Target Exceptions by Shepard Fairey: Collector Guide, Value & What to Know
Target Exceptions is a screen print by Shepard Fairey released through his OBEY Giant studio, applying Fairey’s signature propaganda-poster visual language to a target motif rooted in his long-running critique of surveillance, consumerism, and systems of control. If you are asking whether the Target Exceptions print is worth buying, the short answer is yes — works from Fairey’s conceptual series carry strong collector demand because they sit at the intersection of street art history and pointed political commentary, and limited-edition OBEY screen prints in strong condition have demonstrated consistent secondary-market interest over the past decade. For a collector building a Fairey position, Target Exceptions represents a thematically coherent acquisition with clear authentication credentials and genuine art-historical context.
About Target Exceptions
The target image has a deep lineage in Fairey’s practice. From his earliest wheat-paste campaigns through large-scale gallery editions, the target — stripped of its retail branding and redeployed as a symbol of surveillance, of being watched, of systems that categorize and track — appears across multiple bodies of work. Target Exceptions specifically interrogates the bureaucratic logic of exceptions: who gets flagged, who passes through, who is subject to scrutiny and who is granted exemption. That friction between visibility and invisibility, between normal and exception, is central to the post-9/11 cultural moment that shaped much of Fairey’s mid-career output. The work is not simply graphic design; it is argument made visual.
Fairey’s sustained engagement with these themes is what separates him from peers who traffic in surface-level rebellion. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, launched the OBEY Giant campaign in 1989, and spent three decades building a body of work that moves fluidly between street intervention, gallery exhibition, and institutional critique. The Target Exceptions print belongs to that mature phase of his practice — methodical, craft-intensive, and aware of its own place in the conversation about American civil liberties and the aesthetics of authority. Collectors who understand that context tend to hold these works long-term, which is a meaningful indicator for anyone evaluating the print as both an art object and a collectible.
The Print — What You Are Getting
Target Exceptions is a screen print produced by the OBEY Giant studio in Los Angeles. Standard Fairey screen prints measure 18x24 inches, printed on heavy archival stock — typically 100 lb. or heavier — with ink coverage that rewards close inspection. Fairey’s visual style on works like this one draws from Soviet constructivist posters, Cold War propaganda graphics, and American commercial signage: bold flat color fields, strong geometric forms, and a palette that commands attention from across a room. Edition sizes for standard OBEY Giant releases generally fall in the 150 to 450 range, with smaller runs reserved for museum shows and special collaborations. The studio’s production standards are consistent — color registration is tight, paper handling is controlled, and each print is inspected before numbering and signing. What you are acquiring is a hand-finished object, not a reproduction, and the difference is visible.
Authentication and Provenance
Authentication for Shepard Fairey prints follows a clear, studio-controlled standard that does not rely on third-party certifiers. Each genuine OBEY Giant edition is hand-signed by Fairey in pencil in the lower right corner. The edition number — formatted as XX/YYY — is written in pencil, typically in the lower left. Authentic prints carry a blind-deboss seal applied by the OBEY Giant studio; this embossed mark is not visible from a distance but is immediately apparent under raking light or by touch, and it is the most reliable single indicator of studio origin. No third-party certificate of authenticity is required, recognized, or issued for standard OBEY editions — any print accompanied by a third-party COA as the primary authentication document should be evaluated carefully. The correct provenance chain runs directly through OBEY Giant studio documentation: original purchase receipt, studio release records, and the physical markers described above. When buying from Gauntlet Gallery, provenance documentation accompanies the work.
Value in Context
Target Exceptions occupies a productive position in the Fairey pricing spectrum. Conceptual works addressing surveillance and civil liberties attract a collector base that skews toward serious art buyers with long holding horizons — these are not impulse purchases, and the secondary market reflects that with steady rather than volatile price movement. Standard-format OBEY Giant screen prints (18x24, editions in the 200–450 range) from this thematic territory typically trade in a range that rewards early acquisition and careful condition management. Works in mint condition with original studio packaging command meaningful premiums over examples with handling wear, toning, or prior framing damage. For Target Exceptions specifically, pricing is available on request — contact Gauntlet Gallery directly for current availability. As a frame of reference, comparable Fairey conceptual prints with clean provenance and strong condition have shown consistent appreciation, and the category as a whole benefits from Fairey’s sustained institutional visibility, including museum acquisitions and major auction appearances that anchor the broader market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Shepard Fairey Target Exceptions print authentic?
Authentic examples carry three studio-applied markers: a hand pencil signature by Fairey in the lower right, a pencil edition number (XX/YYY) in the lower left, and a blind-deboss OBEY Giant seal that is felt rather than seen. These markers originate with the OBEY Giant studio and do not require supplemental third-party certification. When purchasing from Gauntlet Gallery, provenance documentation is included.
What is the Shepard Fairey Target Exceptions print worth?
Value depends on edition size, condition, and provenance. Standard OBEY Giant screen prints in the 18x24 format with clean condition and original documentation trade in a range consistent with Fairey’s established secondary market. Contact Gauntlet Gallery for current pricing on Target Exceptions.
Where can I buy the Shepard Fairey Target Exceptions print?
Gauntlet Gallery offers authenticated Shepard Fairey prints. Browse our current inventory at gauntlet.gallery/collections/shepard-fairey or contact us directly for availability.
For a broader introduction to collecting Fairey’s work — edition types, authentication standards, and market positioning — see our Shepard Fairey Collector Guide.
Ready to add Target Exceptions or a comparable Fairey work to your collection? Browse Shepard Fairey at Gauntlet Gallery — authenticated, documented, and available for serious collectors.
