Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Legislative Influence For Sale”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24? Screen Print Signed and Numbered Edition of 450 on off-white paper (not the usual Speckletone). $55. A portion of the proceeds go to a campaign finance reform organization. Release Date: 5/24/2011
Summary
Legislative Influence For Sale is a 2011 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a signed and numbered first edition of 450, measuring 18 x 24 inches. It was printed on off-white paper rather than Fairey's usual Speckletone, and a portion of proceeds went to a campaign finance reform organization. The title and source point to a critique of money's influence in politics. As an accessible, mid-volume poster-scale edition with a stated cause, it sits among Fairey's politically engaged screen-print releases rather than his small deluxe large formats.
Why It Matters
Legislative Influence For Sale is a direct piece of political commentary, taking aim at the role of money in lawmaking, and Fairey backed the message materially by directing a portion of proceeds to a campaign finance reform organization. This fusion of pointed imagery and concrete activism exemplifies the engaged streak in his 2011 output, where the OBEY platform served explicit civic causes. The title functions as a blunt indictment of legislative corruption, aligning with Fairey's long tradition of propaganda-inflected critique of power and corporate influence. The signed and numbered first edition of 450 makes it broadly collectible, and the deliberate use of off-white paper instead of his usual Speckletone is a noted production detail that distinguishes this run. For collectors, the work stands out as a clear, cause-tied political statement with documented charitable intent, connecting to a network of related 2011 political prints including Corporate Violence For Sale and It's Mourning In America. It rewards buyers focused on Fairey's activist and democracy-themed work, occupying the civically engaged end of his catalog where graphic critique and real-world advocacy converge.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors of Fairey's overtly political and democracy-themed work, especially those drawn to prints with a documented cause. Its critique of money in politics and the tie to campaign finance reform give it substance beyond decoration, suiting buyers who value message and purpose. At 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 450, it is accessible and displays naturally in groupings of his civic and corporate-critique prints. The off-white paper detail offers a point of interest for collectors attentive to production variations. It fits collections organized around Fairey's political commentary and pairs with companion 2011 works like Corporate Violence For Sale and It's Mourning In America.
Historical Context
Released on May 24, 2011, Legislative Influence For Sale reflects Fairey's intensifying political engagement during this period, applying his propaganda-derived graphic language to a critique of money in lawmaking. By directing part of the proceeds to a campaign finance reform organization, he tied the work to concrete advocacy, a pattern across his 2011 cause-oriented releases. The off-white paper, chosen over his usual Speckletone, marks a production variation noted in the source. The work sits within his broader arc of democracy and corporate-critique themes, extending the political voice he sharpened in the late 2000s into a focused statement on legislative corruption.
FAQ
What does Legislative Influence For Sale critique?
The title and source point to a critique of money's influence in politics and lawmaking. Fairey reinforced the message by directing a portion of proceeds to a campaign finance reform organization, tying the print to concrete advocacy on the issue.
What is the edition size and format?
It is a signed and numbered first edition of 450, measuring 18 x 24 inches, priced at $55 at release. The accessible poster format and edition size make it broadly collectible rather than a small deluxe edition.
Is there anything unusual about the paper?
Yes. Per the source, it was printed on off-white paper rather than Fairey's usual Speckletone stock. This production variation is a point of interest for collectors who track differences in his printmaking materials.
When was it released?
Legislative Influence For Sale was released on May 24, 2011, published by Obey Giant, as part of Fairey's cause-oriented political output from that year.
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.