Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Shepard Fairey Print Index
Black Gold
Work Summary & Collector Notes
The “Black Gold” poster is a sequel or companion to “Endless Power” and uses a comparison between the tobacco industry and the oil and gas industry to examine truth in advertising, and destruction of the environment. I designed this print to feel like a “product as hero” advertisement. A lot of shrewd advertising has been created to suggest that things we want are also good for us and society. Perfect examples are the ads celebrating the health benefits of cigarettes. My inclusion of the text “with lung tonic” is a humorous nod to the absurd health claims historically made for harmful products. Like tobacco companies, oil and gas companies use their deep pockets to create doubt about climate change and to greenwash their image. Oil and gas companies and the car manufacturers who profit heavily from gas powered engines used their power and influence to overturn a zero emissions law in the state of California, effectively delaying electric cars arriving on the market accessibly for 10 plus years. It is dangerous for an industry to have that much power. Scientists hired by fossil fuel corporations represent the minority of the scientific community who claim oil stocks are endless and that oil and gas don’t contribute to climate change. These are the same scientists who, if paid, would claim that smoking cures asthma or gas fumes are a cure-all lung tonic.
Collector notes: Edition of 450; saved release record states an edition size of 450. Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet groups this work under Environment and climate for discovery; that category is a navigation aid, not an authentication conclusion.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2015
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year/date from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 18 x 24 inches.
- Edition details
- Edition of 450; saved release record states an edition size of 450.
- Signature and marks
- Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: Shepard Fairey's OBEY / Andre the Giant campaign began in 1989 and grew into a long print and public-art practice; this page treats that as career context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition.
Meaning / interpretation: Fairey's practice combines propaganda-style imagery, political and countercultural themes, and a recurring OBEY vocabulary. Subject-specific intent is not assumed here unless the release record states it. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2015 and attributes the edition to Obey Giant.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Obey Giant. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, date, edition, dimensions, medium, release price, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- About — Shepard Fairey / OBEY GIANT — Obey Giant · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official OBEY GIANT artist biography and career context; it is not an individual-edition record.
- Shepard Fairey — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Shepard Fairey (Q1142847) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.