Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “They Live We Sleep (Cream)”?
Artist Statement
The "They Live We Sleep" letterpress is inspired by several things. My original interest in skulls came from their recurrent presence in skateboard and punk rock iconography of the 80s. Especially the Powell Peralta "Bones Ripper" illustrated by Vernon Courtlandt Johnson. I was also a big fan of Lance Mountain's and Ric Clayton's skull drawings for Suicidal Tendencies. Skulls were also a prominent part of the alien ghoul characters in the movie "They Live," which inspired my use of the word OBEY in my art. Graffiti on a wall in the movie "They Live" said "They Live We Sleep". That graffiti basically summed up the premise of the film… that the powerful get away with nefarious acts and manipulation because we are not conscious enough of what is really going on. In the case of this letterpress print, I've pulled from all of those influences and added an oil derrick in the forehead of this particular skull to focus on the (in my opinion) greatest threat to our health and the planet's health. Regardless of what corporations and science deniers say, those of us with a conscience can't sleep on climate change and environmental peril! Thanks for caring! -Shepard They Live We Sleep (Cream). 10 x 13 inches. Letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 200. Obey publishing chop in lower left corner. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $65.
Summary
They Live We Sleep (Cream) is a 2025 letterpress print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant. It measures 10 x 13 inches on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, signed by Fairey in a numbered edition of 200, issued at $65, with an Obey publishing chop in the lower left corner and a Verisart digital Certificate of Authenticity. Offered in Black and Cream, the image centers on a skull drawn from skateboard and punk iconography and from the film 'They Live,' whose graffiti 'They Live We Sleep' inspired Fairey's use of OBEY. He adds an oil derrick in the skull's forehead to spotlight climate change and environmental peril.
Why It Matters
This letterpress print compresses several threads of Fairey's origin story and current concerns into one image. The 'They Live We Sleep' phrase comes from graffiti in the John Carpenter film 'They Live,' which Fairey credits as the inspiration for his use of the word OBEY, making the title a direct nod to the conceptual roots of his entire OBEY project. The skull motif connects to the 1980s skateboard and punk iconography he grew up with, including the Powell Peralta 'Bones Ripper' and skull drawings tied to Suicidal Tendencies, grounding the work in his formative visual culture. By inserting an oil derrick into the skull's forehead, Fairey redirects this loaded imagery toward what he calls the greatest threat to our health and the planet's, climate change and environmental peril. For collectors, the piece is notable for its medium, a small-format letterpress on hand-deckled cotton paper with the Obey publishing chop, which distinguishes it from his standard screen prints. It rewards close reading as a layered statement that fuses OBEY's film origins, punk nostalgia, and environmental urgency in a single, deliberately ominous icon.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who appreciate the OBEY origin story, punk and skate culture references, and Fairey's environmental messaging, all condensed into one image. The letterpress medium on hand-deckled cotton paper with the Obey publishing chop gives it a tactile, craft-oriented quality that distinguishes it from his screen prints and appeals to buyers who value process and small-format objects. At 10 x 13 inches and an edition of 200, it is a more intimate piece that suits close viewing and tighter wall arrangements. The Black and Cream variants let collectors choose or pair colorways. The $65 price and Verisart certificate make it an accessible, conceptually rich addition for those drawn to the conceptual roots of OBEY.
Historical Context
They Live We Sleep (Cream) reaches back to the conceptual origins of Fairey's OBEY project, which he ties to graffiti from the film 'They Live,' while channeling his 1980s formation in skateboard and punk culture through the skull motif and references to Powell Peralta and Suicidal Tendencies. By embedding an oil derrick in the skull and foregrounding climate change, the 2025 letterpress folds those origins into his current environmental activism. The choice of letterpress on hand-deckled cotton paper with the Obey publishing chop places it among his more craft-focused, small-format editions rather than his large screen prints. Published by Obey Giant, it shows how Fairey continually revisits the iconography and influences that launched his career, repurposing them to address present-day ecological concerns.
FAQ
Where does the title 'They Live We Sleep' come from?
According to Fairey, the phrase comes from graffiti on a wall in the movie 'They Live,' which summed up the film's premise that the powerful get away with manipulation because people are not conscious of what is really happening. Fairey credits the film with inspiring his use of the word OBEY.
What does the oil derrick in the skull represent?
Fairey says he added an oil derrick in the forehead of the skull to focus on what he considers the greatest threat to our health and the planet's health: climate change. He frames the image as a call not to 'sleep' on environmental peril.
What are the edition and format details?
It is a letterpress print on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, measuring 10 x 13 inches. The source states it is signed, numbered in an edition of 200, includes the Obey publishing chop in the lower left corner, and comes with a Verisart Certificate of Authenticity, issued at $65.
Why does Fairey use a skull?
Fairey traces his interest in skulls to their presence in 1980s skateboard and punk iconography, citing the Powell Peralta 'Bones Ripper' and skull drawings tied to Suicidal Tendencies, as well as the alien ghoul characters in the film 'They Live.'
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.