Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Warhol Collage (Color)”?
Artist Statement
I've been a fan of Andy Warhol's art since high school. At first, his works' iconic nature and sophisticated color theory attracted me. As I learned more about him, I developed an appreciation for Warhol's philosophy to bring art to a broader audience by using imagery from pop culture and working with musicians like the Velvet Underground and founding Interview Magazine. Warhol additionally made himself part of the pop art conversation by socializing prolifically and making self-portraits. I have made several tributes to Warhol over the years, including playful remixes of some of his images. When Karen Bystedt showed me her photos of Warhol from 1982, I was captivated by his piercing gaze straight into the lens. I felt compelled to make art based on Karen's photo, and I'm grateful she allowed me to work from her wonderful picture! Translating photos into captivating art that further amplifies the subject's power is exactly what Warhol did, so I feel this art piece is fittingly "Warholesque" by aiming for the same. –Shepard "While at NYU film school in the '80s, an ambitious young photographer/ artist Karen Bystedt enrolled Andy Warhol to do a sitting for her book on the era's "sexiest male models," NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY FACE (NAL) 1983 During her extraordinary photoshoot in the conference room at the "last factory" at Union Square, the artist, model, Warhol, who wasn't typically known for his connection to the camera broke convention, connecting with Bystedt's lens in a way that was iconic. For 25 years, a cardboard box lay forgotten in an old garage in Los Angeles, housing the hidden modeling negatives of the Andy Warhol. In 2011, the box was discovered by KB Bystedt, sparking a profound journey of self-discovery and artistic exploration." Shepard and I are both deeply connected to Warhol, and share in his innovative portraiture. We partnered for this print, commemorating what would be his 96th birthday. Shepard's artwork based on my photograph of Andy Warhol is brilliant and I hope it will inspire you as it has me. –Karen Bystedt Warhol Collage (Color) and Warhol Collage (Silver). 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Original Illustration based on photograph by Karen Bystedt. Signed by Shepard Fairey and Karen Bystedt. Numbered edition of 300. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. A limited amount of matching numbered sets will be available for $160. Sold Separately for $80.
Summary
Warhol Collage is a 2023 screen print by Shepard Fairey, released in two colorways, Color and Silver, in a numbered edition of 300 each. Measuring 18 x 24 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper, the original illustration is based on a 1982 photograph of Andy Warhol by Karen Bystedt, capturing Warhol's direct gaze into the lens. Created to commemorate what would have been Warhol's 96th birthday, it is signed by Shepard Fairey and Karen Bystedt and comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. The Color and Silver editions sold separately at $80, with matching numbered sets also offered.
Why It Matters
This print connects Fairey to one of his foundational influences and to a notable piece of photographic history. He describes admiring Warhol since high school, first for his iconic imagery and sophisticated color theory, then for his philosophy of bringing art to a broader audience through pop-culture imagery, his work with the Velvet Underground, and founding Interview Magazine. Fairey frames his own method, translating photographs into captivating art that amplifies the subject's power, as fittingly Warholesque, making the tribute a statement about his own practice as much as about Warhol. The source is Karen Bystedt's 1982 photograph from a shoot at the last Factory at Union Square, negatives that lay forgotten in a Los Angeles garage for about 25 years before their rediscovery, giving the image a compelling provenance story. Released to mark Warhol's 96th birthday and signed by both Fairey and Bystedt, the print carries dual-artist authority. At 18 x 24 inches in two colorways and an edition of 300 each, released at $80, it offers an accessible, well-documented homage that situates Fairey within the pop-art lineage he openly claims.
Collector Perspective
This is well suited to collectors of Fairey's pop-culture and portrait work, admirers of Andy Warhol, and those drawn to the photographic-source provenance of Karen Bystedt's rediscovered 1982 negatives. Its appeal rests on the dual signatures of Fairey and Bystedt and the lineage connecting Fairey to a defining pop-art influence. The two colorways, Color and Silver, invite collecting both or pursuing the matching numbered set, adding a completist angle. At an accessible release price of $80 and a 18 x 24 inch format that frames cleanly, it is an approachable entry point for new collectors while still carrying meaningful art-historical weight. With a numbered edition of 300 and a Verisart certificate, it provides documented authenticity within a portrait or pop-culture focused collection.
Historical Context
Released in 2023 to commemorate what would have been Andy Warhol's 96th birthday, this print situates Fairey within the pop-art tradition he credits as a high-school-era influence. By building on Karen Bystedt's 1982 photograph from Warhol's last Factory at Union Square, the work ties to a documented chapter of pop-art history, including the rediscovery of Bystedt's long-forgotten negatives. Fairey explicitly frames his approach, translating photographs into art that amplifies the subject's power, as Warholesque, making the homage a reflection on his own methodology. Within his arc it belongs to his ongoing series of tributes to artists and cultural figures who shaped him, extending a body of Warhol-related works and reaffirming the pop-art lineage that underpins his practice.
FAQ
What is the source image for this print?
The original illustration is based on a 1982 photograph of Andy Warhol by Karen Bystedt, taken during a shoot at the last Factory at Union Square. Fairey was captivated by Warhol's direct gaze into the lens and made the art based on Bystedt's photo.
What colorways and edition size were released?
It was released in two colorways, Color and Silver, each in a numbered edition of 300. The two editions sold separately for $80, with a limited number of matching numbered sets also available.
Who signed the print and why was it made?
It is signed by Shepard Fairey and Karen Bystedt. The print was created as a collaboration to commemorate what would have been Andy Warhol's 96th birthday, honoring an artist Fairey has admired since high school.
What are the dimensions and materials?
The print measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. It comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart, the standard documentation for Obey Giant releases of this period.
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.