Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “The Greed Depression (Large Format)”?
Artist Statement
My friend NoName and I collaborated back in 2020 on a print inspired by my cover for George Orwell’s “Down and Out in Paris and London” and our mutual irritation with greed and the brutality of many aspects of capitalism. NoName and I are both frustrated by the forces which convince much of the public to fall in line with a system that grinds them (and most of us) in its gears, and contributes to feelings of insecurity. With that in mind, don’t buy this print if you should use the money for something better or nothing at all. Should you think it over and still want a print, your money will support NoName’s public art endeavors and survival within the gears of capitalism… oh, and mine too! We both appreciate the support. NoName wrote about the print in greater depth, so please read his full statement below!? –Shepard? I was introduced to George Orwell’s novels back in the late ’90s through my English teacher, an insignificant-looking sarcastic little man, who mantra-like implanted us the adage “use your common sense.” Nearly one decade later, I rediscovered Orwell’s books – and thoughts – through the appealing cover layout design by the kindred spirit street art activist Shepard Fairey, who I’m glad to call a friend today for many years. Shepard and I were discussing his illustration for “Down and Out,” which he actually, for some reason, hadn’t made as a print edition yet. Due to the fact that Orwell’s dystopian books were/are one of the leading inspirations for our philosophy and work, Shepard offered to team up and use the illustration for a collaboration. Related to the illustration, I was remembering a “spontaneous” street intervention I made based on the wordplay “The Greed Depression” as a reflection of a mood that you can notice in almost every wealthy place around the globe. The idea behind the artwork is to examine the false promise that a neo-liberal capitalist system based on greed and ignorance gives equal possibilities and will provide wealth and prosperity to everyone in our society. In fact, this misbelief is especially devastating to the working class people whose hopes and dreams to participate and benefit from this unequal “game” are mainly ending up in a great depression. Public assets such as water, education, or human needs such as housing or public health care, became an investment for speculators and an increasingly more unattainable luxury for just a few. I strongly believe that we as human species are still able to change the direction of a train out of control that is racing toward a cliff, but we seriously should worry about what happens if we don’t change direction! – No Name PRINT DETAILS: The Greed Depression Large Format. 23.75 x 31.5 inches. Fine art print on 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey and NoNAME. Numbered edition of 80. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $600. OverRated publishing chop in lower left corner.
Summary
The Greed Depression (Large Format) is a 2023 collaborative fine art print by Shepard Fairey and the artist NoName, published by Obey Giant in a signed, numbered edition of 80. Measuring 23.75 x 31.5 inches on 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges, it stems from a 2020 collaboration inspired by Fairey's cover illustration for George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London and the two artists' shared critique of greed and capitalism. Signed by Shepard Fairey and NoName, it carries the OverRated publishing chop and a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. It was released at $600.
Why It Matters
This large-format collaboration is among the more pointedly political and limited works in this group, with an edition of just 80. It grew from Fairey's previously unprinted cover illustration for Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, which he and NoName decided to finally release together, anchoring the piece to a specific literary and design lineage. NoName's extended statement frames The Greed Depression as a critique of the false promise that a neoliberal, greed-driven system offers equal opportunity, arguing that this misbelief is most devastating to working-class people and that public assets like water, education, housing, and healthcare have become speculative luxuries. Fairey amplifies the message even in the sales pitch, telling buyers not to purchase the print if the money would be better used elsewhere. That candor, paired with the Orwell connection and the small edition, gives the work an unusually explicit moral and intellectual weight. For collectors, the 23.75 x 31.5 inch scale, dual signatures, OverRated chop, archival cotton paper, and edition of 80 mark it as one of the more serious and scarce statements in Fairey's recent political output.
Collector Perspective
This is aimed at serious collectors of Fairey's political and propaganda-aligned work and at those who value scarce, large-format collaborations. The edition of just 80, the largest format in this group at 23.75 x 31.5 inches, the archival cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, and the dual signatures of Fairey and NoName all signal a premium, statement-level piece, released at $600. Its explicit anti-capitalist message and Orwell lineage give it intellectual depth that rewards collectors building a politically themed collection. The OverRated publishing chop and Verisart certificate provide documented provenance. For buyers who prioritize message, scarcity, and scale over accessibility, this functions as a centerpiece rather than a casual acquisition, and its small edition distinguishes it sharply from Fairey's open and mid-size releases.
Historical Context
Released in 2023, this print belongs to Fairey's continuing strand of politically charged, anti-capitalist work and ties back to a 2020 collaboration with NoName built on Fairey's cover illustration for Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London. The Orwell connection situates it within Fairey's long engagement with dystopian literary critique, a thread also visible across his Big Brother and surveillance-themed pieces. As a large-format serigraph on archival cotton paper carrying the OverRated publishing chop, it reflects the premium production standards he reserves for his most ambitious statements. Within his arc it exemplifies how, in this period, he uses collaboration and scale to deliver pointed economic and social commentary, extending the propaganda-inflected critique that has defined much of his career.
FAQ
Who created this print and what inspired it?
It is a collaboration between Shepard Fairey and the artist NoName, signed by both. It originated in a 2020 collaboration inspired by Fairey's cover illustration for George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London and the artists' shared critique of greed and capitalism.
What is the edition size and format?
It is a numbered edition of 80, making it one of the scarcer works in this group. The large-format print measures 23.75 x 31.5 inches as a fine art print on 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges, carrying the OverRated publishing chop in the lower left corner.
What is the message of the work?
NoName describes it as examining the false promise that a neoliberal, greed-based system gives equal opportunity, arguing this is especially devastating to working-class people as public assets like water, education, housing, and healthcare become unattainable luxuries.
How was it documented and priced?
It is signed by Shepard Fairey and NoName and comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. It was released at $600, reflecting its large format, archival materials, and small edition of 80.
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.