Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Shepard Fairey Print Index
OP-ART ICON (GREEN GRADIENT)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
In the early ’90s, I fell in love with ’60s psychedelic posters from artists like San Francisco’s Victor Moscoso, Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley, and Rick Griffin, as well as LA’s John Van Hamersveld. I was especially drawn to the op-art patterns and color theory used in psychedelic art. I had been making black and white Andre stickers for a couple of years, and I decided it was time to branch out with some playful backgrounds and color theory, so I began experimenting with op-art patterns and intense vibrating colors. Part of the fun was the journey of improving at color theory, and the other part was seeing the polarizing reactions to the psychedelic Andre stickers. Some people thought they were annoying, even nauseating, while others found them exhilarating. Considering my prior punk-rock-minimalism, some people saw the color and style as a betrayal! Coincidentally, in 1992, as I was releasing these psychedelic Andre stickers into the world, the techno rave scene was gaining steam. The rave scene used a mix of early digital and psychedelic aesthetics, which led to an enthusiastic audience for the stickers and t-shirts of my op-art variations. I was torn because I was not really a fan of techno music, but I was broke, and selling t-shirts to ravers was helping to keep me alive. I’m also fascinated by how underground scenes develop. However, as rave became extremely trendy, I decided that despite the fact that it would be bad for my cash flow, I needed to separate my art from the rave scene. Thirty years have passed, and I’ve gotten over my distaste for an association with rave to the point that I felt like exploring psychedelic patterns and colors again. These Op-Art Icon prints are nostalgic in some ways and of-the-moment in others. They relate to my early ’90s explorations but push a lot further with the way the colors weave through the Icon Face image and have the effect of subtle translucency through the spray paint texture. I always have fun finding new ways to
Collector notes: Edition of 250; saved release record states an edition size of 250. Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering 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.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2024
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year/date from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- 18 inches by 24 inches.
- Edition details
- Edition of 250; saved release record states an edition size of 250.
- Signature and marks
- Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering 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: Fairey's practice combines propaganda-style imagery, political and countercultural themes, and a recurring OBEY vocabulary. Subject-specific intent is not assumed here unless the release record states it. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2024 and attributes the edition to Obey Giant.
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.