Hunting for Info Re: Shepard Fairey Print

General art-related discussion.
SwansongStudios
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Tue Feb 02, 2016 10:50 pm

Greetings!

I'm new to the forum, so I hope I do everything correctly here. I'm looking for some info regarding a print I just bought. I should have asked more questions when I purchased it, but I did not have all my faculties about me at the time. I purchased the print in Oakland and the gentleman I bought it from is the brother of Fairey's screenprinter. I have no reason to doubt this, my mutual friends are pretty deep into the art scene in Oakland and they wouldn't have let me be shined on knowingly. I purchased it from a gallery, but the Shepard Fairy work was in a secret back room which I gained access to because I spotted his stencil on the wall of the building across the street and called it out. Sounds like a freaking fairytale, I know, but it's legit what happened and I'm still in awe of it. The gentleman I bought it from confirmed it was a printers run, and it is unnumbered and does not have any marks of any kind aside from the print itself. There were about 20 prints there on the wall in addition to a good size mural and he also showed me some of the screens themselves, it was insane. I paid next to nothing for it, and even if it isn't an actual Shepard Fairey, I love it so much and the quality of the print is so good that regardless I am certainly getting my money's worth.

Before I go any further, I want it to be entirely known I am fully aware of the opinions of Fairey and the debate over whether he's an artist or just an art thief who takes other's work to copyright and make a buck on. I want to be entirely clear here that I still have fluid opinions on this and I am not posting this thread to debate this particular matter. I am aware of Mark Vallen's research and the woman in the image being the work of Moser. All I want to know is more about the physical poster itself. I have never seen it in this slightly rusty dark carmine before, all the images I could find were black. I know there is a high possibility this is a test print and may be a one-of-a-kind although I don't have any definitive proof. Just hoping to get a few answers.

Regardless of the validity of the print itself, it's a damn good story and it makes me happy and in all honesty, that's all I care about. A little insight would just be icing on the cake.

Thank you!
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finneganm
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Tue Feb 02, 2016 11:23 pm

Image

For those people who know more about Fairey. Cool looking piece.
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That's what she said
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Noah0189
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Tue Feb 02, 2016 11:39 pm

what's next to nothing?
acidburn wrote:...Was one of those bootleg Spidermans that looked like a luchador and showed my excuse for a bulge.
SwansongStudios
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Tue Feb 02, 2016 11:43 pm

One Benjamin.
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Codeblue
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 2:40 am

Babbs?
RupertPupkin wrote:I live by this rule and this rule alone: people are drymounting idiots.
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CoA
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 12:19 pm

Apologies to the OP if this isn't the case, but it feels like one of those scam sound outs where people try to sell off fakes to unsuspecting people at a too good to be true price.

Such as someone claiming that their boss gave them a watch (or that they bought a print in a secret back room), but they have no idea how much it's worth. Flash up a photo of a fake PP or CV and wait for suckers to bite with an offer to buy.
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Baker
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 12:24 pm

Im not a huge Obey guy, so some others can probably chime in on it. But I would expect any Printers Proof type prints to be marked as such and signed. Assuming the print itself is legit, I would say its probably a test print from the printing that was just not editioned/signed and was a leftover. Out the back door it went.
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Image
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IndyDMBFan
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 12:27 pm

^Agreed

Also if there are no marks and/or signatures than more than likely the printer made unauthorized copies after the initial run and that is what you have.

Kind of like those Peace Goddess Metal prints that popped up a few years back....
SwansongStudios
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:08 pm

I have absolutely zero interest in selling this piece, its home will forever be on my wall. I appreciate the warning though, I know there is a lot of scamming out there.

Also thanks for the info regarding marks for printers editions and such.
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bryndavies
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 4:24 pm

Word is lots of older pre 2007 shep pieces could/would go unnumbered and unsigned.
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Codeblue
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 4:27 pm

That fudge has happened with a bunch of artists. Hess, Emek, and Hampton come to mind off the top of my head.
RupertPupkin wrote:I live by this rule and this rule alone: people are drymounting idiots.
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toobs
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 4:31 pm

i have quite a few unsigned/un-numbered fairey screen prints, most of them are just APs/extras that never got processed do to quality standards or just left with printers, they are not fake by an means
Codeblue wrote:Ya know they'll put out at least 1 "ZOMG gotta rub mah nuts on another dukes butt to get in line for it" poster.
chuckkeppler
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 8:43 pm

if the guy who sold the print to you had some of the original screens, I wonder if he's printing up small batches every now and again to sell as "printers proofs".
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GatorsCanes
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 9:08 pm

bryndavies wrote:Word is lots of older pre 2007 shep pieces could/would go unnumbered and unsigned.
This
NEVER PAY VIA PAYPAL GIFT. NEVER PAY FRIENDS/FAMILY. PAY THE FEES YOURSELF, THE 3% IS WORTH IT TO NOT BE SCAMMED
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misterwhisper
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Wed Feb 03, 2016 9:27 pm

Was this image ever used as a paster or for collage work? That would explain 20+ unsigned copies. Is it on the standard heavy speckletone or on thin paster stock?
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