Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Birdsong Project”?
Artist Statement
I was invited to be part of The Birdsong Project by Randall Poster, the music supervisor for a bunch of my favorite movies. Randall is collaborating with musicians, artists, and the Audubon Society to raise awareness and funds to protect birds and their habitats from the impacts of climate change. I'm concerned about the health of our planet, and I'm very aware that declining bird populations are an early indication of serious ecological problems on the horizon. I also love birds and don't want to see Rachel Carson's warning from "Silent Spring" of a future without birds come to pass. My print The Birdsong Project (Another Day In the Coal Mine) is a scene of sun, flowers, and a Summer Tanager, a beautiful red bird that was once extremely common but has seen a concerning decline in its population. My print is a vision of what we almost all find beautiful but can no longer take for granted. I don't want this print to be a nostalgic picture of a romantic time that once was. Let's protect the birds for our time and the future of the planet! –Shepard Birdsong Project. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 450. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $75. Proceeds go to The Birdsong Project.
Summary
Birdsong Project is a 2022 Shepard Fairey screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, printed on thick cream Speckletone paper in a signed, numbered edition of 450 published by Obey Giant. Created for The Birdsong Project, a collaboration with music supervisor Randall Poster and the Audubon Society, the image depicts a scene of sun, flowers, and a Summer Tanager, a red bird whose population has declined. Fairey frames the work around bird conservation and climate concern, referencing Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. Per the source, proceeds go to The Birdsong Project. It comes with a Verisart digital Certificate of Authenticity and combines floral and avian nature imagery with Fairey's graphic style.
Why It Matters
Birdsong Project is a strong example of Fairey aligning his art with a named conservation collaboration. The source details his invitation by music supervisor Randall Poster to join The Birdsong Project, a partnership with musicians, artists, and the Audubon Society to protect birds and their habitats from climate impacts. By centering a Summer Tanager, a once-common red bird now in decline, and invoking Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Fairey turns the print into a pointed ecological warning rather than a decorative bird study. That literary and scientific grounding gives the work conceptual depth and ties it to a recognized environmental lineage. The collaboration with the Audubon Society and Randall Poster also situates it at the intersection of music, art, and conservation, broadening its appeal across those communities. As a signed, numbered edition of 450 with Verisart authentication and proceeds directed to the project, it is both well documented and cause-driven. Its significance is meaningful within Fairey's environmental output: the specific species, the Silent Spring reference, and the cross-disciplinary collaboration give it a distinct identity, even if it is one of several climate-focused editions he produced in this period.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors of Fairey's environmental work, bird and nature enthusiasts, and those interested in the cross-disciplinary Birdsong Project collaboration spanning music, art, and conservation. The 18 x 24 inch format on cream Speckletone paper is approachable to frame and display, and the bright Summer Tanager and floral scene give it warmth that suits a nature-themed wall. Buyers who value cause-driven art will note the source's statement that proceeds go to The Birdsong Project. As a signed, numbered edition of 450 with a Verisart digital Certificate of Authenticity, it offers solid documentation at a mid-range scale. It fits naturally alongside Fairey's other environmental and floral prints, and its Audubon and Silent Spring associations give it added storytelling value.
Historical Context
Birdsong Project sits within Fairey's early-2020s environmental period, when conservation and climate themes anchored many of his releases. The source ties it to a specific collaboration led by music supervisor Randall Poster with the Audubon Society, placing it among Fairey's cross-disciplinary, cause-based projects. Its invocation of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring connects it to a foundational text of the environmental movement, reflecting Fairey's habit of grounding work in recognizable cultural and literary references. Published by Obey Giant with Verisart authentication, it represents his mature studio's well-documented benefit editions rather than an early street image. Within his arc, it extends his environmental voice into wildlife and habitat protection, demonstrating how he uses collaboration and species-specific imagery to sharpen a broader climate message.
FAQ
What is The Birdsong Project?
Per the source, The Birdsong Project is a collaboration led by music supervisor Randall Poster with musicians, artists, and the Audubon Society to raise awareness and funds to protect birds and their habitats from the impacts of climate change. Fairey was invited to contribute this print.
What bird is shown in the print?
According to Fairey's statement, the print depicts a scene of sun, flowers, and a Summer Tanager, a beautiful red bird that was once extremely common but has seen a concerning population decline. He frames it as a vision of beauty we can no longer take for granted.
What is the edition size and medium?
The source lists Birdsong Project as 18 x 24 inches, a screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper, signed by Shepard Fairey in a numbered edition of 450. It comes with a Verisart Digital Certificate of Authenticity.
Does buying this print support a cause?
Yes. The source states that proceeds go to The Birdsong Project, the conservation collaboration with the Audubon Society aimed at protecting birds and their habitats from climate change impacts.
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.




