The Work

Forward or Backward poses its question directly in the title, a challenge Shepard Fairey returns to again and again across his political work. The composition weighs progress against regression, using his controlled palette and dense ornamental structure to frame a choice about the direction of society. The imagery asks the viewer to consider which way history should move and who decides.

Fairey's strength has always been in reducing complex civic anxieties into a single arresting graphic, and here the symmetry and patterning give the piece the feel of a printed manifesto. It belongs to the strain of his practice that treats the print itself as a form of public argument, meant to provoke rather than merely decorate.

This impression is a hand-pulled screen print designated as an Artist's Proof, hand-signed in pencil by Shepard Fairey.

Details at a Glance

Artist	Shepard Fairey
Title	Forward or Backward
Year	—
Medium	Screen print on cream Speckletone paper
Edition	Artist's Proof (AP)
Size	—
Subject	Political / social commentary
Signature	Hand-signed in pencil by Shepard Fairey; Artist's Proof (AP)
Condition	Very Good

Condition

Graded Very Good. Please review every photo closely — the images are part of the description and show the actual piece you will receive.

Authenticity & Provenance

Hand-signed in pencil by Shepard Fairey; Artist's Proof (AP). This is an authentic Shepard Fairey / OBEY Giant limited-edition print.

This release is documented in the Gauntlet Gallery Shepard Fairey reference archive at fairey.gauntlet.gallery.

Sold by Gauntlet Gallery, a specialist dealer in authenticated street art and pop art. Questions are welcome before purchase.

Shipping & Handling

• Ships flat-rolled in a heavy-duty tube, protected in an archival sleeve, fully insured.
• Packed and shipped from a smoke-free studio in Concord, CA.
• Combined shipping available — message before paying.