Shepard Fairey – Savage Posse 2 (First Edition), 2006
Original signed and numbered screenprint by Shepard Fairey (OBEY Giant), produced in 2006 in a limited edition of just 300.
This striking black-and-gold artwork depicts two seated figures and appears to be based on a 1975 photograph by Robert R. McElroy of members of the Outlaw Makers, a street gang from the Bronx, New York.
The original photograph captures an extraordinary aspect of 1970s New York gang culture. Members of gangs such as the Outlaw Makers developed distinctive identities through their clothing, often incorporating elaborate hand-embroidered insignia, lettering and symbols of allegiance.
These customised garments were more than fashion. They communicated membership, loyalty, territorial identity and belonging, creating a powerful visual language within the street culture of the South Bronx.
Fairey’s reinterpretation connects this historical imagery with his own fascination with underground subcultures, propaganda, symbolism and the way graphic imagery can communicate identity and power.
The result is a fascinating intersection of 1970s New York street photography, gang culture and contemporary street art.
Print details
* Artist: Shepard Fairey (OBEY Giant) * Title: Savage Posse 2 (First Edition) * Year: 2006 * Medium: Original screenprint on paper * Edition: 300 * Dimensions: 18 × 24 inches (45.7 × 61 cm) * Signed and numbered by Shepard Fairey
Collectable early OBEY Giant print, now 20 years old, with an interesting connection to the visual history of New York’s street gangs.
Condition:  print presents perfectly with no creasing around any of the edges. This has been previously framed. There is a very slight barely visible edge fading in a couple of areas, just disclosing for clarity and I would would describe this as hard to see with the naked eye/ barrky visible. There is a couple of tiny ink blobs on the back of the print at the very edge and a couple of age related marks on the back but no creasing. Please see photographs for the exact condition of the print. Priced accordingly.
The print will be carefully packaged to ensure safe delivery.