Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Wetland Powers”?
Artist Statement
This Wetland Powers print examines the repercussions of a Supreme Court largely in the pockets of big oil. Government is supposed to create the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Still, the conservative justices in the current Supreme Court have put the agendas of big oil and wealthy property owners ahead of safe and clean water for the citizenry. The concept of "common assets"… that resources like air and water are owned by no one and need to be protected for the benefit of all, seems lost on many people in business and government. It is up to us as voters to elect representatives who put the needs of the citizens first. The Supreme Court makeup is always important to consider when voting for our president since the sitting president selects appointees for Supreme Court justices. A portion of proceeds from this print go to Greenpeace USA's efforts to fight for responsible environmental policies. Thanks for caring! –Shepard Wetland Powers. 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. $60.
Summary
Wetland Powers is a 2023 screen print, 18 x 24 inches, on thick cream Speckletone paper in a signed, numbered edition of 550 published by Obey Giant. The print examines a Supreme Court that Fairey describes as serving big oil and wealthy property owners ahead of safe, clean water for citizens. It advances the concept of common assets, that resources like air and water belong to no one and must be protected for all, and urges voters to elect representatives who prioritize citizens, noting the president's role in selecting Supreme Court justices. A portion of proceeds benefits Greenpeace USA. The work fuses Fairey's graphic style with an environmental and political message about water protection and judicial influence.
Why It Matters
Wetland Powers stands out for tying Fairey's environmental advocacy to a specific institutional critique: the influence of big oil and property interests on the Supreme Court. Rather than a general climate appeal, the print names judicial power and the erosion of protections for common assets like clean water, giving it a sharper political edge than many environmental works. The framing connects environmental stewardship to the act of voting and to presidential appointments, linking ecology directly to democratic participation. This pairing of nature, governance, and corporate critique reflects the layered messaging Fairey favors in his mature activist phase. The print's tie to Greenpeace USA reinforces its real-world environmental commitment. Issued the same season as Pattern Of Denial and sharing its edition of 550 and Greenpeace association, it forms part of a coherent 2023 environmental cluster, which raises its value for collectors assembling a thematic group. For buyers, Wetland Powers is a clear example of Fairey using accessible graphic art to deliver a pointed argument about water, common resources, and the courts, making it a meaningful environmental statement within his catalog.
Collector Perspective
Wetland Powers appeals to collectors who value Fairey's environmental and political messaging, especially those building a group around his climate, oil, and water prints. Its specific critique of judicial influence gives it appeal to buyers interested in the intersection of ecology and governance. At an accessible release price and a moderate edition of 550, it suits both newer collectors and those rounding out an environmental sub-collection. Visually it carries Fairey's clean graphic treatment suited to display, and it pairs directly with Pattern Of Denial and other oil and climate works. It is a coherent choice for a focused environmental wall.
Historical Context
Wetland Powers belongs to Fairey's later environmental activism, a steady strand of his contemporary studio output. By 2023 his releases routinely combine cause-based fundraising, here Greenpeace USA, with pointed social commentary. The print's focus on the Supreme Court and common assets extends his long interest in how power and institutions shape public welfare, connecting environmental concern to democratic accountability. Released alongside related environmental prints such as Pattern Of Denial, it forms part of a focused 2023 cluster addressing climate, oil, water, and voting. It exemplifies how, in this period, Fairey channels his graphic vocabulary toward specific, argument-driven environmental and civic messaging.
FAQ
What is Wetland Powers about?
The print examines a Supreme Court that Fairey describes as serving big oil and wealthy property owners over citizens' access to clean water. It promotes the idea of common assets and urges voters to elect representatives who prioritize the public good.
What is the edition size?
Wetland Powers is a signed, numbered screen print in an edition of 550, published by Obey Giant in 2023, signed by Shepard Fairey and accompanied by a Verisart Digital Certificate of Authenticity.
Does it support a cause?
Yes. According to the source, a portion of proceeds goes to Greenpeace USA's efforts to fight for responsible environmental policies.
What are the dimensions and materials?
Wetland Powers measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered within the edition of 550.
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.