Artwork Description
Rollins Capitalism- Signed by Henry Rollins 2-Color Hand-Pulled Limited Edition Silkscreen Print on Fine Speckletone Art Paper by Shepard Fairey Rare Street Art OBEY Pop Artwork Artist.
Signed by Henry Rollins, Signed & Numbered Screen Print ROLLINS CAPITALISM Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 1200 August 28, 2012
Henry Rollins has been a hero of mine since I got into Black Flag in 1984. Henry is a role model in his amazing taste and output in music, his political engagement, his monumental work ethic, and his social consciousness. Henry tours a ton and stays very aware of the world. Back before the 2008 recession started, Henry had an editorial segment on his TV show where he said “the president says the fundamentals of the economy are strong…I say start learning Chinese”. Henry’s new tour is called CAPITALISM and I’m sure he will have a lot of wise, funny, and maybe prophetic things to say. I was given the honor by Henry of illustrating his concept for the tour, him as a beaten-down Uncle Sam. I have a few of the prints available on my site signed by both me and Henry. The rest will be available on Henry’s tour which everyone should see. Pick a print up before the American brand of capitalism crumbles under the weight of its own ego. -Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey Rollins Capitalism 2012 Screen Print
Shepard Fairey, born Frank Shepard Fairey in the United States, created the Rollins Capitalism screen print in 2012 as a collaboration with Henry Rollins, the American musician, writer, and former Black Flag frontman who joined the band in 1981. This 18 x 24 inch two-color hand-pulled silkscreen print on fine Speckletone art paper was released in a signed and numbered edition of 1200 on August 28, 2012, with select examples signed by both Fairey and Rollins. The work was produced to coincide with Rollins’ Capitalism tour and reflects Fairey’s long-standing engagement with political messaging through Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork. Known for his disciplined graphic approach and activist-driven themes, Fairey used this collaboration to merge Rollins’ outspoken social commentary with his own iconic visual strategies rooted in poster culture and urban art traditions.
Visual Symbolism and Political Commentary in Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork
The composition reinterprets the historic Uncle Sam recruitment poster, replacing the traditional patriotic figure with a stylized portrait of Henry Rollins rendered in a limited red, cream, and dark blue palette. Rollins points directly outward in a confrontational gesture, echoing early twentieth-century propaganda design while shifting the tone toward critique rather than recruitment. The cracked dollar symbol on the chest and the bold CAPITALISM text at the bottom reinforce the print’s focus on economic instability and cultural strain in the years following the 2008 financial crisis. Fairey’s use of sharp contrasts, heavy linework, and simplified color blocking reflects the graphic clarity that defines much of his Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork, drawing from constructivist influences, punk aesthetics, and wheatpaste poster traditions that have shaped urban visual culture for decades.
Cultural Significance of the Henry Rollins Collaboration
Henry Rollins has long been recognized for his rigorous touring schedule, political engagement, and outspoken commentary on social and economic issues, and this print visually amplifies those attributes through the language of Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork. Fairey publicly expressed admiration for Rollins’ work ethic and social consciousness, noting that the image depicts Rollins as a worn and battle-tested Uncle Sam figure, symbolizing a critical examination of American capitalism rather than blind allegiance to it. As a signed and numbered limited edition, the Rollins Capitalism screen print holds importance not only as a collectible work but also as documentation of a moment when music, activism, and graphic art converged in a sharply focused political statement.
