Shepard Fairey (OBEY)
“Presidential Seal” (Red)
Signed & Numbered • 189/300

Screenprint on Cream Speckletone Paper • 18″ × 24″
Hand-Signed & Dated 2007 in Pencil by Shepard Fairey
Edition of 300 • Number 189/300
Ships Unframed • Flat in Protective Packaging

What You Are Getting

A hand-signed and numbered screenprint by Shepard Fairey (OBEY Giant), number 189 of 300. This is “Presidential Seal” (Red), one of Fairey’s most intricate and politically charged compositions — a subversive reimagining of the Great Seal of the United States rendered in bold red and cream. At the center, a heraldic eagle spreads its wings within a circular seal framed by stars, ornamental borders, and decorative motifs drawn from the visual language of currency and official government documents. But every element has been twisted: the eagle clutches an olive branch in one talon and a bomb in the other. Above its head, where the constellation of stars normally appears, sits a skull in a radiating medallion. The shield on the eagle’s chest reads “OBEY.” And the banner unfurling above declares “IN LESSER GODS WE TRUST.” Flanking the seal are Fairey’s signature icons: the OBEY Star at right and an ornate monogram at left. The surrounding border integrates bomb silhouettes into the decorative pattern, turning ordnance into ornament. Hand-signed and dated “07” in pencil at lower right, numbered 189/300 at lower left. Measuring 18″ × 24″, ships unframed and flat.

Print Details

About the Work

The Great Seal of the United States is one of the most reproduced symbols in America — stamped on every dollar bill, embossed on every passport, carved into the walls of federal buildings. Most people see it without seeing it. That invisibility is exactly what Shepard Fairey exploits. In the “Presidential Seal” series, Fairey takes the official seal and rebuilds it from the inside out, preserving the formal architecture — the eagle, the shield, the stars, the ornamental borders — while replacing every symbol of legitimacy with one of critique. The result looks, at a glance, like something you might find on a government document. It takes a second look to realize the document is indicting the government that issued it.

The modifications are systematic and precise. The eagle’s olive branch — the traditional symbol of peace held in the dexter talon — appears withered. In the sinister talon, where the original seal places thirteen arrows representing the states’ readiness to defend themselves, Fairey substitutes a single warhead: the upgrade from arrows to a bomb is not just symbolic escalation but a literal one, reflecting the shift from colonial muskets to modern military-industrial capacity. Above the eagle, where a constellation of stars normally hovers to represent a new nation taking its place among sovereign powers, Fairey places a skull inside a radiating medallion — an emblem closer to a pirate flag than a national one. The shield on the eagle’s breast reads simply “OBEY” — Fairey’s signature imperative, an experiment in phenomenology that began as a sticker campaign in 1989 and became one of the most recognized brands in contemporary art.

The banner above reads “IN LESSER GODS WE TRUST” — a phrase Fairey has used across multiple works since at least 2003, when he began dissecting the graphic design of currency, stamps, and stock certificates. The phrase subverts the national motto while preserving its cadence, suggesting that the real objects of American worship are not divine but political: the “lesser gods” are the leaders, institutions, and corporate powers whose authority we accept without examination. The entire composition is framed in elaborate ornamental border patterns drawn from the visual language of banknotes and government certificates — the intricate geometries designed to prevent counterfeiting. Fairey reproduces this complexity faithfully, but embeds his own imagery within it: bomb silhouettes are integrated into the repeating decorative pattern at top and bottom, transforming ordnance into ornament, making weapons part of the wallpaper.

The red and cream colorway is particularly effective. It evokes the red of the American flag, the red of Soviet-era propaganda posters (a deliberate influence Fairey has cited alongside Constructivism, Warhol, and skateboard culture), and the deep red of official wax seals on state documents. Printed on cream Speckletone paper, the print has a warm, slightly textured quality that reinforces the currency analogy — it feels like an artifact of institutional power, something you might find in a vault or a library, not a gallery. The print was released in 2007 — the year before Fairey created the iconic Obama “HOPE” poster that would make him the most famous political artist since Warhol. The “Presidential Seal” is, in a sense, the other side of that coin: where “HOPE” proposed belief, the “Presidential Seal” demands skepticism.

About the Artist

Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, SC) is an American contemporary artist, graphic designer, and activist who emerged from the skateboarding scene to become one of the most influential street artists of his generation. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Fairey launched the “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” sticker campaign in 1989, which evolved into the global OBEY Giant phenomenon. His practice blends elements of graffiti, pop art, Constructivist propaganda, and graphic design into work that challenges viewers to question authority, consumption, and the visual systems that reinforce both.

Fairey achieved worldwide recognition in 2008 with his “HOPE” poster for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, which became one of the most iconic political images of the 21st century. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. He was named to Time Magazine’s list of the most influential people and has been the subject of major retrospectives including “Facing the Giant: 3 Decades of Dissent” at Over the Influence. His limited edition screen prints are among the most actively collected works in the contemporary print market.

What Is Included

• Shepard Fairey “Presidential Seal” (Red) screenprint — 18″ × 24″ on cream Speckletone paper
• Hand-signed and dated “07” in pencil by Shepard Fairey at lower right
• Numbered 189/300 in pencil at lower left
• Ships unframed flat with rigid backing and protective packaging

Shipping

Ships flat via UPS with rigid backing, cardboard stiffener, and reinforced packaging. Tracking included, fully insured. International buyers welcome — customs fees may apply upon delivery.

Questions? Message us anytime — happy to provide additional photos or details.