Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Black Earth Society”?
Artist Statement
The title Black Earth Society is a play on the Flat Earth Society, an actual group of science deniers who think the Earth is flat… not dissimilar to the group of science deniers who think climate change is a hoax. The fossil fuel corporations have power from deep pockets. They use that power to sow the seeds of doubt about the danger of continued reliance on their products without a plan to transition to renewable energy sources. The power of laziness to keep fossil fuels as the status quo, the power of corporations to influence politicians, and the power of intentionally misleading the public are all forms of power we must fight against to keep our planet healthy. Proceeds from this print will benefit Greenpeace to assist their efforts to protect the environment and ween America off fossil fuels. -Shepard Black Earth Society. 36 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 600. $95. Proceeds go to Greenpeace.
Summary
Black Earth Society (2021) is a signed, numbered screen print by Shepard Fairey on thick cream Speckletone paper, measuring 36 x 24 inches in a first edition of 600. Its title plays on the Flat Earth Society to satirize climate-change denial, and the image addresses the power of fossil-fuel corporations to spread doubt about the dangers of continued fossil-fuel reliance. Per the source, proceeds benefit Greenpeace. The work uses Fairey's bold graphic vocabulary to deliver a pointed environmental and anti-corporate message about misinformation and the urgency of transitioning to renewable energy.
Why It Matters
Black Earth Society is one of Fairey's most explicitly argued environmental prints, and its statement lays out a clear critique: fossil-fuel corporations use deep-pocketed influence to sow doubt about climate science, much as 'science deniers' in the Flat Earth Society reject established fact. The title's wordplay turns a fringe internet movement into a metaphor for organized climate denial, naming corporate power, political influence, and deliberate public misinformation as the forces he opposes. This places the work at the intersection of environmental advocacy and corporate critique, two themes central to Fairey's mature output. The source states that proceeds benefit Greenpeace, tying the print directly to environmental activism. At 36 x 24 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper in an edition of 600, it is a large, statement-scaled screen print. For collectors, it is a substantive example of Fairey's issue-driven art, where the message is as developed as the image. It rewards those interested in his climate work and in how he uses satire and graphic design to confront industries and ideologies rather than individuals.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors focused on Fairey's environmental and anti-corporate work and to those who value art with a clearly articulated cause. At 36 x 24 inches it is a large, commanding piece suited to being a focal point on a wall, and the thick cream Speckletone paper lends it physical heft. Buyers who collect by theme, particularly climate and environmental justice, will appreciate both the message and the stated benefit to Greenpeace. The signed, numbered edition of 600 makes it relatively available while still limited. It pairs well with Fairey's other earth and climate prints, making it a strong anchor for a thematic environmental grouping, and its developed statement gives it appeal for collectors who value context alongside image.
Historical Context
Released in 2021 through Obey Giant, Black Earth Society sits within Fairey's expanding body of climate and environmental work that grew increasingly prominent in his later career. The print continues his long practice of targeting systems and corporate power rather than individuals, here aiming at the fossil-fuel industry and organized climate denial. Its satirical title and explicit critique of misinformation reflect a moment when disinformation became a central political concern, and its stated benefit to Greenpeace aligns the work with established environmental advocacy. Within Fairey's arc, it represents the convergence of his propaganda-inspired graphic style with urgent contemporary issues, extending the activist intent of his earlier political posters into the climate arena that defines much of his recent output.
FAQ
What does the title Black Earth Society mean?
Per Fairey's statement, the title plays on the Flat Earth Society, a group of science deniers, to draw a parallel with those who deny climate change. It frames climate denial as a comparable rejection of established science, often driven by fossil-fuel interests.
Does this print support a cause?
Yes. The source states that proceeds from the print benefit Greenpeace, to assist its efforts to protect the environment and reduce America's reliance on fossil fuels. The print is tied directly to environmental advocacy.
What are the dimensions and edition size?
Black Earth Society is a 36 x 24 inch screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. It is signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered in an edition of 600, published by Obey Giant in 2021.
What is the message of the artwork?
The work critiques the power of fossil-fuel corporations to spread doubt about the dangers of continued fossil-fuel use. Fairey names corporate influence, political pressure, and intentional public misinformation as forces to fight against in order to keep the planet healthy.
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.