Surveillance

Work Summary & Collector Notes

I created the “You Are Under Surveillance” print in late 1996 a few short months after I moved from Providence R.I. to San Diego. 1996-97 marked a focused evolution in my art away from irreverent, absurdist, pop art, and toward a unified aesthetic and color palette inspired primarily by Russian Constructivist design and the art of Barbara Kruger. As a fan of George Orwell, his critiques of surveillance and its role in controlling people’s behavior, were always in the front of my mind. I was not only referring to CCTV style surveillance with this print, but also the surveillance of the public’s patterns of consumption, entertainment choices, and other behaviors that could make groups easier to target. Of course, with today’s digital tools that did not exist in 1996, the surveillance capabilities are far more insidious and sophisticated. The “You Are Under Surveillance” image is much more relevant now than it was 27 years ago. The eye image itself was inspired by the concept of Big Brother as well as what images looked like on the crude surveillance cameras of the 90’s. I was just starting to learn how to use the computer, so I had Andy Howell help me create a coarse line-screen halftone of an eye. I then illustrated the crude black line conversion of the continuous tone eye, adding Andre’s face in the pupil, by cutting the image out of Rubylith with an X-acto knife. I continue to use analog and digital techniques to create my work today. The use of bold oblique Futura type was a direct homage to Barbara Kruger whose work often addressed social issues. -Shepard

Collector notes: Edition of 73; saved release record states an edition size of 73. 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 OBEY iconography for discovery; that category is a navigation aid, not an authentication conclusion.

Documented Release Details

Object type

Editioned screenprint

Release date

1996

Release-date note

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

Medium and materials

Screen Print; catalog dimensions 18 x 24 inches.

Edition details

Edition of 73; saved release record states an edition size of 73.

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 1996 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

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.