I. INTRODUCTION – WHEN HOPE IS THE MESSAGE

The Peace Goddess and Sunsets Are to Die For series represent Shepard Fairey's most poetic rebellion. These are prints that deploy beauty like camouflage—floral motifs, divine faces, golden sunbursts—only to deliver piercing critiques of war, ideology, and environmental collapse. Fairey doesn't preach here; he seduces. And once you're drawn in, the message hits.

Created between 2006 and 2023, these works reframe propaganda tropes with feminist and ecological symbolism. Peace Goddess elevates the woman as revolutionary divine. Sunsets subverts the sublime by showing us beauty born of destruction. This catalog segment covers the core print variants in each series, dissecting visual codes, edition details, and current collector valuations.

II. WORK 1: Peace Goddess (Gold/Black – 2006)

18x24" screenprint | Edition of 300 | Signed & Numbered

The original Peace Goddess shows a serene woman in profile, eyes closed, surrounded by lotus blooms and radiating linework. Gold tones dominate, but it's the black that defines her—a stark outline echoing Soviet muralism.

Symbolism:

• Lotus = rebirth, resistance, feminine strength
• Profile echoing 1940s WPA female figures
• Mandala-inspired background signals spiritual revolution

Collector Insight:

• Among Fairey's most requested early prints
• Sets the template for his later feminist-centered works

Available for Acquisition:

• Est. Value (2025): $2,000–$2,800
• Condition: Mint and framed versions in inventory

III. WORK 2: Peace Goddess (Red – 2007)

18x24" screenprint | Edition of 200 | Signed & Numbered

A more intense version of the original. This variant swaps gold for crimson, evoking not peace but urgency. The face is the same, but the tone is different—less meditative, more mobilizing.

Visual Notes:

• Background altered with denser floral overlays
• Signature stamped Obey Star in top corner
• Eyes now slightly open—subtle change, major shift

Collector Insight:

• Frequently paired with the gold edition in gallery shows
• Smaller run size = higher scarcity

Available for Acquisition:

• Est. Value (2025): $2,400–$3,000
• Condition: Excellent, matched pair available

IV. WORK 3: Peace Goddess (Burgundy Error Variant – ~2007)

18x24" screenprint | Edition of ~15 (AP/Error) | Signed
Unofficial; created due to ink batch issue

The Holy Grail of the Goddess series. During the red print run, a batch of ink came out burgundy instead of crimson. Rather than trash the misprints, Fairey signed a handful for friends and studio collectors.

Collector Notes:

• Only 10–15 known to exist
• Confirmed sales over $5,000 in recent years
• Some include "Error" notation or studio authentication

Available for Acquisition:

• Est. Value (2025): $4,500–$6,000
• Condition: One available with studio cert; unframed

V. WORK 4: Sunsets Are to Die For (2007)

18x24" screenprint | Edition of 300 | Signed & Numbered

A stunning red-orange sunset, clouds drifting, silhouettes on the horizon. Then you notice the plumes: they're not clouds—they're industrial smoke. This is a classic Fairey twist: the climate crisis rendered beautiful.

Interpretation:

• Title = double entendre: "to die for" as both admiration and foreshadowing
• Palette inspired by pollution-enhanced sunsets over Los Angeles
• A protest printed as a postcard

Collector Insight:

• Frequently cited in climate exhibitions
• Crosses over between environmental and art collectors

Available for Acquisition:

• Est. Value (2025): $800–$1,100
• Condition: 2 in inventory; one with rare test proof signature

VI. WORK 5: Sunsets Are to Die For (2023 Large Format)

31.5x23.5" archival screenprint | Edition of 89 | Signed & Numbered

Reimagined nearly 16 years after the original, this print was released on recycled cotton paper in collaboration with Greenpeace. The image is sharper, the colors deeper, and the irony more pronounced. It's both a sequel and a warning.

Design Upgrades:

• New layer of solar rays around the sun
• Hidden Obey Star watermark inside smoke
• Message printed on back: "Nature's revenge is never late."

Available for Acquisition:

• Est. Value (2025): $1,200–$1,600
• Condition: 1 in inventory, museum-framed

VII. THE FEMININE & THE APOCALYPTIC

Together, these two series chart a wide emotional terrain. Peace Goddess offers spiritual resilience; Sunsets documents ecological tragedy. Both are propaganda in disguise—using design seduction to deliver resistance messaging.

They are also visual anchors in Fairey's legacy: widely exhibited, deeply collected, and spiritually resonant.

VIII. NEXT IN SEGMENT 2

• Exhibition history across eco-art shows and women's rights installations
• Symbolic comparison between Goddess and Sunsets tropes
• Market table across all print variants
• Collector case study (Peace Room installation, Berlin 2023)

All works above are available for acquisition. Inquire for condition reports, framing, and provenance.

© 2025. Catalog copy. Segment 2 in development.