Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Shepard Fairey Print Index
Dark Wave (Offset Poster)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Dark Wave (Offset Poster) is a 2017 Shepard Fairey offset lithograph on thick cream Speckle Tone paper, 24 x 36 inches, signed and issued as an open edition by Obey Giant. Fairey first illustrated the Dark Wave image in 2010 as a response to the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, later making fine-art versions he preferred to the screen prints; this poster reproduces that fine-art version. The image depicts hypnotic, rippling water laced with oil, carrying an environmental warning about off-shore drilling. Original price was $35.
Collector notes: Legacy catalog label: Cream · Large Format · Offset Poster · Rising Sun · White; total quantity was not documented in the saved record. The saved release record describes: signed. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet groups this work under Environment and climate for discovery; that category is a navigation aid, not an authentication conclusion.
Historical Context
In the artist's words / from the release record:
“24 x 36 inches. Offset poster on thick cream Speckle Tone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Open edition. I first illustrated the Dark Wave piece in 2010 as a response to the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I made some fine art pieces of the image that I liked even more than the screen prints and decided I'd like to release an offset of the fine art version. I am releasing this both because I like the image, and because unfortunately, the environmental hazards of off-shore drilling are just as relevant today as they were in 2010…especially with the relaxed regulations under the new administrat
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned lithograph
- Release date
- 2017-04-20
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year/date from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Series
- Offset Lithograph
- Medium and materials
- Offset Lithograph; catalog dimensions 24 x 36 in; cream Speckletone paper noted in the release description.
- Edition details
- Legacy catalog label: Cream · Large Format · Offset Poster · Rising Sun · White; total quantity was not documented in the saved record.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed. Verify each feature 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: “24 x 36 inches. Offset poster on thick cream Speckle Tone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Open edition. I first illustrated the Dark Wave piece in 2010 as a response to the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I made some fine art pieces of the image that I liked even more than the screen prints and decided I'd like to release an offset of the fine art version. I am releasing this both because I like the image, and because unfortunately, the environmental hazards of off-shore drilling are just as relevant today as they were in 2010...especially with the relaxed regulations under the new administrat. 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 2017-04-20 and attributes the edition to Obey Giant. It is grouped under Offset Lithograph in the saved record. The saved record notes an original release price of USD $35.00.
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.