Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “The Angles Of Sedation And Destruction”?
Artist Statement
I've enjoyed bringing some of the spray paint textures from my fine art into my screen prints. I like the subtle color shifts and ethereal gradients that can be achieved with spray paint. This "The Angles of Sedation and Destruction" print features bold geometric minimalism fused with spray gradients and a hypnotic poppy pattern. The poppy pattern and flame, symbols of sedation and destruction, are woven into a seemingly balanced geometry, but all is not perfectly harmonious. Climate change and environmental degradation are subtle and gradual, with only periodic extreme weather events to remind us dramatically of the cumulative impact. Let this print be a gentle reminder as well. A portion of proceeds from this print will go to Greenpeace USA to support their efforts to fight climate change. This print, like all of my prints, is printed on sustainable paper, recycled paper in this case. –Shepard The Angles of Sedation and Destruction. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 550. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $65.
Summary
The Angles Of Sedation And Destruction is a 2023 Obey Giant screen print, 18 x 24 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper, in a numbered edition of 550 and signed by Shepard Fairey. The source describes bold geometric minimalism fused with spray-paint gradients and a hypnotic poppy pattern. The poppy pattern and flame, symbols of sedation and destruction, are woven into a seemingly balanced geometry that is not perfectly harmonious, evoking the subtle, gradual nature of climate change. A portion of proceeds goes to Greenpeace USA, and the print is on recycled paper. It was offered at $65 with a Verisart Digital Certificate of Authenticity.
Why It Matters
This print showcases Fairey importing spray-paint textures from his fine art into his screen prints, valuing the subtle color shifts and ethereal gradients that medium allows. The source describes a fusion of bold geometric minimalism, spray gradients, and a hypnotic poppy pattern, with the poppy and flame standing as symbols of sedation and destruction set inside a geometry that looks balanced but is intentionally not perfectly harmonious. That deliberate imbalance mirrors the print's environmental argument: climate change and environmental degradation are subtle and gradual, punctuated only by extreme weather, and the work is meant as a gentle reminder. For collectors, its differentiator is the aesthetic crossover, a print that reads more like Fairey's painterly fine art through its spray techniques, paired with a climate message and a Greenpeace USA proceeds tie. The use of recycled paper reinforces the ecological commitment. The poppy motif and geometric structure also give it a more abstract, design-forward look than his portrait or slogan prints, appealing to buyers who appreciate pattern, gradient, and symbolic abstraction within his environmental output.
Collector Perspective
This print suits collectors who appreciate Fairey's more abstract, pattern-driven and gradient work, as well as those building an environmental grouping. The spray-paint texture crossover from his fine art appeals to buyers who like prints that read as painterly rather than flat. The poppy and geometric motifs give it strong decorative versatility, working in a range of interiors. The Greenpeace USA proceeds and recycled-paper detail attract mission-aligned collectors. At 18 x 24 inches with a numbered edition of 550 and a $65 release price, it is an accessible, display-friendly piece that fits both a design-focused and a climate-themed collection.
Historical Context
The Angles Of Sedation And Destruction belongs to Fairey's environmental period and to his effort to carry spray-paint textures from his fine-art practice into editioned screen prints. The source frames it within his climate advocacy, using poppy and flame symbolism and an intentionally imbalanced geometry to convey the gradual creep of environmental degradation. Its Greenpeace USA partnership and recycled-paper production align it with his other 2023 climate releases that share materials, edition structure, and charitable purpose. Within his arc, it represents the more abstract, texture-forward branch of his environmental work, blending fine-art technique with pattern-based design.
FAQ
What do the poppy and flame symbolize?
The source states the poppy pattern and flame are symbols of sedation and destruction, woven into a seemingly balanced geometry where all is not perfectly harmonious. This mirrors how climate change is subtle and gradual, with only periodic extreme weather to remind us dramatically of its cumulative impact.
What technique gives the print its look?
Per the source, Fairey brought spray-paint textures from his fine art into the screen print, valuing the subtle color shifts and ethereal gradients spray paint produces. The result fuses bold geometric minimalism with spray gradients and a hypnotic poppy pattern.
Does it support a cause or use special materials?
Yes. The source says a portion of proceeds goes to Greenpeace USA to support its climate work, and the print is made on sustainable, recycled paper, reinforcing its environmental message.
What are the size and edition details?
The print measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. It is a numbered edition of 550, signed by Shepard Fairey, and comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. It was offered at $65.
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.