Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Golden Future - Large Format”?
Artist Statement
Golden Future is the next in the series of large format prints inspired by the paintings in the latest body of work featured in the Damaged exhibition. Already released were Ideal Power and Wrong Path. Keep your eyes peeled for more coming soon! Golden Future Large Format. 33.5 x 47.5 inches. 5 color screenprint on cream 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 75. $900. Obey publishing chop in lower left corner. Comes with Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
Summary
Golden Future - Large Format is a 2018 five-color screen print by Shepard Fairey, measuring 33.5 x 47.5 inches on cream 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges. Published by Obey Giant, it is signed, numbered in an edition of 75, carries the Obey publishing chop in the lower left, and includes a Certificate of Authenticity. Per the source, it is the next in a series of large-format prints inspired by paintings from the Damaged exhibition, following Ideal Power and Wrong Path. The work blends Fairey's power and environmental themes in his ornamental, propaganda-inspired graphic style at large scale.
Why It Matters
Golden Future - Large Format is explicitly described as the next entry in Fairey's series of large-format prints inspired by paintings from the Damaged exhibition, following Ideal Power and Wrong Path. That documented series relationship makes it a key piece for collectors assembling the cohesive Damaged-era group, where each print reinforces the value of the others as a set. Produced as a five-color screen print at 33.5 x 47.5 inches on archival cotton paper with hand-deckled edges and limited to just 75 signed, numbered impressions with a Certificate of Authenticity, it sits at the premium end of Fairey's catalog rather than among his accessible releases. Thematically it bridges his power-and-consumerism critique and his environmental concerns, giving it interpretive range that connects to two major threads of his work. The imposing scale lends the imagery strong visual authority, making it a centerpiece-quality piece for display. The small edition size meaningfully limits supply, and the series context, archival materials, and labor-intensive printing all support its standing as a collector-grade acquisition. For anyone building a focused Damaged-era holding or a survey of Fairey's premium large-format output, Golden Future is an essential companion to its sibling editions.
Collector Perspective
This print is aimed at serious collectors and those wanting a large statement work. Its 33.5 x 47.5-inch scale, five-color printing, archival cotton paper, hand-deckled edges, edition of 75, Obey chop, and Certificate of Authenticity all signal premium status. It is most compelling as part of the Damaged-era large-format series, sitting alongside Ideal Power and Wrong Path, which the source names directly. Collectors completing that set will see it as a near-required companion piece. Its scale makes it a focal point for a gallery wall or large room, and its blend of power and environmental themes gives it broad placement within a thematic Fairey collection. The small edition and production complexity make it a higher-commitment acquisition that rewards collectors prioritizing craft and series cohesion.
Historical Context
Released in April 2018, Golden Future - Large Format is identified in the source as the next in Fairey's series of large-format prints inspired by paintings from his Damaged exhibition, following Ideal Power and Wrong Path. It belongs to the more ambitious, gallery-oriented production Fairey pursued during this period, characterized by five-color printing, archival cotton paper, hand-deckled edges, and small editions. Sitting at the intersection of his power-and-consumerism critique and his environmental concerns, it continues themes that recur across his career while contributing to a tightly connected body of large-format work that collectors track as a discrete Damaged-era series.
FAQ
Where does Golden Future fit in the series?
The source describes it as the next in a series of large-format prints inspired by paintings from the Damaged exhibition, following Ideal Power and Wrong Path. It is part of a cohesive group of large-format works collectors often pursue together.
What are the print's specifications?
It is a five-color screen print measuring 33.5 x 47.5 inches on cream 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered in an edition of 75. It carries the Obey publishing chop in the lower left and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
How limited is this edition?
The large-format first edition is numbered to 75 impressions. This small run, combined with the scale, five-color printing, and archival materials, places it among Fairey's premium, collector-oriented releases rather than his higher-volume prints.
What themes does it engage?
As part of the Damaged-era body of work and tied to both consumerism/power and environmental concerns in the record, it bridges two recurring threads of Fairey's art, rendered in his ornamental, propaganda-inspired graphic style at large scale.
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.