Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Shepard Fairey Print Index
Wave Of Distress (Blue)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Wave Of Distress (Blue) is a 2021 screen print, 24 x 18 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper, in a signed, numbered edition of 400. Released by Obey Giant alongside a Sepia colorway, it depicts a crashing wave as a meditation on ocean health and climate. Timed to precede World Water Day, the title is meant as a warning: if the oceans are in trouble, the planet will be overcome by a wave of distress. Fairey notes the oceans regulate climate, reduce climate-change impacts, and provide habitat and food. A percentage of proceeds went to Greenpeace. The original release price was $55, with matched Blue-and-Sepia sets offered at $110.
Collector notes: Blue · Sepia; saved release record states an edition size of 400. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. 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:
“World Water Day is Monday and is a fitting day to precede the release of these Wave of Distress prints. World Water Day not only focuses attention on the water crisis and drinking water, but it is also a day of reflection to celebrate water. So I wanted to share a new piece of art that I think gives consciousness to water. I've done several wave illustrations over the years because I love the power and beauty of waves. The crashing waves and cycle of tides seem endlessly reliable, but ocean health is diminishing in many places. The title Wave of Distress is meant to be a warning. Distress mea
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2021-03-23
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year/date from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Series
- Environmental Series
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 18 x 24 in; cream Speckletone paper noted in the release description.
- Edition details
- Blue · Sepia; saved release record states an edition size of 400.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. 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: “World Water Day is Monday and is a fitting day to precede the release of these Wave of Distress prints. World Water Day not only focuses attention on the water crisis and drinking water, but it is also a day of reflection to celebrate water. So I wanted to share a new piece of art that I think gives consciousness to water. I've done several wave illustrations over the years because I love the power and beauty of waves. The crashing waves and cycle of tides seem endlessly reliable, but ocean health is diminishing in many places. The title Wave of Distress is meant to be a warning. Distress mea. 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 2021-03-23 and attributes the edition to Obey Giant. It is grouped under Environmental Series in the saved record. The saved record notes an original release price of USD $55.00.
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.
Market Context
- Estimated value. The median of recorded public sale prices for this piece, matched by title and colorway. We use the median (not the average) because it resists outliers.
- Min / max sale. The lowest and highest individual recorded sale prices; the range shows dispersion, not a guaranteed band.
- Recorded comps. The number of independent comparable sales; reliability rises with sample size (1–2 sales are indicative only).
- Liquidity & sales volume. Our liquidity rating reflects sales velocity — the number of recorded comparable sales and how recent the latest sale is. More frequent and more recent sales rate as more liquid (Highly Liquid → Liquid → Moderate → Thin → Very Thin); a piece with no recorded public sales is Extremely Rare.
- Estimate confidence. A traffic-light read on how well the data supports the estimate: green high, yellow medium, red low / indicative.
- Data source & currency. Compiled from recorded public marketplace and auction sales of US$200 or more, in US dollars, as of the latest recorded sale shown. Coverage is not exhaustive.
- Not financial or investment advice. For collector reference only — not an appraisal, offer, or guarantee of resale value. Art is volatile and illiquid; do your own research. Use is subject to our Terms & Conditions.