Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “World Police State Champs (Gold)”?
Artist Statement
WORLD POLICE STATE CHAMPS (GOLD) Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 300 $35
Summary
World Police State Champs (Gold) is a 2007 screen print, 18 x 24 inches, in an edition of 300, published by Obey Giant at $35. It is the gold colorway of an image that also exists in silver and a Metropark variant. The title satirizes militarized state authority, framing global policing as a competitive championship and turning that critique into a graphic, propaganda-styled print. The source provides title, medium, dimensions, edition size, price, and the list of colorways; the visual concept centers on the satirical police-state theme implied by the title.
Why It Matters
World Police State Champs (Gold) is a pointed piece of political satire, its title alone framing militarized global authority as a championship to be won. That ironic framing places it among Fairey's surveillance- and power-critical works, where he targets the apparatus of state control and policing. Released in 2007, it reflects the heightened anxieties of the post-9/11, Iraq War era about security, militarization, and government overreach, translating those concerns into a sardonic, design-forward statement. For collectors, the appeal lies in this fusion of biting commentary with Fairey's propaganda-influenced graphic style, delivered as an accessible $35 original in an edition of 300. The source documents multiple colorways, including gold, silver, and a Metropark edition, making the image a candidate for variant collecting, with this gold version one of the set. Within his catalog it represents the explicitly critical, anti-authoritarian strand of his messaging, the work that interrogates power and surveillance rather than celebrating icons. Its satirical edge and clear political stance give it lasting relevance for collectors interested in how Fairey used commercial print culture to circulate dissent against militarized authority.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors drawn to Fairey's overtly political and anti-authoritarian work, especially his critiques of militarization and state power. The satirical title and propaganda-styled treatment make it a strong fit for collections themed around surveillance, policing, and government overreach. Because the source lists gold, silver, and Metropark variants, variant-minded collectors may pursue multiple colorways, with this gold edition one option. At an original $35 price and an edition of 300, it is an accessible original screen print, and its 18 x 24 inch format pairs naturally with other politically charged Obey Giant releases of the same period for a cohesive, message-driven display.
Historical Context
World Police State Champs (Gold) dates to May 2007, within Fairey's prolific mid-2000s screen-print run and the broader post-9/11, Iraq War climate of debate over security and militarization. Its satirical framing of global policing as a championship continues his long engagement with critiques of power, authority, and surveillance. Released across gold, silver, and Metropark colorways per the source, it reflects his habit of issuing a charged image in multiple palettes. Within the Posters and Propaganda era, it represents the explicitly anti-authoritarian side of his output, using accessible commercial prints to circulate pointed political commentary against militarized state power during a period of intense public concern over those issues.
FAQ
What is World Police State Champs (Gold)?
It is a 2007 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 by 24 inches in an edition of 300 at an original price of $35. It is the gold colorway of a satirical image whose title frames militarized global policing as a championship, rendered in Fairey's propaganda-influenced graphic style.
What other versions exist?
The source lists gold, silver, and a Metropark edition. This entry is the gold colorway, and the existence of multiple variants makes the image a candidate for variant collecting among those who pursue the full set.
What is the message of the print?
The title satirizes militarized state authority by framing global policing as a competitive championship. This ironic framing places it among Fairey's critiques of power, surveillance, and government overreach, reflecting post-9/11, Iraq War era anxieties about security and militarization.
What is the edition size and price?
The edition is 300 and the original price was $35, per the source. It is an accessible original screen print at the standard 18 by 24 inch Obey Giant format, suited to politically themed collections.
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.