Artwork Description
Unsinkable Consumption AP Artist Proof Silkscreen Print by Shepard Fairey- OBEY Hand-Pulled on Cream Speckletone Fine Art Paper Limited Edition Artwork Obey Pop Culture Artist.
AP Artist Proof 2015 Signed & Marked AP Artwork Size 18x24 Silkscreen Print. Sinking Titanic Style Cruise Liner Ship Sinking Cause of "Oil."
Shepard Fairey Danger No Smoking AP 2016 Silkscreen Print
Shepard Fairey, born Frank Shepard Fairey in the United States, created Danger No Smoking in 2016 as part of his long running engagement with environmental and public health themes within Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork. This Artist Proof edition is signed and marked AP, identifying it as part of a smaller subset outside the standard numbered run and closely tied to the artist’s archive. The hand pulled silkscreen measures 18 x 24 inches and is printed on cream Speckletone fine art paper, a textured stock frequently used in Obey releases for its archival durability and vintage tone. Fairey has stated that the image is inspired by a screen print he created in 1990, the first work in which he directly addressed the environmental and health hazards of gasoline, making this 2016 edition both a continuation and a reflection on decades of thematic exploration.
Environmental Symbolism and Vintage Industrial Aesthetic
The composition depicts a vintage lead fuel gas pump rendered in a cool blue monochromatic palette, with bold signage reading Contains Lead and Danger No Smoking. The peeling paint on the pump forms a skull like shape, a detail Fairey observed in a photograph taken in Providence, Rhode Island near a graveyard, reinforcing themes of mortality and toxicity. The strong vertical structure of the pump, combined with the stark typography and high contrast shadows, evokes early industrial warning signage while aligning with the graphic clarity associated with Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork. The restrained color scheme intensifies the mood, allowing the skull imagery and cautionary text to dominate without distraction.
Artist Proof Editions and Environmental Commentary in Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork
Artist Proof prints are traditionally produced in limited quantities separate from the main edition and often represent impressions reserved for the artist. Within Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork, AP markings underscore authenticity, scarcity, and direct artist involvement in the printmaking process. Danger No Smoking demonstrates how Fairey merges documentary photography, graphic reduction, and propaganda influenced layout to communicate urgent environmental concerns. By transforming a weathered gas pump into a symbolic warning, this 2016 silkscreen reinforces Fairey’s consistent commitment to ecological awareness through bold visual storytelling grounded in the traditions of contemporary Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork.
