Giant Heavy Metal

Work Summary & Collector Notes

Giant Heavy Metal is a 1994 screen print published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 120, measuring 9 by 24 inches in a tall vertical format. Drawn from Shepard Fairey's earliest Andre the Giant period, it carries the OBEY iconography that grew out of his Providence-era sticker campaign. The narrow vertical proportions and music-culture title point to a graphic, poster-like composition rather than a fine-art portrait. With no listed price in the source and a small print run, it sits among Fairey's foundational mid-1990s editions that predate his later overtly political work and helped establish the Giant face as a recognizable street-art motif.

Collector notes: First Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 120. Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet groups this work under Collaborations and pop culture for discovery; that category is a navigation aid, not an authentication conclusion.

Historical Context

In the artist's words / from the release record:

“Giant Heavy Metal Size: 9 x 24 Edition of 120” — Shepard Fairey

Documented Release Details

Object type

Editioned screenprint

Release date

1994

Release-date note

Catalog-listed release year/date from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.

Series

OBEY Icon Series

Medium and materials

Screen Print; catalog dimensions 24 x 9 in.

Edition details

First Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 120.

Signature and marks

Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.

Documented History and Meaning

History note: Shepard Fairey's OBEY / Andre the Giant campaign began in 1989 and grew into a long print and public-art practice; this page treats that as career context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition.

Meaning / interpretation: In the artist's or release record's own words: “Giant Heavy Metal Size: 9 x 24 Edition of 120”. This can be read as the documented intent for the work; no additional endorsement is assumed. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.

Release context: The saved catalog lists 1994 and attributes the edition to Obey Giant. It is grouped under OBEY Icon Series in the saved record.

Authentication, Presentation and Provenance

Original presentation

Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.

Authentication note

Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.

Provenance note

Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Obey Giant. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.

Sources and Verification

Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added

1. Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, date, edition, dimensions, medium, release price, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
2. About — Shepard Fairey / OBEY GIANT — Obey Giant · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official OBEY GIANT artist biography and career context; it is not an individual-edition record.
3. Shepard Fairey — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
4. Shepard Fairey (Q1142847) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.