Bob Marley - Lively Up Yourself by Shepard Fairey: Collector Guide, Value & What to Know
The Shepard Fairey Bob Marley - Lively Up Yourself screen print is a standout entry in Fairey's long-running music tribute series — a category that consistently commands premium secondary-market prices due to its dual collector base of fine art buyers and music fans. This 18x24 screen print is produced by the OBEY Giant studio and carries all the hallmarks of a legitimate Fairey limited edition: hand-signed in pencil, edition-numbered, and sealed with the OBEY blind-deboss. If you are asking whether this print is worth buying, the answer is yes — Bob Marley is one of the most culturally resonant figures Fairey has ever portrayed, the production quality is high, and demand for reggae-adjacent Fairey works has remained durable across market cycles.
About Bob Marley - Lively Up Yourself
Bob Marley remains the defining figure of reggae music and one of the most universally recognized cultural icons of the twentieth century. Born in Jamaica in 1945, Marley used music as a vehicle for spiritual message, social justice, and pan-African unity. Songs like "Redemption Song," "One Love," and — critically — "Lively Up Yourself" transcended genre to become anthems of personal liberation. "Lively Up Yourself," released on the 1975 album Natty Dread, captures the essence of Marley's philosophy: vitality, resistance, and joy as political acts. Marley died in 1981, but his global influence only grew in the decades that followed.
Shepard Fairey's choice to portray Marley in this series is entirely consistent with the OBEY Giant ethos. Fairey has long drawn on figures who challenged authority and amplified marginalized voices — from Mandela to Lennon to Ali. Marley sits at the intersection of those themes: a Black artist who crossed racial and national borders with a message of peace and defiance. The "Lively Up Yourself" title specifically speaks to the activist energy Fairey has always channeled in his poster art. This is not a nostalgia piece; it is an assertion.
The Print — What You Are Getting
This is a hand-pulled screen print produced by the OBEY Giant studio in Los Angeles. Fairey's studio is one of the most respected in the American street art and fine art print world, operating with the same production rigor as well-established print publishers. Standard Fairey limited editions run between 150 and 450 numbered copies across variant colorways; exact edition sizes for individual releases vary and are documented on the print itself. The visual language is unmistakably Fairey: bold flat color fields, high-contrast graphic forms, a propaganda poster structure inherited from Soviet Constructivism and American WPA prints, and a strong typographic presence. The 18x24 inch format is Fairey's most common and widely collected size — practical to frame, substantial on a wall, and priced accessibly relative to the larger 24x36 editions. Each print ships with pencil signature (lower right), edition number in pencil (lower left), and the OBEY blind-deboss seal pressed into the paper stock.
Authentication and Provenance
The authentication standard for Shepard Fairey prints is OBEY Giant studio documentation. There is no third-party certificate of authenticity recognized or required by the market — in fact, the presence of an unsolicited third-party COA on a Fairey print is often a red flag rather than a reassurance. What matters is the physical print itself: pencil signature in the lower right corner, edition number handwritten in pencil in the lower left (formatted XX/YYY), and the OBEY blind-deboss seal impressed directly into the paper. These three elements together constitute the authentication chain. Prints sourced from the OBEY Giant webstore, from authorized gallery partners like Gauntlet Gallery, or from reputable secondary market platforms with verifiable provenance documentation carry the highest confidence. When buying from any source, ask for an original receipt or gallery invoice — provenance documentation adds meaningful value at resale.
Value in Context
Music-related Shepard Fairey prints occupy a distinct and premium tier in the secondary market. The reason is structural: they attract two separate collector pools simultaneously — fine art and street art collectors who buy Fairey for the medium, and music fans who buy the subject. When both pools are bidding on the same edition, scarcity arrives faster and prices respond accordingly. Bob Marley as a subject amplifies this dynamic considerably. Marley's global fan base spans generations and geographies in a way that few other musicians match. Fairey prints depicting Marley, Lennon, Hendrix, and similarly transcendent figures consistently outperform prints of lesser-known subjects at the same edition size and price point. For current pricing on this specific print, contact Gauntlet Gallery directly — the market for individual Fairey editions moves, and we price accurately to current conditions rather than publishing stale figures. What we can say with confidence is that this print's subject matter places it in the upper tier of comparably-sized Fairey editions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Shepard Fairey Bob Marley - Lively Up Yourself print authentic?
Authentication for Shepard Fairey prints is established through OBEY Giant studio documentation, not third-party certificates. A genuine Fairey limited edition will have a hand-applied pencil signature in the lower right, an edition number in pencil in the lower left (XX/YYY format), and an OBEY blind-deboss seal pressed into the paper. No third-party COA is required or recognized as a meaningful authentication standard for Fairey prints.
What is the Shepard Fairey Bob Marley - Lively Up Yourself print worth?
Music-themed Shepard Fairey prints with high-profile subjects like Bob Marley typically sit in the premium tier of his catalog. Fairey screen prints in the 18x24 format range from several hundred dollars for standard editions up to several thousand for rare or sold-out variants, depending on colorway, condition, and current market demand. Contact Gauntlet Gallery for current pricing on this specific piece.
Where can I buy the Shepard Fairey Bob Marley - Lively Up Yourself print?
Gauntlet Gallery carries a curated inventory of Shepard Fairey limited edition screen prints, including music-series works. Browse current availability at gauntlet.gallery/collections/shepard-fairey or contact us directly for specific inquiries.
For a deeper look at how to evaluate, authenticate, and build a Shepard Fairey collection, read our Shepard Fairey Collector Guide.
