Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Ideal Power”?
Artist Statement
Ideal Power. 18 x 24 inches. Screenprint on cream Speckle Tone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 450. $55.
Summary
Ideal Power is a 2017 screenprint on cream Speckle Tone paper, measuring 18 x 24 inches, signed by Shepard Fairey and issued in a numbered first edition of 450. Published by Obey Giant, the print extends Fairey's recurring 'power' motif into a graphic, propaganda-styled composition built on his signature flat color palette and ornamental framing. As one entry in a family of related 'power' works, it pairs his decorative design language with his ongoing meditation on consumerism and the imagery of authority. The work balances a striking, poster-like surface with the visual codes Fairey uses to question how power is presented and consumed.
Why It Matters
Ideal Power sits within one of Fairey's most persistent conceptual threads: the iconography of power and how authority is packaged, marketed, and consumed. The title itself, paired with the source-noted themes of consumerism and power, signals Fairey's ongoing strategy of borrowing the visual grammar of advertising and propaganda to interrogate it from within. Collectors value this print because it is not an isolated image but part of a connected lineage of works such as the Vienna and large-format variants, Power & Glory, and Palace of Power, allowing it to anchor a thematic grouping rather than stand alone. At an accessible original release price and a moderate edition of 450, it represents the kind of mid-period Obey Giant release that combines decorative appeal with conceptual weight. Its graphic clarity makes it immediately legible as a Fairey work, while its embedded critique rewards closer reading. For buyers building a collection around Fairey's consumerism-and-power vocabulary, Ideal Power is a foundational, recognizable piece that ties together several adjacent editions and reinforces the artist's career-long argument that imagery of strength is also imagery of persuasion.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors focused on Fairey's design-driven, propaganda-influenced work rather than his overtly political portraits. The 18 x 24 inch format is approachable for framing and pairs naturally with the related 'power' editions, making it attractive to collectors assembling a thematic wall around consumerism and authority. Its signed, numbered status in an edition of 450 offers reassurance of authenticity while keeping it within reach for mid-level buyers. Display appeal is strong: the flat, poster-like surface and ornamental framing read cleanly at a distance and reward close viewing. It fits especially well in collections that already include the Vienna or large-format Ideal Power versions, where it can be shown as part of a connected set rather than a single statement piece.
Historical Context
Ideal Power belongs to Fairey's mid-2010s output, a period in which he continued to mine the visual language of advertising and state propaganda to comment on consumerism and power. By 2017 Fairey had long established his Obey Giant studio as a steady source of signed, numbered screenprints released directly to collectors, and this work is representative of that model. The print connects to a cluster of related editions, including a 2018 Vienna release and a large-format version, indicating that 'Ideal Power' functioned as a recurring composition Fairey revisited across formats and years. Within his arc, it reflects the maturation of his decorative-yet-critical style, where ornamental design and pointed messaging coexist, distinct from his earlier raw stencil work and from his explicitly electoral imagery.
FAQ
What are the dimensions and medium of Ideal Power?
Ideal Power is a screenprint measuring 18 x 24 inches, printed on cream Speckle Tone paper. It was published by Obey Giant in 2017. The work uses Fairey's flat, poster-like screenprint technique on textured fine art paper.
How large is the edition?
Ideal Power was released as a signed, numbered first edition of 450. Each print is signed by Shepard Fairey, placing it among his moderate-sized 2017 editions rather than his smallest or largest runs.
Is this print signed?
Yes. According to the source description, each print in the edition of 450 is signed by Shepard Fairey and individually numbered, consistent with his standard Obey Giant release practice.
What was the original release price?
The source lists an original release price of $55. This was the price at the time of release through Obey Giant and does not represent any current secondary-market value.
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.