What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Mother Nature On The Run”?

Artist Statement

The "Mother Nature on the Run" letterpress print was inspired by a couple of things: specifically, the genetic modification of fruits and vegetables by monopolistic corporations, and generally, the pervasive disregard for nature's delicate balance reflected in government policies and societal practices. I've always admired Neil Young's music and environmental activism, so I incorporated his lyric "mother nature on the run" from his song, "After the Gold Rush," into the art. With Earth Day coming up, I'll reiterate that every day should be Earth Day. We are part of nature, not above it, and when we don't treat our home well, it will eventually not treat us well. We (powerful corporations especially) are behaving like the earth is indestructible… and it isn't! Hopefully, you don't need to be a "nature" person to understand that this planet is the only one we humans and all other species have to live on. We don't need to behave like greedy, short-sighted, pigs, and we certainly shouldn't let our corporations behave that way at our expense and their profit. I hope that anyone who appreciates natural beauty can understand why I try to use my art to highlight environmental issues. Proceeds from this print will benefit the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) to support their efforts to defend the planet. Thanks for caring!-Shepard Mother Nature on the Run Letterpress. 9 x 12 inches. Cream Cotton Paper with Hand-Deckled Edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 450. $65.

Summary

Mother Nature On The Run is a 2020 letterpress print measuring 9 x 12 inches on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, signed by Shepard Fairey in a numbered edition of 450, priced at $65. The artwork incorporates the lyric "mother nature on the run" from Neil Young's song "After the Gold Rush." Fairey created it in response to the genetic modification of food by large corporations and broader disregard for nature's balance, timed around Earth Day. Proceeds benefit the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The piece pairs environmental messaging with Fairey's admiration for Neil Young's music and activism.

Why It Matters

Mother Nature On The Run is a clear example of how Fairey welds environmental advocacy to music culture, using a borrowed Neil Young lyric as both title and thesis. The source text is unusually direct: Fairey names the genetic modification of fruits and vegetables by monopolistic corporations and government and societal disregard for ecological balance as his targets, framing humans as part of nature rather than above it. That explicit corporate critique, anchored to an Earth Day release, gives the print a documented activist intent rather than a vague green sentiment. The Neil Young connection matters too: Fairey cites his admiration for Young's music and environmental activism, making this a crossover between Fairey's environmental and music interests. The benefit structure, with proceeds going to the NRDC, ties the object to a concrete conservation organization. As a small letterpress on cream cotton with hand-deckled edges, signed and numbered at 450, it is a tactile, intimate format that suits its reflective, almost editorial tone. For collectors it stands as a well-documented entry in Fairey's environmental series, valuable precisely because its motivation and beneficiary are spelled out in the artist's own words.

Collector Perspective

This suits collectors of Fairey's environmental and activist work, as well as Neil Young fans and music-and-art crossover buyers. The letterpress medium on hand-deckled cream cotton paper gives it a refined, text-forward look that frames well in intimate spaces or as part of a themed environmental grouping. Its numbered edition of 450 and Fairey signature make it a collectible object, while the NRDC benefit origin adds a values-driven story for buyers who care about the cause. At 9 x 12 inches it is a modest, easily displayed size. It pairs naturally with other environmental and consumerism-critique prints from Fairey's catalog, and the documented Neil Young lyric gives it a distinctive hook that separates it from generic nature imagery.

Historical Context

The print sits within Fairey's sustained environmental advocacy, which became a recurring pillar of his output. Released around Earth Day 2020, it joins a body of work in which he uses art to highlight ecological issues and channels proceeds to organizations like the NRDC. The choice to build the piece around Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" lyric reflects Fairey's long-running habit of bridging music heroes and political messaging. Its explicit critique of corporate food modification and monopolistic behavior aligns it with his consumerism-and-power themes, situating it at the overlap of his environmental and anti-corporate concerns during a prolific 2020 in which he issued numerous benefit prints.

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