Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “War For Sale (Red)”?
Summary
War For Sale (Red) is a 2007 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant, issued in an edition of 300 at 18 x 24 inches and produced in Cream and Red colorways. The title points to an anti-war, anti-profiteering theme. No detailed description accompanies this record, so the reading is cautious, but the work aligns with Fairey's peace-and-anti-war output from this period and his characteristic high-contrast, slogan-driven poster style. The Red edition is one of two documented color variants of the design.
Why It Matters
War For Sale belongs to Fairey's recurring critique of militarism and the commercialization of conflict, a theme he revisited across the mid-2000s as the Iraq War dominated political discourse. The title alone frames war as a product, aligning the print with his broader anti-war and corporate-critique messaging. Because the record carries no full description, its significance rests on its place within that thematic stream rather than on documented specifics, so it is best understood as part of Fairey's anti-war series rather than a singular landmark. For collectors, its appeal lies in the clarity of its slogan and its membership in a recognizable group of peace-themed prints that includes Peace Goddess and War Is Over from the same year. The Red and Cream colorways give variant-focused collectors an additional axis to pursue. With an edition of 300 it remains accessible, making it a reasonable entry into Fairey's political and anti-war work for buyers who prioritize message and theme over scarcity. Its value is steady rather than exceptional, grounded in the consistency of Fairey's anti-war voice across this era.
Collector Perspective
This print suits collectors focused on Fairey's anti-war and political messaging who want a clearly themed slogan piece. The Red and Cream variants also attract collectors who track colorways across an edition. At 300 it is accessible rather than scarce, fitting buyers assembling a peace-and-anti-war grouping alongside works like Peace Goddess and War Is Over. Its 18 x 24 format makes it straightforward to frame and display. Because the record lacks a full description, cautious buyers should verify specifics, but thematically it slots cleanly into a political or anti-war Fairey collection from 2007.
Historical Context
Released in February 2007 by Obey Giant, War For Sale falls within Fairey's Posters and Propaganda era, when his editioned output frequently engaged with the politics of the Iraq War period. The anti-war framing connects it to a continuous strand in his work that critiques militarism and the marketing of conflict, a stance that recurs across his mid-2000s prints. Issued in multiple colorways, it reflects the studio's practice of releasing color variants of a single design. With limited descriptive source data, it is best positioned as part of this anti-war thematic family rather than as a documented standout, sitting near contemporaneous peace-themed releases.
FAQ
What is the theme of War For Sale (Red)?
The title frames war as a commodity, aligning with Fairey's anti-war and anti-profiteering messaging. Detailed description data is limited for this record, so the reading is based on the title and theme rather than a full source statement.
What are the edition size and dimensions?
It is a screen print in an edition of 300, sized 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant in 2007. The original release price was listed at $35.
What colorways exist?
The design was produced in Cream and Red variants, giving collectors who track colorways more than one version of the print to pursue.
How does it fit with other Fairey prints?
It belongs to his peace-and-anti-war grouping and sits alongside same-year works like Peace Goddess and War Is Over, as well as earlier anti-war pieces such as Make Art Not War.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.