Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Earth Emissary (Jane Fonda)”?
Artist Statement
I've been an admirer at a distance of Jane Fonda's acting and activism for the majority of my life. I had the honor of being included in a Zoom discussion with Jane at the beginning of the pandemic, and we very naturally connected on many of our shared concerns, especially climate change and other environmental issues. I've since collaborated with Jane, brainstorming and creating art for Greenpeace and her environmental PAC. Following Jane inspires me and also humbles me because the extent of her commitment to the causes she believes in is deeper and more rigorous than anyone else I can think of. This portrait of her, which demonstrates grit, determination, and advocacy for the planet, is something I know to be a hundred percent authentic. Yet, it still represents only a fraction of what she embodies. Jane is a leader we'd all benefit from emulating. -Shepard PRINT DETAILS: Earth Emissary (Jane Fonda). 24 x 18 inches. Screen print on 80# cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 300. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $75
Summary
Earth Emissary (Jane Fonda) is a 2025 screen print portraying actor and activist Jane Fonda. Measuring 24 x 18 inches and printed on 80# cream Speckletone paper, it is a signed, numbered first edition of 300, published by Obey Giant at $75. The portrait depicts Fonda with an expression Fairey describes as grit, determination, and advocacy for the planet, framing her as an environmental leader. It pairs Fairey's signature portraiture with his climate-focused messaging, drawing on his stated collaborations with Fonda around Greenpeace and her environmental PAC. Each print comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity from Verisart.
Why It Matters
This print sits at the intersection of two of Fairey's strongest currents: heroic portraiture and environmental advocacy. By portraying Jane Fonda, a figure Fairey describes as one of the most committed activists he can think of, the work extends his long-running practice of elevating real-world changemakers into iconic, poster-style imagery. Fairey grounds the piece in a personal relationship, citing a pandemic-era Zoom discussion and subsequent collaboration on art for Greenpeace and Fonda's environmental PAC, which gives the portrait documentary weight rather than generic celebrity treatment. For collectors, it is a meaningful entry in Fairey's climate canon, tying a recognizable cultural figure to the planet-stewardship theme. The relatively contained edition of 300 makes it scarcer than many of his larger climate runs, which can heighten desirability among focused collectors. As a recent 2025 release in the environmental thread, it also documents how Fairey continues to channel activist energy into accessible, signed editions that function simultaneously as art objects and as statements of support for the causes depicted.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who focus on Fairey's portrait work, his environmental output, or culturally significant women in activism. The recognizable subject, Jane Fonda, gives the piece crossover appeal beyond street-art circles, attracting buyers drawn to her decades of advocacy. At 24 x 18 inches with a bold portrait composition, it displays strongly as a focal piece and pairs naturally with other climate-themed works in a themed wall grouping. The signed, numbered edition of 300 with a Verisart certificate offers the documentation serious collectors expect. It fits well in collections built around Fairey's portraits-and-legacy and environmental threads, and the modest $75 issue price makes it an accessible acquisition for newer collectors who want a recognizable subject and a clear activist narrative.
Historical Context
Earth Emissary belongs to Fairey's mature, activism-forward phase, in which he repeatedly fuses portraiture of contemporary public figures with environmental messaging. Fairey notes a long admiration for Fonda's acting and activism, a connection that solidified during a pandemic-era Zoom discussion and grew into collaborative art for Greenpeace and her environmental PAC. The 2025 print extends a lineage of Fairey works that pair recognizable leaders with calls to climate action, situating Fonda alongside his broader roster of activist portraits. Published by Obey Giant in a numbered edition of 300, it reflects his ongoing model of releasing accessible signed editions tied to causes he supports. Within his career arc, the piece reinforces how Fairey's environmental focus has become a sustained pillar of his recent output rather than an occasional subject.
FAQ
Who is depicted in this print?
The print portrays Jane Fonda, the actor and activist. Fairey describes a long admiration for her acting and activism, a connection that deepened during a pandemic-era Zoom discussion and led to collaborative art for Greenpeace and her environmental PAC. He renders her with what he calls grit, determination, and advocacy for the planet.
What are the print's specifications?
Earth Emissary (Jane Fonda) measures 24 x 18 inches and is a screen print on 80# cream Speckletone paper. It is signed by Shepard Fairey and is a numbered first edition of 300, published by Obey Giant. The original release price was $75.
Does it come with authentication?
Yes. According to the source, each print comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart, and the edition is signed by Shepard Fairey and individually numbered out of 300.
How does it connect to Fairey's environmental work?
The print joins Fairey's sustained environmental output, framing Fonda as an environmental leader. Fairey cites collaborating with her on art for Greenpeace and her environmental PAC, tying the portrait directly to climate advocacy rather than generic celebrity imagery.
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.