Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Power Bidder (Relief Print)”?
Artist Statement
3-color relief print on handmade paper, 40 ½ x 30 ½ inches, Edition of 25, Published by Pace Editions, Inc.
Summary
Power Bidder is a 2015 Shepard Fairey relief print, published by Pace Editions (Pace Prints) on September 17, 2015. It is a 3-color relief print on handmade paper, measuring 40 1/2 x 30 1/2 inches, in an edition of 25. The title and imagery engage Fairey's recurring themes of consumerism and power, evoking the dynamics of bidding, wealth, and influence. As a large-format, hand-printed relief work on handmade paper from a fine-art publisher, it sits among Fairey's more exclusive editions rather than his higher-volume self-published screen prints.
Why It Matters
Power Bidder matters as a fine-art relief print that crystallizes Fairey's interest in the machinery of consumerism and power, a theme the record explicitly attaches to it. The title's evocation of bidding and acquisition points to wealth, influence, and the transactional logic of a market-driven society, rendered in Fairey's bold graphic vocabulary. Produced with Pace Editions as a 3-color relief print on handmade paper in an edition of only 25, the work carries scarcity, craft, and publisher prestige that distinguish it from his mass-market screen prints. The relief process and handmade stock lend a tactile, labor-intensive quality, while the large 40 x 30 inch format gives it commanding presence. For collectors, the small edition and respected fine-art publisher mark it as a substantial, gallery-oriented Fairey piece. It belongs to a tightly linked suite of Pace relief prints released the same day, sharing format, edition size, and a unifying critique of power and consumption, and it reads most fully as part of that cohesive group.
Collector Perspective
Power Bidder appeals to collectors focused on Fairey's fine-art editions and his power-and-consumerism themes. The Pace Editions imprint, relief technique, handmade paper, and edition of 25 reward buyers who prioritize scarcity, craft, and publisher pedigree. At 40 1/2 x 30 1/2 inches it serves as a large focal piece rather than one element in a dense arrangement. It pairs naturally with the companion Pace relief prints from the same day, completing a coherent suite. Collectors building a Fairey grouping around critiques of wealth, markets, and influence, or seeking his most substantial gallery-oriented prints, will find this a distinctive and meaningful addition.
Historical Context
Power Bidder dates to 2015 and forms part of Fairey's collaboration with Pace Editions during a period when he balanced self-published Obey Giant screen prints with smaller, more exclusive fine-art editions. The relief printing and handmade paper reflect an engagement with traditional craft distinct from his silkscreen-rooted street-art origins. The explicit pairing of power and consumerism themes situates the print within a long-running strand of Fairey's work critiquing market-driven systems. It belongs to a same-day suite of Pace relief works, marking a moment when Fairey organized fine-art output into cohesive, publisher-backed groupings centered on power and consumption.
FAQ
What themes does Power Bidder address?
The record attaches both Fairey's pop-culture critique and consumerism-and-power themes to this print. The title evokes bidding, wealth, and influence, framing the work as a comment on the transactional dynamics of a market-driven society.
What is the edition size and publisher?
It is an edition of 25, published by Pace Editions, Inc. (Pace Prints) in 2015. The small edition and respected fine-art publisher distinguish it from Fairey's higher-volume Obey Giant screen prints.
How was it printed?
Power Bidder is a 3-color relief print on handmade paper, measuring 40 1/2 x 30 1/2 inches. Relief printing and handmade stock give it a tactile, craft-forward quality unlike the smooth surfaces of Fairey's screen prints.
Does it belong to a series?
Yes. It is part of a suite of Pace relief prints released on September 17, 2015, all sharing the same format, edition of 25, and a unifying critique of power and consumption. The prints work most effectively as a cohesive set.
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.