About

According to “Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent” co-curator, Pedro Alonzo:

A little girl cradles a grenade with a rose unaware of the military planes that fly overhead. Her posture is deliberately innocent, appearing to have her eyes closed, with her lips nearly kissing the weaponry in her hands, as if a doll. The sense of danger is pervasive, with her fingers positioned on the trigger. The image seems to ask the question, “How did war become so commonplace and banal that it seems fitting in a paint-by-numbers style image?”

Looking to the haunting 1964 political ad for then-presidential candidate Lyndon B. Johnson, which featured a young blonde-haired girl initiating a nuclear countdown by pulling petals from a daisy, Fairey is interested in continuing American culture of fear. With the escalation of US military action over the years, from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War, the artist searches for meaning by portraying this young girl as both a potential victim of conflict or a possible savior for the future, capable of breaking the cycle of violence with a peaceful act.

War By Numbers. Serigraph on Coventry Rag, 100% Cotton Custom Archival Paper with hand-deckled edges. 30 x 41 inches. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 89. Comes with a certificate of authenticity. $900. Available Tuesday, July 30th @ 10 AM PDT at store.obeygiant.com/collections/prints. Max order: 1 per customer/household. *Orders are not guaranteed as demand is high and inventory is limited.* Multiple orders will be refunded. International customers are responsible for import fees due upon delivery.⁣ ALL SALES FINAL.