What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Soup Can (IV)”?

Artist Statement

Shepard Fairey Soup Can IV, 2009 Hand printed silkscreen and pencil on manila acid free archival paper 20 x 16 inches Edition of 200 Numbered and signed by the artist Priced at $250, but price rose rapidly as the edition sold.

Summary

Soup Can (IV) is a hand-printed silkscreen with pencil by Shepard Fairey, published by Iconoclast Editions in an edition of 200, numbered and signed by the artist. Printed on manila acid-free archival paper at 20 x 16 inches, the work was priced at $250 at release. Part of a four-image set (I, II, III, IV), the imagery adapts the soup-can motif into Fairey's graphic, pattern-laden style. The source notes the price rose rapidly as the edition sold. The piece nods to Pop Art's consumer-product iconography while incorporating Fairey's decorative and floral elements.

Why It Matters

Soup Can (IV) places Fairey in direct dialogue with Pop Art's foundational subject, the consumer soup can, reframing a mass-market product through his ornamental, pattern-driven design language. Issued through Iconoclast Editions as a hand-printed silkscreen with hand pencil work on archival paper, it carries a craft emphasis that distinguishes it from his standard Obey Giant poster runs. As the fourth image in a four-part set, it functions within a deliberately structured series, appealing to collectors who pursue complete sets. The source's note that the price rose rapidly as the edition sold signals strong demand at release, though this should be read as a documented sales observation rather than a current market value. The combination of consumer-product critique and Fairey's decorative motifs, including floral elements flagged in the source's secondary theme, situates the work at the intersection of Pop Art homage and his own visual identity. For collectors, the modest edition of 200, the archival hand-printing, and the set structure are the key differentiators. The piece rewards interpretation as a knowing engagement with the lineage of artists who turned commercial packaging into fine art.

Collector Perspective

This print suits collectors drawn to Pop Art lineage, fine-art printmaking, and Fairey's more decorative output. The hand-printed silkscreen with pencil on archival paper signals a craft-forward object that print connoisseurs value over mass-produced posters. As part of a four-image set, completist collectors may seek all four, and the 20 x 16 inch format works well framed as a unit or individually. At an edition of 200, it is tighter than many Obey Giant releases, which appeals to buyers prioritizing relative scarcity. Those who collect at the intersection of consumer-product imagery and ornamental design will find it a natural fit, and it pairs visually with Fairey's floral and pattern-based works.

Historical Context

Soup Can (IV) reflects Fairey's recurring engagement with Pop Art traditions, here adapting the soup-can subject most associated with Warhol-era consumer iconography into his own ornamental idiom. Published through Iconoclast Editions rather than Obey Giant, it belongs to his fine-art print collaborations that emphasized hand silkscreen and archival materials. The source dates the image to 2009 with a 2010 release, placing it in the period after his mainstream breakthrough when he expanded into gallery-oriented editions. The integration of floral and pattern elements ties it to a decorative strand that runs through his work of this era, blending critique of consumer culture with the aesthetics of design and craft.

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Related Works

Mandala Ornament 1 (Holiday Edition)2010 · Shares Fairey's ornamental, pattern-based decorative idiom from 2010.

Flower Vine (Red)2009 · Floral and decorative motif echoing this print's secondary floral theme.

Lotus Target (Large Format Black)2012 · Combines decorative floral pattern with Fairey's graphic design approach.

Rose Girl2008 · Earlier floral-themed work in the same decorative lineage.

Uncle Scam2006 · Related consumer-and-power critique within Fairey's Pop-influenced output.