Artwork Description
Factory Stacks- Endless Power 6-Color Hand-Pulled Limited Edition Silkscreen Print on Fine Speckletone Art Paper by Shepard Fairey Rare Street Art OBEY Pop Artwork Artist.
2022 Signed by Shepard Fairey Numbered 18x24 inches. Screenprint on thick cream Speckletone paper. Numbered edition of 350.
"These “Factory Stacks” images combine the austere, angular power of factory architecture with graphic elements commenting on what we promote and embrace as a society even when those things are destructive. The fossil fuel industries have tremendous power economically, but we now know that not only are fossil fuel sources finite but that using them is terrible for climate change and, therefore, the eco-systems that sustain life on our planet. Unfortunately, due to the political power of these industries and public apathy about climate change, the government subsidizes the fossil fuel industries for billions even as they damage the environment. The government works for the citizens, so the choice is ours. Do we support endless power for wealthy fossil fuel corporations? Or policies that put the earth first with the planet before profits? Please read Naomi Klein’s THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING to better understand the conflict between economic interests and climate change. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this print will go to Greenpeace to fight climate change. Thanks for caring.” – Shepard
Factory Stacks – Endless Power Silkscreen Print by Shepard Fairey
Factory Stacks – Endless Power is a bold 6-color silkscreen print created in 2022 by Shepard Fairey, one of the most influential figures in Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork. Measuring 18x24 inches, this signed and numbered limited edition of 350 is printed on thick cream Speckletone paper and embodies Fairey’s hallmark aesthetic: a fusion of propaganda-style composition, socio-political messaging, and graphic design precision. It continues his Factory Stacks series, a visual campaign aimed at confronting environmental and systemic imbalances, particularly those surrounding the fossil fuel industry.
Visual Language of Industrial Dominance
This piece presents twin smokestacks emerging from a factory, exhaling thick plumes of smoke that bend into geometric arcs against a fractured backdrop. The composition is both imposing and elegant, rendered in Fairey’s signature palette of red, blue, cream, and black with accents of gold and grey. A section in the upper corner features graphic symbols such as currency and uniformed authority figures with the text “Endless Power,” visually connecting fossil fuel dependency to state and corporate control. Below, flames lick at the base of the structure, symbolizing destruction masked as progress. The stylized imagery and bold silhouettes evoke retro political posters, transforming the factory into an icon of unchecked industrial ambition. The title “Endless Power” is a biting irony. It speaks to the illusion of limitless energy consumption enabled by fossil fuels while referencing the political power structure that sustains this destructive system. Fairey uses the visual metaphor of pollution and fire not just as environmental warning signs, but as emblems of capitalism's refusal to pivot toward sustainability.
Fine Art Printmaking as Street-Level Protest
This edition is hand-pulled and silkscreened, showcasing Fairey’s technical prowess in layering crisp lines and vibrant color fields. The physicality of screenprinting—each layer applied with intention—parallels the artist’s belief in direct action. The Speckletone stock used adds texture and weight, reinforcing the piece’s physical presence and link to protest posters of the past. As a printmaker rooted in the street art tradition, Fairey embraces reproducibility without sacrificing uniqueness. His screenprints are both fine art artifacts and tools of mass communication. Factory Stacks – Endless Power does not rely on abstraction. It forces clarity, making its environmental critique visually immediate and emotionally provocative.
Political Commentary Through Graffiti-Inspired Aesthetics
Fairey’s work consistently straddles the space between fine art and graffiti, and this piece is no exception. By including symbols of nationalism, money, and smoke stacks, he aligns corporate power and environmental degradation in a single visual language. As part of the OBEY Giant campaign's broader ethos, the artwork invites viewers to question the legitimacy of authority, capitalism, and consumption. In the lower left of the piece, Fairey embeds the edition number and his signature, reinforcing its status as a collectible. Yet unlike conventional gallery art, this piece was made to communicate with the public. A portion of the proceeds from this release was donated to Greenpeace, underscoring the artist’s commitment to activism through art. Factory Stacks – Endless Power is not a lament—it is a visual demand. It reminds viewers that power, both political and industrial, is not endless unless people allow it to be. Through the bold format of Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork, Shepard Fairey transforms a grim industrial skyline into a battleground of ideas, urging action before the smoke becomes irreversible.
