Bad Brains - Fist & Flag

Work Summary & Collector Notes

Bad Brains - Fist & Flag is a 2022 screen print by Shepard Fairey, 24 x 18 inches, printed on thick cream Speckletone paper in a numbered edition of 600. The image illustrates HR of the hardcore punk band Bad Brains, based on a 1981 Glen E. Friedman photograph shot at the A7 bar in New York City. The composition incorporates a fist-and-flag motif tied to the band's identity and its Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) ethos. Published by Obey Giant, the print is signed by Glen E. Friedman, Shepard Fairey, and HR. It celebrates Fairey's decades-long connection to a band central to his creative formation.

Collector notes: First Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 600. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet groups this work under Music and counterculture for discovery; that category is a navigation aid, not an authentication conclusion.

Historical Context

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

“Bad Brains are one of my favorite punk/hardcore groups of all time. I've been a Bad Brains fan for 30-plus years and am lucky to work with them on a few projects, including prints, a clothing collection, and the cover of their album "Into the Future." Glen E. Friedman shot many great photos of Bad Brains, and his photo of HR at A7 bar in New York City from 1981 is the reference for this poster illustration. It's an incredible honor to create art and to be connected to a band that has provided so much inspiration, energy, and sheer pleasure for me over the years. This poster is signed by Glen,

Documented Release Details

Object type

Editioned screenprint

Release date

2022-04-14

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 18 x 24 in; cream Speckletone paper noted in the release description.

Edition details

First Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 600.

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: “Bad Brains are one of my favorite punk/hardcore groups of all time. I've been a Bad Brains fan for 30-plus years and am lucky to work with them on a few projects, including prints, a clothing collection, and the cover of their album "Into the Future." Glen E. Friedman shot many great photos of Bad Brains, and his photo of HR at A7 bar in New York City from 1981 is the reference for this poster illustration. It's an incredible honor to create art and to be connected to a band that has provided so much inspiration, energy, and sheer pleasure for me over the years. This poster is signed by Glen. 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 2022-04-14 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 $80.00.

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

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.

Market Context

1. 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.
2. Min / max sale. The lowest and highest individual recorded sale prices; the range shows dispersion, not a guaranteed band.
3. Recorded comps. The number of independent comparable sales; reliability rises with sample size (1–2 sales are indicative only).
4. 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.
5. Estimate confidence. A traffic-light read on how well the data supports the estimate: green high, yellow medium, red low / indicative.
6. 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.
7. 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.