Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Open Minds (Destructive)”?
Artist Statement
22.75" x 29" Hand-pulled serigraph 6 colors (plus Destructive Printing method) Arches 88 350sm Deckled edges Edition of 84 Serio Press is delighted to unveil a new edition utilizing a proprietary and experimental technique. This collaboration was born from an idea to "destroy" the media being printed on through a controlled process in order to create a textural effect. By printing a transparent gloss layer repeatedly onto a soft paper without allowing the ink to dry, the paper absorbs the liquid and begins to stick to the silkscreen. As the screen is lifted between pulls, it tears the paper in the areas where ink is passing through. The process compliments the aesthetic of Shepard Fairey's wheat paste posters that have adorned the streets for decades. Exposed to the elements, the wheat paste posters degrade over time, resulting in prints that are weathered and torn.
Summary
Open Minds (Destructive) is a 2022 hand-pulled serigraph by Shepard Fairey, published by Serio Press, measuring 22.75 x 29 inches on Arches 88 350gsm paper with deckled edges. The First Edition of 84 uses six colors plus a proprietary, experimental "Destructive Printing" method, priced at $1000. The technique deliberately tears the paper during printing: a transparent gloss is repeatedly pulled onto soft paper without drying, causing it to stick to and tear from the screen. The resulting weathered, torn texture echoes Fairey's wheat-paste street posters as they degrade outdoors over time.
Why It Matters
Open Minds (Destructive) is a technically distinctive release in Fairey's catalog, built around a proprietary, experimental printing process developed in collaboration with Serio Press. Rather than reproducing a clean image, the Destructive Printing method intentionally tears the paper to produce a weathered, torn texture, a deliberate echo of the wheat-paste posters Fairey has pasted on streets for decades and watched degrade in the elements. That conceptual link, between the controlled studio process and the uncontrolled life of street art, gives the edition unusual depth for collectors who value process and concept alongside image. Its very small edition of 84 makes it one of the scarcer items in this period of his output, and the larger 22.75 x 29 inch hand-pulled serigraph format on Arches paper with deckled edges signals a premium, fine-art presentation. The $1000 issue price reflects that ambition and separates it from his more accessible Obey Giant screen prints. For collectors, the combination of a unique technique, low edition, collaboration pedigree, and a built-in narrative tying it back to the origins of Fairey's street practice makes this a standout, concept-driven acquisition rather than a routine release.
Collector Perspective
This edition targets more advanced collectors who prize technical innovation, small editions, and Serio Press collaborations. The Destructive Printing method makes each impression texturally distinct, appealing to those who value process-driven and near-unique objects. Its larger 22.75 x 29 inch scale, Arches paper, and deckled edges give it a premium gallery presence that anchors a wall. At $1000 it is a higher-tier purchase aimed at collectors building a serious Fairey holding, and its conceptual tie to his street-poster legacy makes it a strong talking-piece and a thematic complement to his collaboration-driven and process-focused works.
Historical Context
Published by Serio Press in June 2022, Open Minds (Destructive) showcases an experimental technique the press developed to physically tear the printed paper, deliberately mirroring the degradation of Fairey's long-running wheat-paste street posters. It situates within his arc as a high-craft collaboration that conceptually reconnects his studio editions to the street-art practice from which his career grew. As a small edition of 84 on fine-art Arches stock, it reflects the more ambitious, limited collaborative projects in his 2021-2023 output, distinct from his higher-volume Obey Giant releases.
FAQ
What is the Destructive Printing method?
It is a proprietary, experimental technique by Serio Press that prints a transparent gloss repeatedly onto soft paper without letting the ink dry. The paper sticks to the silkscreen and tears as the screen is lifted, creating a controlled textural, weathered effect on each impression.
What are the size, medium, and edition?
Open Minds (Destructive) is a hand-pulled serigraph, 22.75 x 29 inches, printed in six colors plus the Destructive Printing method on Arches 88 350gsm paper with deckled edges. It is a First Edition of 84, published by Serio Press in 2022.
Why does the print look weathered?
The torn, weathered texture deliberately complements the aesthetic of Fairey's wheat-paste street posters, which degrade and tear over time when exposed to the elements. The technique recreates that degradation through a controlled studio process.
How does this differ from a standard Fairey screen print?
It is a Serio Press collaboration using an experimental destructive technique, issued in a small edition of 84 on fine-art Arches paper at a $1000 price point, distinguishing it from his higher-volume, lower-priced Obey Giant screen prints.
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.