Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Shepard Fairey Print Index
Black Sabbath (Red)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Black Sabbath (Red) is a 2005 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in an edition of 300 at 18 x 24 inches, issued in Orange and Red colorways. Per Fairey's own account, the piece derives from the poster and T-shirt he designed for Black Sabbath's 2005 tour, following a 2004 commission to create VIP band and crew shirts reading "Black Sabbath has a Posse," with each member rendered in the original Andre sticker format. It fuses heavy-metal music culture with Fairey's OBEY iconography.
Collector notes: Orange · Red; saved release record states an edition size of 300. 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 OBEY iconography for discovery; that category is a navigation aid, not an authentication conclusion.
Historical Context
In the artist's words / from the release record:
“I've been a fan of Black Sabbath for a very long time. Coincidentally, a friend of mine happens to work for Ozzy, and has planted a lot of my art in the Ozzy camp, whether simply showing it to Sharon and Ozzy or getting Jack to wear Obey shirts on the TV show. In 2004, they asked me to make the VIP band and crew shirts, which said "Black Sabbath has a Posse," with each member of the band in the original Andre sticker format. This piece here is from the poster and T-shirt I designed for Sabbath's 2005 tour.” — Shepard Fairey
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2005
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year/date from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Series
- Music Series
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 24 x 18 in.
- Edition details
- Orange · Red; saved release record states an edition size of 300.
- 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: “I've been a fan of Black Sabbath for a very long time. Coincidentally, a friend of mine happens to work for Ozzy, and has planted a lot of my art in the Ozzy camp, whether simply showing it to Sharon and Ozzy or getting Jack to wear Obey shirts on the TV show. In 2004, they asked me to make the VIP band and crew shirts, which said "Black Sabbath has a Posse," with each member of the band in the original Andre sticker format. This piece here is from the poster and T-shirt I designed for Sabbath's 2005 tour.”. 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 2005 and attributes the edition to Obey Giant. It is grouped under Music Series in the saved record. The saved record notes an original release price of USD $30.00.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shepard Fairey — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Shepard Fairey (Q1142847) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.