Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Desert Today Ocean Tomorrow”?
Artist Statement
These "Desert Today Ocean Tomorrow" and "Ocean Today Desert Tomorrow" prints are inspired by the tranquil view and angled shadows looking from the courtyard of Georgia O'Keeffe's studio through to the surrounding New Mexico desert. However, I replaced the desert with a flood on the horizon in these prints. There is beauty in the ways people adapt to live in demanding terrain, whether it be in proximity to oceans or deserts. Even though people are remarkably adaptive, the unpredictable impacts of climate change mean that many of those adaptive measures are not suited to protect from unexpected droughts, floods, and temperature swings. We have the means to adapt to the use of more renewable energy sources, which will mitigate climate change and be much less costly and chaotic than adapting to rising sea levels and rising temperatures. Let's evolve and embrace the adaptive measures that make the most sense rather than burying our heads in the sand. A portion of the proceeds from this print will benefit Greenpeace to support its work to enhance environmental protections and combat climate change. – Shepard Desert Today Ocean Tomorrow & Ocean Today Desert Tomorrow. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 375. A limited amount of matching numbered sets will be available for $110. Sold separately for $55.
Summary
Desert Today Ocean Tomorrow is a 2022 Shepard Fairey screen print, 18 x 24 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper, signed and numbered in an edition of 375 and published by Obey Giant. Priced at $55, it is the companion to Ocean Today Desert Tomorrow, with matching numbered sets offered at $110. The image is inspired by the view from Georgia O'Keeffe's New Mexico studio courtyard, with the desert replaced by a flood on the horizon to evoke climate-driven change. Fairey argues that human adaptation cannot keep pace with unpredictable droughts, floods, and temperature swings, and urges a shift toward renewable energy. A portion of proceeds benefits Greenpeace.
Why It Matters
Desert Today Ocean Tomorrow is the mirror image of its companion print, together forming a paired meditation on unstable, climate-altered landscapes. Like its twin, it draws on the tranquil view from Georgia O'Keeffe's New Mexico studio and disrupts it with a flood on the horizon, staging the argument that today's terrain may not be tomorrow's. Fairey's statement is explicit: human adaptation is impressive but insufficient against sudden droughts, floods, and temperature swings, making a shift to renewable energy the more sensible course. The deliberate pairing with Ocean Today Desert Tomorrow rewards collectors who acquire both, and the O'Keeffe homage gives the work art-historical depth uncommon in a climate poster. With a contained edition of 375 and a Greenpeace benefit, the print aligns its message with its object in the way that defines Fairey's cause-driven editions. As a signed, numbered screen print on his signature Speckletone stock at an accessible price, it is a thoughtful and approachable entry in his environmental catalog, valued both on its own and as half of a matched set.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors of Fairey's environmental and landscape work, and particularly to those assembling matched pairs, as it is the designed companion to Ocean Today Desert Tomorrow. The O'Keeffe-inspired scene makes it a calmer, more painterly piece than his slogan posters, suitable for a refined display. At 375 signed and numbered impressions and an accessible original price, it is attainable for newer collectors, with the Greenpeace tie adding cause-minded appeal. It is best displayed alongside its companion print or within a themed grouping of his climate work.
Historical Context
Desert Today Ocean Tomorrow belongs to Fairey's early-2020s wave of environmental prints linked to Greenpeace and produced on sustainable cream Speckletone paper. Released in April 2022 as one half of a deliberate pair, it reflects his use of landscape imagery, here referencing Georgia O'Keeffe's New Mexico setting, as a vehicle for climate argument. Within his arc, the work shows the mature artist combining art-historical homage with activist messaging and using mirrored, paired editions to emphasize the instability of climate-affected environments.
FAQ
What inspired Desert Today Ocean Tomorrow?
It is inspired by the view and angled shadows from Georgia O'Keeffe's New Mexico studio courtyard. Fairey replaced the desert with a flood on the horizon to dramatize how climate change could transform stable terrain into something unrecognizable.
Is this print part of a set?
Yes. It is the companion to Ocean Today Desert Tomorrow, with the two titles mirroring each other. A limited number of matching numbered sets were offered for $110, while each print sold separately for $55.
What is the edition size and cause?
The print is a numbered edition of 375, signed by Shepard Fairey and published by Obey Giant in 2022. A portion of the proceeds benefits Greenpeace to support environmental protection and climate work.
What are the dimensions and medium?
The print measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper, hand-signed and numbered from an edition of 375.
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.