Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “It's Mourning In America”?
Artist Statement
18 x 24? Screen Print Signed and Numbered Edition of 450, $55. A portion of the proceeds go to a campaign finance reform organization. Printed on off-white paper (not the usual Speckletone).
Summary
It's Mourning In America 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 plays on a famous American political slogan, signaling commentary on politics and democracy. 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
It's Mourning In America turns a famous optimistic political slogan into a pointed lament, a piece of sharp visual satire characteristic of Fairey's democracy-themed work. The source links it to politics and democracy, and like its companion releases, it directed a portion of proceeds to a campaign finance reform organization, fusing graphic critique with concrete advocacy. The slogan inversion exemplifies Fairey's facility with propaganda-derived language, repurposing the rhetoric of American politics to expose what he sees as its failures. The signed and numbered first edition of 450 makes it broadly collectible, and the off-white paper, used in place of his usual Speckletone, is a noted production detail shared with Legislative Influence For Sale from the same campaign. 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 and Americana prints. It rewards buyers focused on Fairey's activist and democracy-themed output, occupying the civically engaged end of his catalog where graphic critique, wordplay, and real-world advocacy converge into a single accessible edition.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors of Fairey's political and democracy-themed work, particularly those who appreciate his slogan inversions and satirical wordplay. The tie to campaign finance reform gives it documented purpose beyond decoration, suiting message-driven buyers. At 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 450, it is accessible and pairs naturally with companion 2011 works like Legislative Influence For Sale in groupings of his civic and Americana 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 his engagement with American democratic themes.
Historical Context
Released on May 31, 2011, It's Mourning In America belongs to Fairey's cluster of cause-oriented political prints from that spring, several of which benefited a campaign finance reform organization. The title reworks a well-known American political slogan, reflecting his skill at repurposing propaganda and advertising rhetoric for critique. Like its companion releases, it used off-white paper rather than his usual Speckletone, a noted production variation. The work extends the democracy and politics themes Fairey sharpened in the late 2000s, situating it within his broader arc of socially engaged, accessibly priced editions that paired pointed messaging with charitable support during this period.
FAQ
What does the title It's Mourning In America refer to?
The title plays on a famous optimistic American political slogan, inverting it into a lament. The source links the work to politics and democracy, reflecting Fairey's practice of repurposing political rhetoric for critique.
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.
Did proceeds support a cause?
Yes. Per the source, a portion of the proceeds went to a campaign finance reform organization, tying the print to concrete advocacy and aligning it with its companion 2011 political releases.
Is there anything notable about the paper?
Yes. It was printed on off-white paper rather than Fairey's usual Speckletone stock, a production variation shared with Legislative Influence For Sale and noted in the source.
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.