Rise Above Barbwire Flower (Red)

Work Summary & Collector Notes

Rise Above Barbwire Flower (Red) is a 2022 Shepard Fairey letterpress print, 10 x 13 inches, on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, signed and from a numbered edition of 250, priced at $65. It was released in two colorways, Blue and Red, with matching numbered sets also offered. The image shows flowers growing from barbwire, which Fairey says symbolizes positive growth out of an oppressive situation. He links the work to the Black Flag song "Rise Above" and a philosophy of rising above pettiness to fight injustice. It includes a publisher-issued digital Certificate of Authenticity and the Obey publishing chop.

Collector notes: Blue · Red; saved release record states an edition size of 250. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet groups this work under Civil rights and justice for discovery; that category is a navigation aid, not an authentication conclusion.

Historical Context

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

“The Rise Above Barbwire Flower letterpress print is inspired by the Black Flag song "Rise Above" as well as the philosophy to rise above pettiness and fight against injustice no matter how difficult things may be. The flowers growing from the barbwire symbolizes positive growth out of an oppressive situation. Hope and perseverance lift us while fear and anger drag us down. RISE ABOVE we're gonna RISE ABOVE! -Shepard Rise Above Barbwire Flower (Two Colorways: Blue & Red). A limited amount of matching numbered sets will be available for $130. Blue and Red sold separately for $65. 10 x 13 inches

Documented Release Details

Object type

Editioned print or object

Release date

2022-06-30

Release-date note

Catalog-listed release year/date from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.

Series

Political Series

Medium and materials

Letterpress; catalog dimensions 13 x 10 in.

Edition details

Blue · Red; saved release record states an edition size of 250.

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: “The Rise Above Barbwire Flower letterpress print is inspired by the Black Flag song "Rise Above" as well as the philosophy to rise above pettiness and fight against injustice no matter how difficult things may be. The flowers growing from the barbwire symbolizes positive growth out of an oppressive situation. Hope and perseverance lift us while fear and anger drag us down. RISE ABOVE we're gonna RISE ABOVE! -Shepard Rise Above Barbwire Flower (Two Colorways: Blue & Red). A limited amount of matching numbered sets will be available for $130. Blue and Red sold separately for $65. 10 x 13 inches. 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 2022-06-30 and attributes the edition to Obey Giant. It is grouped under Political Series in the saved record. The saved record notes an original release price of USD $65.00.

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.