Artist Statement
“I originally made the Monkey Pod image based on a tree on the grounds of The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, where I completed a residency back in 2005. I was presented with a unique conundrum: Hawaii doesn't have outdoor advertising, which my street art was designed to compete with and make people question. After visiting Hawaii, I realized that the primary form of propaganda was not advertising but the clichés of Hawaii itself: Coke machines have palm trees instead of Coke logos on them, phone booths have floral patterns running down the side, and everyone wears Aloha shirts. All the clich
About This Print
Monkey Pod (Green VSE) is a 2021 Variable Stencil Edition on paper, 26.5 x 20.5 inches, in a signed, numbered edition of 20, published by Obey Giant. It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and bears the Hecho Con Ganas Publishing Chop in the lower left corner; the original price was $3000. The image derives from a monkey pod tree on the grounds of The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, where Fairey completed a residency in 2005. He describes it as a chance to make decorative, beautiful art celebrating nature while still incorporating his OBEY iconography, given Hawaii's ban on outdoor advertising.
Market Context
No recorded public sales >= $100 - pieces like this are typically held long-term by investors/collectors, were destroyed or consumed, or do not surface on the open market.