What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Pay Up Or Shut Up (Second Edition)”?

Artist Statement

Shepard Fairey, the artist behind the iconic Obama "Hope" poster, created this new 18x24 print in support Represent.Us' anti-corruption work in cities and states across the country. These limited edition prints are signed and numbered by the artist and available exclusively as perks for this IndieGoGo Campaign. Only 200 available — Get them before they're gone!

Summary

Pay Up Or Shut Up (Second Edition) is a 2016 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches, signed and numbered in an edition of 200. The source notes Fairey created the print in support of Represent.Us's anti-corruption work in cities and states across the country, and that the prints were offered exclusively as perks for an Indiegogo campaign. The description identifies Fairey as the artist behind the Obama 'Hope' poster. With only 200 available, the work functions as both a collectible and a fundraising vehicle tied to a specific crowdfunding effort for campaign finance and anti-corruption reform.

Why It Matters

Pay Up Or Shut Up is a clear example of Fairey converting his cultural recognition, anchored by the Obama 'Hope' poster the source explicitly cites, into direct support for civic reform. The print was created specifically for an Indiegogo campaign benefiting Represent.Us's anti-corruption work in cities and states, making it a documented intersection of fine-art collecting and grassroots fundraising. The exclusivity is notable: the source frames the prints as perks available only through that campaign, with only 200 produced. That ties the object to a particular moment and mechanism of activist funding rather than a standard gallery release. For collectors, this combination of a small signed-and-numbered edition, a named cause, and a crowdfunding origin gives the print a distinct provenance story. It belongs in the same democracy-and-corruption thread that runs through much of Fairey's mid-2010s output, and its limited run of 200 makes it one of the scarcer items in that group. The piece rewards collectors who value works where the message, the means of distribution, and the supported organization are all part of the record.

Collector Perspective

This print suits collectors of Fairey's political work who appreciate pieces with a documented activist origin, here an Indiegogo campaign supporting Represent.Us's anti-corruption efforts. The small signed and numbered edition of 200 gives it added appeal for those who prefer tighter runs, and its crowdfunding-perk provenance adds a specific story to its place in a collection. At 18 x 24 inches it displays comfortably as a graphic statement piece. It fits naturally beside Fairey's other campaign finance and democracy prints, and collectors drawn to the connection with his famous Obama 'Hope' work, which the source references, will value it as part of that lineage.

Historical Context

Released in early 2016, Pay Up Or Shut Up (Second Edition) belongs to Fairey's post-Obama activist period, when he repeatedly turned his imagery toward money in politics and anti-corruption reform. The source connects the print directly to Represent.Us and an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, reflecting how Fairey increasingly used new distribution channels to fund causes. By citing his authorship of the Obama 'Hope' poster, the description situates the work in the long arc of his career, from that 2008 breakthrough toward sustained civic activism. The limited edition of 200, offered exclusively as campaign perks, illustrates Fairey's practice of pairing collectible prints with targeted political fundraising.

FAQ

Related Works

America's Savings2016 · Companion 2016 campaign finance reform print also funding anti-corruption organizations.

American Civics - Voting Rights2016 · Same-year civics-themed print engaging democracy and voting rights.

Scale Tipping2014 · Earlier politics-and-democracy print on corruption and imbalance of power.

SOLD2014 · Related political print critiquing money's corrupting role in the system.

Noise & Lies (Red)2018 · Continues the politics-and-democracy theme of dishonesty in politics.

Artists For Freedom2015 · Another cause-driven Fairey print tied to activist fundraising.