Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Circle Jerks Keith Morris”?
Artist Statement
I'm a big fan of the Circle Jerks and in fact, the Circle Jerks were one of the first hardcore bands I saw when they came to my home of Charleston, S.C. in 1986. I was more than happy to create this poster commemorating Keith Morris's 70th birthday concert in LA with bands Ceremony, Rocket From The Crypt, and Negative Approach. I'm really happy with how this turned out, and I hope Keith loves it too! Happy Birthday Keith, and thanks for the many years of inspiration! - Shepard PRINT DETAILS: Circle Jerks Keith Morris 70. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on 80# cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey and Keith Morris. Numbered edition of 550. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $70.
Summary
Circle Jerks Keith Morris is a 2025 screen print created as a poster commemorating Keith Morris's 70th birthday concert in Los Angeles. Measuring 18 x 24 inches on 80# cream Speckletone paper, it is a numbered first edition of 550, published by Obey Giant at $70, and signed by both Shepard Fairey and Keith Morris. Fairey notes that the Circle Jerks were one of the first hardcore bands he saw, in Charleston, S.C. in 1986, and that the birthday concert featured Ceremony, Rocket From The Crypt, and Negative Approach. Each print comes with a Verisart Digital Certificate of Authenticity.
Why It Matters
This print belongs to Fairey's deep catalog of punk and hardcore music tributes, a thread rooted in his personal history with the genre. He notes the Circle Jerks were among the first hardcore bands he saw, in Charleston, S.C. in 1986, giving the poster autobiographical weight beyond a commercial commission. Created to commemorate Keith Morris's 70th birthday concert in Los Angeles, alongside Ceremony, Rocket From The Crypt, and Negative Approach, it documents a specific event in hardcore's living history while honoring a foundational figure of the scene. The dual signature by both Fairey and Morris materially distinguishes this edition, adding a layer of provenance that punk-music collectors prize. For those who collect Fairey's concert and band posters, the work connects the artist's visual language to the subcultural roots that shaped him. As a signed edition of 550 from 2025, it is accessible while carrying genuine countercultural significance, functioning both as a concert artifact and as a portrait-style homage to an enduring hardcore icon.
Collector Perspective
This print targets collectors of Fairey's music posters and fans of punk and hardcore, especially admirers of the Circle Jerks and Keith Morris. The dual signature by Fairey and Morris is a key draw, adding provenance that elevates it above a standard concert poster. At 18 x 24 inches it displays well in a music-themed wall grouping and complements Fairey's other hardcore tributes. The signed, numbered edition of 550 with a Verisart certificate offers solid documentation, and the $70 issue price keeps it accessible. It fits collections organized around Fairey's music series or punk subculture, and the commemorative 70th-birthday concert tie-in gives it a specific, dateable story that enhances both its narrative and display appeal.
Historical Context
Circle Jerks Keith Morris extends Fairey's long engagement with punk and hardcore music, a foundational influence he traces to seeing the Circle Jerks in Charleston, S.C. in 1986. The 2025 poster commemorates Keith Morris's 70th birthday concert in Los Angeles, placing it in Fairey's tradition of producing event-specific posters for artists who shaped his sensibility. Co-signed by Morris, it reflects the collaborative, scene-rooted nature of these tributes. Published by Obey Giant in an edition of 550, the print continues Fairey's pattern of honoring living hardcore figures, situating it alongside his broader body of music posters that document and celebrate the bands central to his counterculture roots.
FAQ
What does this print commemorate?
Fairey created it as a poster commemorating Keith Morris's 70th birthday concert in Los Angeles, which featured the bands Ceremony, Rocket From The Crypt, and Negative Approach. Morris is the frontman of the Circle Jerks, a band Fairey identifies as a longtime favorite.
Is the print signed by Keith Morris?
Yes. Per the source, the print is signed by both Shepard Fairey and Keith Morris. It is a numbered first edition of 550 and comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart.
What is Fairey's connection to the Circle Jerks?
Fairey states he is a big fan and that the Circle Jerks were one of the first hardcore bands he saw, when they came to his home of Charleston, S.C. in 1986. He says he was more than happy to create the poster and thanks Morris for years of inspiration.
What are the specifications?
Circle Jerks Keith Morris 70 measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print on 80# cream Speckletone paper. It is a numbered first edition of 550, published by Obey Giant, with an original release price of $70.
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.