Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Nixon Money (Large Format)”?
Artist Statement
In 2003, Fairey dissected the graphic design of instruments of wealth and power such as currency, stamps, and stock certificates, resulting in a series of works about the intersection of economic wealth and political power. The minting of new currency featuring the portrait of the leader is an act characteristic of totalitarian regime. The numbered portraits of the infamous leaders 1) Lenin, 2) Mao, and 3) Nixon are surrounded by design elements commonly used for such documents, including ornate patterns and intricate motifs incorporated to confound counterfeiters. The artist inserts his own imagery including the Obey Star Icon and the word "Obey" into the composition. "In lesser gods we trust," is a recurring phrase used by the artist. It is an alteration of "In God we trust" phrase used by the artist. It is an alteration of "In God we trust" found on the back of all US currency, signaling the contradicting term given that the separation of church and state is a founding principle of the constitution. Fairey's use of the term refers to the process of deification of powerful leaders and the corresponding betrayal of public trust through corruption and abuse of power. The combination of the foreign leaders and a US President is intended to remind the viewer that we must not only look outside our nation for those who abuse powers but must be vigilant in our own country as well. Although these works were made during the Bush administration, in the current tumultuous political climate of the Trump administration, the message is more important than ever. The portraits are a cautionary reminder, urging the public to question authority and be properly informed. Reminding us that truth and power cannot be reconciled. Those who want to control society will inevitably create fictitious narratives to do so. – Description written by co-curator Pedro Alonzo.? Lesser Gods Lenin, Lesser Gods Mao, and Lesser Gods Nixon SOLD AS A MATCHING NUMBERED SET for $2,000. Remaining inventory sold individually at $900 each. Serigraph on Coventry Rag, 100% Cotton Custom Archival Paper with hand-deckled edges. 30 x 41 inches. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 89. Comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Summary
Nixon Money is a 2019 large-format screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a signed, numbered edition of 89, measuring 30 x 41 inches on Coventry Rag 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges. Part of a "Lesser Gods" set with Lenin and Mao, it dissects the graphic language of currency: Nixon's portrait sits amid ornate counterfeit-deterring patterns, the Obey Star Icon, and the phrase "In lesser gods we trust," an alteration of "In God we trust." Fairey frames the minting of currency bearing a leader's portrait as a hallmark of totalitarian regimes and a warning about the deification of power.
Why It Matters
Nixon Money is a key piece in Fairey's series dissecting instruments of wealth and power, currency, stamps, and stock certificates, to expose the intersection of economic and political control. Per co-curator Pedro Alonzo, the minting of currency featuring a leader's portrait is characteristic of totalitarian regimes, and Fairey's numbered "Lesser Gods" portraits of Lenin, Mao, and Nixon deliberately place a U.S. president alongside foreign autocrats. This juxtaposition delivers a pointed message: Americans must scrutinize the abuse of power within their own nation, not only abroad. The recurring phrase "In lesser gods we trust," altering the currency motto "In God we trust," underscores the deification of leaders and the betrayal of public trust through corruption. Inserting the Obey Star Icon ties the critique to Fairey's broader iconographic project. As a signed, numbered large-format edition of 89 on hand-deckled cotton rag, it offers fine-print presentation and relative scarcity, and it is part of a matching numbered set, giving it strong appeal for collectors assembling the full Lesser Gods trio of power-and-corruption commentary.
Collector Perspective
Nixon Money appeals to collectors drawn to Fairey's power-and-corruption critique and his currency-dissecting series, as well as those who collect by matched sets, since it forms the "Lesser Gods" trio with Lenin Money and Mao Money. The ornate currency-style design and embedded Obey Star Icon make it a visually intricate statement piece at 30 x 41 inches on hand-deckled cotton rag. The numbered edition of 89 places it among his more limited large-format releases. It is especially attractive to collectors seeking the complete matching numbered set, and fits collections organized around consumerism, abuse of power, and OBEY iconography.
Historical Context
Nixon Money traces to 2003, when, per co-curator Pedro Alonzo, Fairey began dissecting the graphic design of currency, stamps, and stock certificates to produce works about the intersection of economic wealth and political power. The "Lesser Gods" portraits of Lenin, Mao, and Nixon were made during the Bush administration, and the source notes the message gained renewed relevance amid later political tumult. Its 2019 release as a signed, numbered large-format screen print of 89, sold individually or as a matching numbered set with Lenin and Mao, reflects Fairey's later practice of issuing such work at scale on premium archival paper, situating it within his sustained critique of deified authority and the corruption of public trust.
FAQ
What is the "Lesser Gods" set?
Per the source, Lesser Gods Lenin, Lesser Gods Mao, and Lesser Gods Nixon were offered as a matching numbered set for $2,000, with remaining inventory sold individually at $900 each. The set places a U.S. president alongside foreign leaders to critique abuse of power.
What does "In lesser gods we trust" mean?
It is Fairey's alteration of "In God we trust" found on U.S. currency. Per the source, it refers to the deification of powerful leaders and the corresponding betrayal of public trust through corruption and abuse of power.
What are the edition details?
Nixon Money is a numbered edition of 89, signed by Shepard Fairey and published by Obey Giant in 2019, with a certificate of authenticity. The large-format screen print measures 30 x 41 inches.
What materials is the print made of?
It is a serigraph on Coventry Rag, 100% cotton custom archival paper with hand-deckled edges, measuring 30 x 41 inches. It incorporates ornate currency-style patterns and the Obey Star Icon.
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.