Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Endless Power Letterpress”?
Artist Statement
42.5 x 34.9 cm. Signed and numbered edition of 450. 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges. OBEY publishing chop on bottom left corner.
Summary
Endless Power is a 2016 letterpress print by Shepard Fairey, published by Galerie Itinerrance in a signed and numbered first edition of 450. Measuring 42.5 x 34.9 cm, it is printed on 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges and carries the OBEY publishing chop in the bottom left corner. The work draws on Fairey's recurring vocabulary of consumerism and power, using the letterpress medium's tactile impression and graphic, decorative framing to comment on systems of control. It belongs to a coordinated wave of OBEY letterpress releases sharing the same format, paper, and edition size.
Why It Matters
Endless Power sits within Fairey's long-running critique of concentrated power and consumer culture, a theme that has anchored OBEY since its inception. The title itself foregrounds the idea of power as a self-perpetuating system, and the print's ornamental, propaganda-styled framing turns that critique into a decorative object that quietly carries a message. For collectors, the work is significant as part of a tightly produced 2016 letterpress group from Galerie Itinerrance, each piece sharing the same 42.5 x 34.9 cm format, archival cotton stock, hand-deckled edges, and edition of 450. This consistency makes the releases highly collectible as a set, where related titles reinforce one another's themes. The letterpress process gives each impression a physical depth that screen prints lack, appealing to buyers who value craft and materiality. Signed and numbered, with the OBEY chop as a mark of authenticity, Endless Power represents Fairey's mid-2010s practice of releasing accessible, affordably priced editions that spread his iconography while sustaining his political voice. It rewards collectors who appreciate how Fairey embeds dissent inside attractive, ownable graphic design.
Collector Perspective
Endless Power appeals to collectors who focus on Fairey's letterpress output and his consumerism-and-power motifs. At an accessible original release price and a numbered edition of 450, it is an entry point for newer collectors as well as a completist target for those assembling the 2016 Galerie Itinerrance letterpress group. The 42.5 x 34.9 cm size frames easily and pairs naturally with companion titles like Global Warning, Paint It Black, and Lifeguard Not On Duty, making it strong for grid or series displays. The hand-deckled cotton paper and embossed letterpress impression give it tactile, gallery-quality presence. It suits buyers who value craft, signed-and-numbered provenance, and Fairey's graphic critique of power, rather than those chasing only his largest or most iconic political images.
Historical Context
Endless Power belongs to Fairey's prolific mid-2010s phase, when OBEY and partner galleries issued frequent, affordably priced letterpress and screen-print editions. Published by Galerie Itinerrance in Paris in 2016, it is part of a coordinated release of similarly formatted letterpress prints that share paper stock, dimensions, and edition size. By this point Fairey had long since moved beyond the 1989 sticker campaign that launched OBEY, building a mature studio practice that balanced museum and street work with a steady stream of collectible editions. The consumerism-and-power theme reflects a throughline in his work, from corporate critique to imagery of authority and control. The letterpress medium ties him to a craft-printmaking tradition, distinct from his better-known screen prints, and positions these releases as material objects emphasizing process and tactility within his broader catalog.
FAQ
What is the edition size of Endless Power Letterpress?
Endless Power is a signed and numbered first edition of 450. It was published by Galerie Itinerrance in 2016 and carries the OBEY publishing chop in the bottom left corner, marking it as an authorized OBEY release.
What are the dimensions and materials?
The print measures 42.5 x 34.9 cm and is produced on 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges. It is made using the letterpress process, which gives the impression a tactile, embossed depth on the cotton stock.
Is the print signed?
Yes. According to the source description, Endless Power is signed and numbered within its edition of 450. It also bears the OBEY publishing chop in the lower left corner as an additional mark of authenticity.
How does it relate to other 2016 letterpress prints?
Endless Power is part of a coordinated group of 2016 Galerie Itinerrance letterpress releases that share the same 42.5 x 34.9 cm format, cotton archival paper, and edition of 450, including Global Warning, Paint It Black, and Lifeguard Not On Duty.
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.