They Live We Sleep (Black)

Dimensions: 13 x 10 Inches

Medium: Letterpress print on cream, deckled edge 300gsm fine art paper.

Provenance: Signed, embossed, numbered and dated by the artist. Verisart digital blockchain certificate of authenticity transferred to buyer on request.

Edition: Limited Edition of 200 (#32/200)

Year: 2025

Condition: Excellent

ABOUT THE ART

"The “They Live We Sleep” letterpress is inspired by several things. My original interest in skulls came from their recurrent presence in skateboard and punk rock iconography of the 80s. Especially the Powell Peralta “Bones Ripper” illustrated by Vernon Courtlandt Johnson. I was also a big fan of Lance Mountain’s and Ric Clayton’s skull drawings for Suicidal Tendencies. Skulls were also a prominent part of the alien ghoul characters in the movie “They Live,” which inspired my use of the word OBEY in my art. Graffiti on a wall in the movie “They Live” said “They Live We Sleep”. That graffiti basically summed up the premise of the film… that the powerful get away with nefarious acts and manipulation because we are not conscious enough of what is really going on. In the case of this letterpress print, I’ve pulled from all of those influences and added an oil derrick in the forehead of this particular skull to focus on the (in my opinion) greatest threat to our health and the planet’s health. Regardless of what corporations and science deniers say, those of us with a conscience can’t sleep on climate change and environmental peril! Thanks for caring!"

- Shepard

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (…OBEY…) sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His work became more widely known in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, specifically his Barack Obama "Hope" poster.

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston calls him one of today's best known and most influential street artists. His work is included in the collections at The Smithsonian, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.