for their imagery. Joy Division's image of elegant austerity is often connected to their artwork by Peter Saville, but a lot of credit should go to Kevin Cummins for his noir portraits of the band. I've loved Cummin's photography for years, so I was delighted when he agreed to collaborate on a portrait of Ian Curtis, Joy Division's singer who took his own life in 1980 at 23. Curtis was a unique singer but also a powerful lyricist, so the lyrics to the song Heart and Soul are woven through the art along with an angular divide through Curtis's figure symbolizing the tension between heart and soul. Since Kevin actually knew Ian, I appreciated that he would allow me to interpret his iconic photo! –Shepard Whenever I photographed Ian, I wanted to capture his intensity. My brief (to myself) was to portray Ian, and the other members of Joy Division, as serious young men. They were serious about their music of course, but mostly they were typical of young lads everywhere, in that they were relatively carefree. Ian always seemed different. His intensity shines though his face and his piercing eyes. That's what I always hoped to achieve with my photos, and the fact that they still resonate so strongly, bears testimony to that. –Kevin Cummins Ian Curtis Heart and Soul. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Original Illustration based on photograph by Kevin Cummins. Signed by Shepard Fairey and Kevin Cummins. Numbered edition of 500. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $85.
Summary
Ian Curtis Heart And Soul is a 2023 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches, on thick cream Speckletone paper, published by Obey Giant in a signed, numbered first edition of 500. It portrays Ian Curtis, the singer of Joy Division who died in 1980 at age 23, based on an original illustration from a photograph by Kevin Cummins. The lyrics to the song Heart and Soul are woven through the artwork, and an angular divide runs through Curtis's figure symbolizing the tension between heart and soul. The print is signed by both Shepard Fairey and Kevin Cummins and includes a Verisart digital certificate of authenticity.
Why It Matters
Ian Curtis Heart And Soul is a music-and-portrait collaboration that pairs Fairey with noted Joy Division photographer Kevin Cummins, whose noir images defined the band's visual legacy. Rather than a generic tribute, the print is built from Cummins's firsthand photograph of Curtis and incorporates the lyrics of Heart and Soul directly into the composition, with an angular divide through the figure dramatizing the song's title tension. The dual signature gives the work joint authorship and provenance weight, linking Fairey's portrait practice to an authentic source from within the band's circle. For collectors, the print sits at the intersection of Fairey's longstanding music output and his portrait-and-legacy work, commemorating a figure central to post-punk history. The personal narrative Fairey provides, tracing his discovery of Joy Division in the mid-1980s, grounds the piece in his own formative influences rather than mere homage. As a memorial portrait of an artist who died young and remains widely revered, it carries cultural resonance that extends well beyond Fairey's usual collector base into music fandom.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to two overlapping audiences: collectors of Fairey's music prints and post-punk and Joy Division fans drawn to a definitive Ian Curtis tribute. The dual signature from Fairey and photographer Kevin Cummins adds provenance value, and the woven lyrics and angular composition give it strong graphic and emotional impact on the wall. It fits a music-themed collection alongside Fairey's other musician portraits and is well suited to display in a listening room or music space. With an edition of 500 and an accessible original price, it targets collectors building a music-focused grouping. The legacy of Curtis as a young, revered figure broadens its appeal beyond typical street-art buyers.
Historical Context
Ian Curtis Heart And Soul belongs to Fairey's extensive music-portrait output, a category he has cultivated for decades alongside his political work. Dated March 2023 and published by Obey Giant, it continues his practice of collaborating with photographers and honoring musicians who shaped his own taste, in this case Joy Division, a band he traces to discovering in 1985-86. By basing the portrait on Kevin Cummins's photograph and securing Cummins's signature, Fairey ties the work to an authoritative source within the band's history. Curtis died in 1980 at 23, and the print functions as a memorial within Fairey's broader portraits-and-legacy theme. Within his arc, it exemplifies how his music tributes blend personal narrative, collaboration with photographers, and his signature screen-print treatment.
FAQ
Who is depicted in this print?
It depicts Ian Curtis, the singer of Joy Division, who took his own life in 1980 at age 23. The portrait is an original illustration based on a photograph by Kevin Cummins, who knew and photographed the band.
Is this a collaboration?
Yes. The print is based on Kevin Cummins's photograph of Curtis and is signed by both Shepard Fairey and Kevin Cummins, giving it joint authorship and provenance, per the source listing.
What are the design elements?
The lyrics to the Joy Division song Heart and Soul are woven through the artwork, and an angular divide runs through Curtis's figure to symbolize the tension between heart and soul, according to Fairey's description.
What are the format and edition?
It is an 18 x 24 inch screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper, signed and numbered in an edition of 500, with a digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. It was published by Obey Giant in 2023 at 85 dollars.
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.