Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Fragile Peace”?
Artist Statement
Fragile Peace. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on cream Speckletone paper. Numbered edition of 450. $70.
Summary
Fragile Peace is a 2017 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Subliminal Projects. It measures 18 x 24 inches and was printed on cream Speckletone paper as a numbered edition of 450. The work engages Fairey's enduring peace theme, its title underscoring the precariousness of peace as a condition that must be actively protected. Rendered in his graphic screen-printed style, the print joins a body of dove and peace imagery that recurs throughout his output, framing peace not as a settled state but as something delicate and contingent.
Why It Matters
Fragile Peace distills one of Shepard Fairey's most persistent ideas into a single charged title: that peace is never permanent but always vulnerable, requiring vigilance to sustain. This framing separates it from triumphal peace imagery and aligns it with the more sober, cautionary register Fairey adopted in the politically turbulent 2017 climate. Published by Subliminal Projects, the gallery and creative studio long associated with Fairey, the print carries the imprint of his core platform rather than a one-off collaboration, situating it firmly within his self-directed body of work. The screen-printed treatment on cream Speckletone paper is consistent with his signature editioned format, giving collectors a familiar and recognizable object. Within the broader arc of his peace-themed prints, this work functions as a thematic anchor: it names the stakes directly. For a collector, that legibility is part of the appeal, the message is unmistakable and the visual language instantly identifiable as Fairey's. At an edition of 450 and an accessible price, it kept his peace advocacy in wide circulation, reinforcing the idea that art could carry urgent civic argument to a broad audience without dilution.
Collector Perspective
Fragile Peace suits collectors who gravitate to Fairey's peace and dove imagery and want a clear thematic statement on the wall. At 18 x 24 inches on cream Speckletone paper, it is a standard, highly displayable size that anchors a grouping or stands on its own. The Subliminal Projects imprint appeals to collectors who prioritize works from Fairey's core platform. Its edition of 450 and modest price make it accessible for newer buyers, while its direct peace theme makes it a natural companion to the artist's dove and peace-guard prints. Collectors building a focused peace-and-justice set will find it a coherent and recognizable cornerstone.
Historical Context
Fragile Peace fits within Fairey's busy 2017 release schedule, a year defined by frequent editioned prints responding to the political moment. Its peace theme extends a lineage of dove, olive-branch, and peace-guard imagery that had become central to his practice over the preceding years. Published by Subliminal Projects, it reflects Fairey's reliance on his own studio and gallery infrastructure to release work directly to collectors. The print sits in the mature phase of his career, when he moved fluidly between street campaigns and gallery-grade editions, using consistent formats and accessible pricing to keep activist messaging circulating widely among a broad collector base.
FAQ
Who published Fragile Peace?
Fragile Peace was published by Subliminal Projects, the gallery and creative studio long associated with Shepard Fairey. Its release through his core platform situates the work within his self-directed body of work rather than as an outside collaboration.
What are the print's dimensions and paper?
It is a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches on cream Speckletone paper. This is a standard, highly displayable size for Fairey's editions, and the Speckletone stock is a recurring choice across his screen-printed releases from this period.
How large is the edition?
Fragile Peace is a numbered edition of 450, released in 2017. This places it in the moderate range for Fairey's editioned prints and reflects his practice of keeping accessible, broadly circulated works in the market.
What does the title suggest about its message?
The title Fragile Peace underscores the precariousness of peace, framing it as a delicate condition that must be actively protected rather than a settled state. This cautionary register aligns it with Fairey's broader peace and anti-war messaging.
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.