Artist Statement
“Punk rock ignited a lot of creative and philosophical things for me, and punk principles continuously remind me that speaking truth to power and questioning authority is paramount in life. The Dead Kennedys, The Clash, Black Flag, and the Circle Jerks are just a few of the groups that referenced injustices such as police brutality and abuse of power in their songs, inspiring me to speak out about the same subjects through my art. I have made a lot of lasting friendships through punk rock and its cultural offshoots. One of those friends is Sean Bonner, who began ordering my prints in the '90s
About This Print
The High Cost Of Free Speech is a 2021 screen print, 24 x 24 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper, in a signed, numbered edition of 575. It is Shepard Fairey's first art collaboration with photographer Sean Bonner, based on Bonner's photograph of heavily armored police detaining a young person, taken in Paris. The image speaks to the universal pattern of those who protest for justice being met with police force. Released following the 2020 racial-justice and anti-police-brutality protests, the print was published by Obey Giant with a percentage of proceeds directed to the French charity Les Restos du Coeur.
Market Context
Estimated market value: 120.0. Observed range 100.0–150.0. Latest recorded sale: Nov 27, 20. Value is the median of recorded public sales (>= $100); low-high shows the observed sale range.