"Hope" poster artist arrested

February 7, 2009

Shepard Fairey, barry's "Hope" poster artist was arrested (again) on outstanding warrants for his street graffiti - what he was known for before barry. That isn't the real story. The real story is that he based his poster on a 2006 picture of barry taken by AP's Mannie Garcia. I'm not sure when this became an issue because Fairey has evidently never denied it. Probably came to a head after the TIME magazine "Person of the Year" cover. AP wants credit and compensation for copyright infringement vs Fairey claiming fair use. When you look at the images side by side it seems all he did was scan and colorize it. The interesting part of the poster is the background - which is Fairey's work - but most people don't see it unless they're looking for it. Without Garcia's picture - that exact pix with that exact facial expression - there would be no poster. It's kind of like taking a writer's essay or a poem and then using synonyms. I wonder whose photo he used for the TIME cover.

(Photo MANNIE GARCIA/AP)

(Poster SHEPARD FAIREY)

Shepard Fairey

Fairey talking about his poster.

Shepard Fairey's thoughts on barry's choice of Warren

december 19, 2008

TIME Magazine named barry 2008 Person of the Year and used as its cover a poster made by Shepard Fairey. See his video interview on the making of the poster.

FAIREY: Tomorrow my illustration for Time Magazine’s “Person of The Year” hits the newsstands. While I’m very honored to be validated by a periodical that is nothing short of an American institution, the moment is bittersweet because I’m very disappointed by Obama’s appointment of Rick Warren to deliver his invocation during Obama’s inaugural address. Rick Warren is against gay marriage and reproductive rights, and he does not believe in evolution (maybe he offers himself as proof of lack of evolution). I understand that Obama is trying to appeal to conservatives and evangelicals, but this move is symbolically a slap in the face to many people.

Warren is not a uniter, but a divider… he is intolerant in many of his views. I still think Obama is the best choice for president, but I can’t condone Warren’s involvement in Obama’s inauguration, no matter how insignificant it is. While I’m on the subject of gay marriage, I will be donating a chunk of the proceeds from an inauguration poster of Obama I was asked to create to the movement to overturn Prop 8. At first I was considering pulling my inauguration poster, but I think re-directing funds from it to put into a cause I care about is actually more constructive. Plus, I wouldn’t want withdrawing the image to come across as a blanket boycott of Obama. I’m sure I will ultimately disagree with Obama about many things, but I think I will agree with him on more. I think it is important to speak one’s mind, but also to not let the narcissism of petty differences sabotage our unity and progress.