Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “God Saves & Satan Invests (Offset Lithograph)”?
Artist Statement
This image has been controversial, but I’m glad to take the heat if it encourages more people to participate in a necessary conversation. I’m not anti- 2nd Amendment, I’m pro-common sense. No one needs an assault rifle with a 50 round clip, especially without a background check. Let’s not allow a powerful organization like the NRA to lobby, use fear tactics, and ultimately dictate policy that is not supported by the majority of Americans. Please speak up if you believe in safety over intimidation. Thanks for caring. -Shepard 24 x 36 inch Offset Lithograph on thick paper. Signed and Numbered edition of 350. $35. Proceeds from this print go to creating posters for Occupy The NRA. 50 sets on thin paper folded will be sold for street use/ public display for $15 per set.
Summary
God Saves & Satan Invests is a 2013 offset lithograph measuring 24 x 36 inches, printed on thick paper as a signed and numbered First Edition of 350 at $35, published by Obey Giant. Fairey describes it as a deliberately provocative image meant to spark conversation about gun policy; he frames himself as pro-common-sense rather than anti-Second Amendment and criticizes the NRA's lobbying and fear tactics. Proceeds from the print were directed to creating posters for Occupy The NRA, and 50 folded thin-paper sets were also offered for street use and public display at $15 per set.
Why It Matters
God Saves & Satan Invests is one of Fairey's most pointed political statements on gun policy, and it shows him using the editioned print as a fundraising and activist tool rather than a purely aesthetic object. In his own statement he embraces the controversy the image provoked, positioning himself as pro-common-sense gun reform and explicitly targeting the NRA's lobbying and fear-based tactics. The decision to route proceeds to making posters for Occupy The NRA, and to release 50 inexpensive folded sets specifically for street use and public display, ties the gallery print directly back to the wheatpaste activism at the root of his practice. This dual structure, a collectible signed lithograph alongside a cheap public-display edition, captures the core tension in Fairey's work between fine-art market and grassroots propaganda. For collectors, the piece matters as a clear document of his civic engagement during the post-Sandy Hook gun-control debate and as an example of how he leverages his platform and imagery to drive a specific policy conversation, making it both a political artifact and a fundraising instrument.
Collector Perspective
This lithograph appeals to collectors focused on Fairey's overtly political and activist output, particularly works tied to a concrete cause. As an affordable 24 x 36 inch offset lithograph in an edition of 350, it offers an accessible entry point for those who want a signed, message-driven piece. Its connection to gun-policy debate and the Occupy The NRA fundraising effort gives it documentary value within a collection organized around political series or social-justice themes. The companion street-use sets underscore its activist intent and may interest collectors who appreciate the dual fine-art and public-display nature. Buyers value it for its clear stance and provenance as a benefit print rather than for scarcity or established market depth.
Historical Context
Released in 2013 amid intensified national debate over gun control, this print sits within Fairey's broader body of explicitly political, cause-driven work published under Obey Giant. By dedicating proceeds to Occupy The NRA and issuing low-cost folded sets for street display, Fairey reconnected the editioned print to the propaganda and public-art roots of his career. The piece reflects his recurring strategy of pairing a signed collectible with a cheaper public edition to maximize both fundraising and message reach. It belongs to the activist current that runs through his 2010s output, where specific policy fights, here gun reform, are translated into bold graphic statements meant to provoke and mobilize public conversation.
FAQ
What is the message behind this print?
In his statement, Fairey says he is not anti-Second Amendment but pro-common-sense, arguing no one needs an assault rifle with a 50-round clip without a background check. He criticizes the NRA's lobbying and fear tactics and urges people to speak up for safety over intimidation.
Did proceeds support a cause?
Yes. According to the source, proceeds from the print went to creating posters for Occupy The NRA. In addition, 50 sets on thin folded paper were sold for street use and public display at $15 per set.
What are the print's specifications?
The source lists it as a 24 x 36 inch offset lithograph on thick paper, signed and numbered in an edition of 350, published by Obey Giant and priced at $35.
Why was this image controversial?
Fairey acknowledges the image was controversial but says he is glad to take the heat if it encourages more people to join a necessary conversation about gun policy. The controversy stemmed from its direct engagement with the gun-control debate and criticism of the NRA.
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.