Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Big Brother Letterpress”?
Artist Statement
"Big Brother is Watching You" is a reference to George Orwell's novel 1984, a cautionary tale about a totalitarian state. In 1984, Big Brother is the supreme ruler, and his image is used to instill loyalty and fear in the populace. My image of the menacing face of Big Brother is meant to remind us that the technology society has grown to depend on is being used to monitor, register and influence our activity. As we consume an endless variety of digital media, citizens should question corporate and state surveillance. Examples such as social media tracking our behavior patterns, the Pegasus spyware scandal, which revealed how governments were hacking journalists, activists, and dissidents, the expansion of AI-powered facial recognition systems used for policing and public monitoring, and TikTok's data collection practices should all raise questions about privacy and influence. Technology provides the ultimate convenience while simultaneously registering our every move and making us more susceptible to misinformation and manipulation. A portion of proceeds from this print will go to Brave New Films to support their important social justice work. -Shepard PRINT DETAILS: Big Brother Letterpress. 11 x 14" inches. Letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 175. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $80.
Summary
Big Brother Letterpress is a 2025 Shepard Fairey print published by Obey Giant, measuring 11 x 14 inches on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges. It is signed and numbered in an edition of 175 and was offered at $80 with a digital Certificate of Authenticity via Verisart. The image of a menacing 'Big Brother is Watching You' face references George Orwell's 1984 and warns that technology society depends on is used to monitor, register, and influence behavior. Fairey cites social-media tracking, the Pegasus spyware scandal, AI facial recognition, and data collection; a portion of proceeds supports Brave New Films.
Why It Matters
Big Brother Letterpress is one of Fairey's most pointed statements on surveillance and the OBEY project's core concern with control and obedience. Rooted in Orwell's 1984, where Big Brother's image instills loyalty and fear, the print updates that warning for the present, with Fairey naming specific contemporary developments: social-media behavior tracking, the Pegasus spyware scandal targeting journalists and activists, expanding AI-powered facial recognition in policing, and data-collection practices. This specificity makes the work a timely critique of corporate and state surveillance rather than a generic dystopian image. The source also documents a charitable dimension, with a portion of proceeds going to Brave New Films to support social-justice work. Produced as a small numbered letterpress edition of only 175 on hand-deckled cotton paper, it is among the more limited releases in this batch, lending it relative scarcity. For collectors it connects directly to the conceptual heart of OBEY, surveillance, power, and questioning authority, in a refined, craft-forward format with documented authentication.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors drawn to the conceptual core of OBEY, surveillance, power, and media critique, and to those who appreciate the letterpress medium and its hand-deckled, tactile quality. At $80 in a small numbered edition of 175, it offers relative scarcity at a moderate price, which can attract buyers seeking limited releases. The intimate 11 x 14 inch format suits close-viewing display in curated groupings rather than large statement walls. Its charitable tie to Brave New Films adds appeal for socially motivated collectors. It fits naturally with Fairey's surveillance and power-themed works and his other letterpress editions, and the Verisart COA supports provenance.
Historical Context
Big Brother Letterpress extends a theme central to Fairey's entire OBEY project: the critique of surveillance, control, and unquestioned obedience that the word 'Obey' itself satirizes. By anchoring the image in Orwell's 1984 and updating it with current examples like Pegasus spyware and AI facial recognition, the print situates a longstanding Fairey concern within the 2025 technological landscape. The letterpress execution on hand-deckled cotton paper reflects the craft-oriented production of his contemporary period, and the Brave New Films benefit echoes his frequent pairing of releases with social causes. The work reaffirms surveillance critique as a durable pillar of his message.
FAQ
What is the meaning behind Big Brother?
The phrase 'Big Brother is Watching You' references George Orwell's 1984, a cautionary tale about a totalitarian state where Big Brother's image instills loyalty and fear. Fairey's menacing Big Brother face warns that technology we depend on is used to monitor, register, and influence our activity, urging citizens to question corporate and state surveillance.
What contemporary issues does the print reference?
Fairey cites social-media tracking of behavior patterns, the Pegasus spyware scandal that revealed governments hacking journalists, activists, and dissidents, the expansion of AI-powered facial recognition for policing and public monitoring, and TikTok's data-collection practices as reasons to question privacy and influence.
Does it support a cause?
Yes. According to the record, a portion of proceeds goes to Brave New Films to support their social-justice work, tying the print's surveillance critique to active social-justice advocacy.
What are the edition specifications?
It is a letterpress print on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, 11 x 14 inches, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered in an edition of 175. It was released at $80 and comes with 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.