A street artist famous for his red, white and blue “Hope” posters of President Obama has been arrested on warrants accusing him of tagging property with graffiti, Boston police said yesterday. Shepard Fairey was arrested Friday on his way to the Institute of Contemporary Art for a kickoff event for his first solo exhibition, called “Supply and Demand.” Two warrants were issued for Fairey on Jan. 24 after police determined he’d tagged property in two locations with graffiti based on the Andre the Giant street art campaign from his early career, Officer James Kenneally said.
How bout them apples?
February 8th, 2009 at 9:48 am
I smell presidential pardon.
February 8th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Unlike most people that get busted for graphitti I’ll bet Shepard already has a really good lawyer. He’ll be ok.
February 8th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Dumb bastard shoulda cheated on his taxes instead.
February 8th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Interesting enough, I believe you can download his Andre the Giant image here… so proving HE was the one who did it and not someone else (in theory anyone who can download and print it out) is going to be interesting.
And, yeah… Im pretty sure he has an awesome lawyer, and this will go nowhere fast. Just another way to look ‘tough on crime’.
Idiots.
And how about the AP sueing him for using their image. Im no lawyer, but ‘Fair Use’ used to mean something. They just want the money. Fuck ‘em if they can’t understand art.
February 8th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Yeah, you can purchase the “Obey the Giant” print, as well as download it. One of the sites listed is a bridge that I pass on my ride to work, and that poster has been up for a fwe months at least. There’s stickers and posters with that design all over Boston (and every other city I’ve been to in the past three or four years), there’s no way he’s done them all.
February 8th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1977/229/10/1361073134/n1361073134_246871_3493.jpg
February 8th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
The Obey Giant stickers are all over Charleston, SC (where he is from) and it isn’t because he plastered them. Check out his website and you can find instructions on how to download images the images and print up stickers for a few bucks.
And as far as his print…well, say he did a reproduction of a photo. It isn’t exactly like he was printing up images of the photo…he did an artist’s rendition…not too much different than sampling in pop/hip hop music, no?
Bunch of greedy mofos is what we have here. I don’t think Sheperd is living the high life as a result of his obama print.
February 9th, 2009 at 8:27 am
He’s also being contended by the AP for use of the photo, fyi.
Dude’s hollywood as fuck these days, but has been waiting to reap his harvest for years now. He’s done so much work, and as you read, ain’t afraid to get some cop lights a’twirlin’. unlike this dimwit:
February 9th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I’m surprised The Annointed One hasn’t offered him a position with The Ministry of Propaganda. Dude’s NAILED the vintage Joe Stalin/Che vibe. That’s what you people voted for.
February 11th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
a poster of dave’s face :
February 11th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
dammit. don’t know how to work the picture thingy. oh well.