Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Lenin 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
Lenin Money (Large Format) is a 2019 Shepard Fairey screen print, published by Obey Giant in a signed, numbered first edition of 89, measuring 30 x 41 inches on Coventry Rag archival cotton paper with hand-deckled edges. It depicts Vladimir Lenin in the style of printed currency, his portrait framed by ornate patterns and anti-counterfeit motifs borrowed from banknotes, stamps, and stock certificates. Fairey weaves in his own Obey Star icon, the word "Obey," and the recurring phrase "In lesser gods we trust," an alteration of "In God we trust." The large-format work treats a foreign leader as minted currency to interrogate the deification of powerful figures.
Why It Matters
Lenin Money belongs to Fairey's "Lesser Gods" currency series, in which he dissects the graphic language of money, stamps, and stock certificates to expose the intersection of economic wealth and political power. By rendering Lenin as printed currency, Fairey ties the minting of leaders' portraits to the visual rituals of totalitarian regimes, where new currency bearing a ruler's face becomes an instrument of control. The altered motto "In lesser gods we trust" sharpens the critique, framing the deification of powerful figures as a betrayal of public trust through corruption and the abuse of power. Co-curator Pedro Alonzo notes the works were conceived under the Bush administration but resonate anew in later political climates, functioning as a cautionary reminder to question authority and stay informed. Paired with companion prints of Mao and Nixon, the series deliberately combines foreign leaders with a U.S. president, insisting that vigilance against the abuse of power belongs at home as well as abroad. The large-format edition of 89, signed and numbered with a certificate of authenticity, gives collectors a monumental version of one of Fairey's most pointed statements on money, propaganda, and Obey iconography.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors drawn to Fairey's overtly political work and to his fascination with the design language of currency and propaganda. At 30 x 41 inches it is a commanding wall piece, its ornate banknote framing and bold portrait rewarding close viewing while reading clearly from across a room. It anchors a focused sub-collection alongside the Mao and Nixon currency prints, which were also offered as a matching numbered set, making cross-print numbering an attractive pursuit for completists. The small first-edition size of 89, signed and numbered with a certificate of authenticity, gives it weight for buyers who prioritize scarcity and political content. It fits naturally into a collection built around Fairey's critiques of power, money, and the Obey iconography.
Historical Context
Lenin Money traces back to 2003, when Fairey began dissecting the graphic design of instruments of wealth and power such as currency, stamps, and stock certificates, producing a body of work about economic wealth and political power. The 2019 large-format edition revisits that concept at monumental scale during the "Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent" period marking Obey Giant's thirtieth anniversary. Co-curator Pedro Alonzo's description situates the work as art made under the Bush administration whose warning about the abuse of power felt renewed in the Trump era. The use of the Obey Star and the word "Obey" connects this currency critique to Fairey's broader iconographic vocabulary, while the pairing of Lenin with Mao and Nixon reflects his recurring strategy of mixing foreign and domestic figures to broaden the political indictment.
FAQ
What is the edition size of Lenin Money (Large Format)?
It is a numbered first edition of 89, signed by Shepard Fairey and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. This large-format version was published by Obey Giant in 2019 and measures 30 x 41 inches.
What is the print made of?
It is a serigraph (screen print) on Coventry Rag, a 100% cotton custom archival paper with hand-deckled edges. The sheet measures 30 x 41 inches, making it a large-format work in Fairey's catalog.
What does the phrase "In lesser gods we trust" mean?
It is Fairey's alteration of "In God we trust" from U.S. currency. He uses it to comment on the deification of powerful leaders and the corresponding betrayal of public trust through corruption and the abuse of power.
Is Lenin Money part of a larger set?
Yes. It belongs to a currency series with companion portraits of Mao and Nixon. Per the release, the three were sold as a matching numbered set for $2,000, with remaining inventory sold individually at $900 each.
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.