Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Church Of Consumption”?
Artist Statement
Church of Consumption. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 450. $45.
Summary
Church Of Consumption is a 2017 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches, printed on cream Speckle Tone paper and published by Obey Giant. It was issued in a numbered edition of 450, signed by the artist, and released on January 31, 2017 at an original price of $45. The title frames consumer culture in religious terms, consistent with Fairey's long-running critique of consumerism. As a first-edition Obey Giant screen print, it pairs his graphic style with a pointed commentary on consumption and material excess.
Why It Matters
Church Of Consumption extends one of Fairey's most enduring themes: the critique of consumerism and the way commercial culture functions like a belief system. The title casts consumption as a 'church,' a framing that aligns with a recurring strand in his catalog that includes works on consumption, destruction and corporate power. As a 2017 Obey Giant screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper in an edition of 450, it is one of the more accessible releases of its period, originally priced at just $45, which broadens its appeal to entry-level collectors. The edition of 450 places it toward the more available end of Fairey's runs, so its value rests on theme and image rather than scarcity. For collectors, its strength is thematic coherence: it slots cleanly into a group of consumerism-critique prints and offers a representative example of Fairey's anti-consumerist messaging in his signature graphic idiom. It appeals to buyers building a thematic set around corporate critique and consumer culture, and to those who want an affordable, on-message Fairey screen print from his prolific 2017 output.
Collector Perspective
This print fits collectors focused on Fairey's consumerism and corporate-critique themes who want a representative, affordable example in his signature graphic style. At 18 x 24 inches on cream Speckle Tone paper, it has solid wall presence and frames cleanly for a politically themed display. The edition of 450 and original $45 release price make it one of the more accessible entry points into Fairey's 2017 work, well suited to newer collectors or to those rounding out a thematic anti-consumerism grouping. It pairs naturally with his other consumption- and destruction-themed prints. Collectors chasing scarcity may look elsewhere given the larger edition, but for thematic, value-conscious buyers it is a strong, on-message acquisition.
Historical Context
Church Of Consumption continues Fairey's long-standing critique of consumer culture, a theme present across his career and echoed in companion works on consumption and societal destruction. Released through Obey Giant in early 2017, it sits within a prolific run of statement prints he produced during the post-2016 period, here turning from electoral politics toward the broader machinery of consumption and material excess. The relatively large edition of 450 and low original price reflect Fairey's intent to keep such messaging accessible and widely circulated. Within his arc, the print reinforces the consumerist-critique thread that has accompanied his political work since his early OBEY iconography, recast here in a clean, poster-scale screen print.
FAQ
What are the print's specifications?
Church Of Consumption is an 18 x 24 inch screen print on cream Speckle Tone paper, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered in an edition of 450. Published by Obey Giant, it was released on January 31, 2017 at an original price of $45.
What is the print about?
The title frames consumer culture in religious terms, casting consumption as a 'church.' This aligns with Fairey's long-running critique of consumerism and material excess, a theme that recurs across his catalog of socially and politically pointed work.
Is this print scarce?
It was issued in an edition of 450, which places it toward the more available end of Fairey's runs. Its appeal rests on theme and image rather than scarcity, and its low original price made it an accessible release.
Who would want this print?
It suits collectors building a thematic group around Fairey's consumerism and corporate-critique work, and value-conscious buyers wanting an affordable, on-message screen print from his prolific 2017 output. It pairs well with his other consumption-themed prints.
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.