Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Obey With Caution (2002)”?
Artist Statement
OBEY WITH CAUTION Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 300
Summary
Obey With Caution (2002) is a Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 300, measuring 18 x 24 inches. The work pairs the OBEY command with the language and graphics of a warning or caution sign, fusing public-safety signage aesthetics with Fairey's propaganda-poster style. The 'caution' framing turns the OBEY directive into a wry, self-aware warning about obedience itself, built on flat color and bold graphic structure. It is a mid-size early-period screen print from Fairey's Obey Giant studio, with a later 2006 version and a 2017 letterpress edition also issued.
Why It Matters
Obey With Caution is one of Fairey's most pointedly self-aware OBEY works, turning his own command into a warning label and inviting viewers to question the obedience the brand demands. By borrowing the visual codes of caution and warning signage, the print folds public-safety design into the propaganda critique at the core of the OBEY project, a knowing wink that distinguishes it from straight icon prints. The source notes a secondary theme of consumerism and power, reinforcing its commentary on how directives and branding shape behavior. For collectors, this 2002 first edition of 300 anchors a recognized motif that Fairey revisited in a 2006 version and a 2017 letterpress edition, making the original an attractive cornerstone for collectors who track the evolution of a single concept across formats and years. Within his catalog it connects to other OBEY-brand and consumerism prints, offering a documented, conceptually sharp early example of Fairey using design conventions to interrogate his own iconography and the act of obedience itself.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who appreciate the conceptual, self-referential side of the OBEY project and its critique of obedience and consumer power. As the original 2002 version of a motif Fairey later revisited, it is especially attractive to collectors who want to anchor a set tracing the concept across the 2006 version and the 2017 letterpress edition. The caution-sign aesthetic gives it crisp, legible graphic presence that frames well at 18 x 24 inches. With a documented first edition of 300, it sits in a moderately scarce tier. Buyers building around OBEY iconography, corporate critique, or the development of a recurring Fairey idea will find it a strong cornerstone piece.
Historical Context
Obey With Caution (2002) belongs to Fairey's early Obey Giant studio era and exemplifies the self-aware turn in the OBEY project, where Fairey openly plays with the obedience his brand demands. Borrowing warning-sign graphics reflects his ongoing appropriation of design conventions, propaganda, advertising, signage, to probe how images direct behavior, a thread rooted in the OBEY campaign's late-1980s origins. The motif proved durable: Fairey issued a later 2006 version and a 2017 letterpress edition, making the 2002 original the foundation of a recurring concept that spans his early and contemporary periods.
FAQ
What is Obey With Caution (2002)?
It is a 2002 Shepard Fairey screen print that pairs the OBEY command with caution-sign graphics, fusing public-safety signage with his propaganda style. The framing turns the OBEY directive into a wry, self-aware warning about obedience itself.
What are the edition size and dimensions?
According to the source record it is a first edition of 300 and measures 18 x 24 inches. It was produced as a screen print published by Obey Giant, Shepard Fairey's studio imprint.
Are there other versions of this work?
Yes. Fairey revisited the motif with a 2006 version and a 2017 letterpress edition. The 2002 original is the foundation of that set, attractive to collectors who track the concept across formats and years.
How scarce is this print?
With a stated first edition of 300 it falls in a moderately scarce tier. The source does not confirm availability or sold-out status, so this reflects documented edition size only, not current market supply.
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.