Tom Ledin created this Admiral Ackbar (Star Wars) / Barack Obama mash-up titled “TRAP”. As always, the t-shirts will only be on sale until midnight, and are available for only $9 plus shipping (not a bad price). See the full design in higher resolution after the jump.
"On October 9, 2009, my lawyers sent a letter to the AP and to the photographer Mannie Garcia, through their lawyers, notifying them that I intend to amend my court pleadings. Throughout the case, there has been a question as to which Mannie Garcia photo I used as a reference to design the HOPE image. The AP claimed it was one photo, and I claimed it was another.
The new filings state for the record that the AP is correct about which photo I used as a reference and that I was mistaken. While I initially believed that the photo I referenced was a different one, I discovered early on in the case that I was wrong.
In an attempt to conceal my mistake I submitted false images and deleted other images. I sincerely apologize for my lapse in judgment and I take full responsibility for my actions which were mine alone. I am taking every step to correct the information and I regret I did not come forward sooner."
- Shepard Fairey"On October 9, 2009, my lawyers sent a letter to the AP and to the photographer Mannie... more
A statement emerged tonight from AP concerning its long battle with artist Shepard Fairey over his use of an AP photo as the basic image for his famous Obama campaign poster. AP said that Fairey's attorneys admit he lied, tried to destroy some evidence, faked others.
Fairey has now issued a statement acknowledging much of this and saying he is working to "correct" matters. Full statement on his site here.
AP has now put up court documents in the case with the latest admissions.
An AP story tonight opens: "Attorneys for poster artist Shepard Fairey, who designed the famous Obama HOPE image, say he based it on a photograph taken by The Associated Press and not another picture, as the artist had claimed. In papers filed Friday in federal court in Manhattan, Fairey's attorneys said they had amended their lawsuit against the AP, which had alleged copyright infringement.
"Fairey sued the not-for-profit news cooperative in February, arguing that he didn't violate copyright law because he dramatically changed the image. The AP countersued in March, saying the uncredited, uncompensated use of an AP photo violated copyright laws and signaled a threat to journalism."
Fairey in his statement said: "I am taking every step to correct the information and I regret I did not come forward sooner....I am very sorry to have hurt and disappointed colleagues, friends, and family who have supported me in this difficult case and trying time in my life." He added: "I am also sorry because my actions may distract from what should be the real focus of my case – the right to fair use so that all artists can create freely. Regardless of which of the two images was used, the fair use issue should be the same."
...More...Click link for rest of statement from the APA statement emerged tonight from AP concerning its long battle with artist Shepard... more
Chuck D, Z-Trip and Shepard Fairey take it to the next level at the ICA’s most intense show yet.Chuck D, Z-Trip and Shepard Fairey take it to the next level at the ICA’s most... more
Hood Games
Hood Games events are day long neighborhood block jams that unify neighborhoods and cross cultural boundaries. Pro-skateboarders, musicians, fashion designers, artists, and dancers perform alongside aspiring youth of all ages, ethnicities, and skill levels. Hood Games events provide an open canvas for youth expression and active participation is invited and encouraged. All Hood Games events, merchandise, and initiatives aim to enrich all communities and preserve bio-diversity and we choose sponsors that share these values. http://current.com/items/88933901_hood-games.htm
Celebrities, actor Jim Carrey and artist Shepard Fairey, rally for Aung San Suu Kyi, political prisoner and Nobel Prize winner. Suu Kyi, the democratically elected President of Burma (also known as Myanmar), is being held under house arrest by a ruling military junta. Celebrities, human rights activists, and others, are protesting the treatment of the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient.Celebrities, actor Jim Carrey and artist Shepard Fairey, rally for Aung San Suu Kyi,... more
At the release party for "New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets", World Famous street artist, Shepard Fairey, took a few minutes to interview Love and Rockets guitarist, Daniel Ash.At the release party for "New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets", World... more
New York City, NY, July 21, 2009 - NYC based Ideas and Solutions shop Project 2050 announced Bobbito Garcia, world-renowned curator of underground culture, as Chief Creative. The announcement was made today by Phil Colón, founder of Project 2050, to key industry leaders. (see accompanying release link w/industry quotes)
Bobbito Garcia 'aka' Kool Bob Love
Trevor Edwards, Nike
John Jay, Wieden + Kennedy
Glenn Chin, EA SPORTS
Jimmy Smith, TBWA
Darryl Cobbin, Brand Positioning Doctors
Join us on Twiiter/Project2050!New York City, NY, July 21, 2009 - NYC based Ideas and Solutions shop Project 2050... more
New York City, NY, July 21, 2009 - NYC based Ideas and Solutions shop Project 2050 announced Bobbito Garcia, world-renowned curator of underground culture, as Chief Creative. The announcement was made today by Phil Colón, founder of Project 2050, to key industry leaders. (see accompanying release link w/industry quotes)
Bobbito Garcia 'aka' Kool Bob Love
Trevor Edwards, Nike
John Jay, Wieden + Kennedy
Glenn Chin, EA SPORTS
Jimmy Smith, TBWA
Darryl Cobbin, Brand Positioning Doctors
Join us on Twiiter/Project2050!New York City, NY, July 21, 2009 - NYC based Ideas and Solutions shop Project 2050... more
New York City, NY, July 21, 2009 - NYC based Ideas and Solutions shop Project 2050 announced Bobbito Garcia, world-renowned curator of underground culture, as Chief Creative. The announcement was made today by Phil Colón, founder of Project 2050, to key industry leaders. (see accompanying release link w/industry quotes)
Bobbito Garcia 'aka' Kool Bob Love
Trevor Edwards, Nike
John Jay, Wieden + Kennedy
Glenn Chin, EA SPORTS
Jimmy Smith, TBWA
Darryl Cobbin, Brand Positioning Doctors
Join us on Twiiter/Project2050!
PROJECT2050
Tel: 646>290>8700
Site: www.p2050.com
Address: 168 fifth Ave, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10010New York City, NY, July 21, 2009 - NYC based Ideas and Solutions shop Project 2050... more
Always on the move, Shepard Fairey hasn't let a few pesky lawsuits slow down his output. The L.A. artist recently unveiled a new poster dedicated to Burmese political activist Aung San Suu Kyi, and now comes news of his latest endeavor -- a book titled "Art for Obama" that contains new and recent works inspired by our president.
"Art for Obama: Designing for Manifest Hope and the Campaign for Change" (Abrams Image) is set to hit bookstores in October, but some of the details have already been made public. The 176-page book will feature 150 full-color illustrations of art work that depicts or was inspired by Barack Obama and the 2008 presidential election. Some of the artists featured in the book are Ron English, David Choe, Kwaku Alston, Maya Hayuk, Justin Hampton, and Shel Starkman -- and of course, work by Fairey.
Much of the art featured in the book debuted at the Manifest Hope art shows, which took place in Denver during the 2008 Democratic National Convention and in Washington, D.C., preceding Obama's inauguration.
The art that is reproduced in the book includes paintings, collages, photo composites, prints and computer-generated images.
Fairey is co-editing the book along with Jennifer Gross. And lest you think this is just another one of the artist's vanity projects, the publisher has said that profits from the book will be donated to Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the arts throughout the U.S.Always on the move, Shepard Fairey hasn't let a few pesky lawsuits slow down his... more
Can't afford a Shepard Fairey print in these hard times? If you really want an investment tip, buy signed pictures of Mike Bancroft in front of Shepard Fairey's art work outside of the ICA in Boston August 14-16. All proceeds will be invested into more prints of Mr. Bancroft in front of Mr. Fairey's art work and any additional profits donated to youth arts education. Here is a segment of an interview Jason Foumberg did with Mr. Bancroft in New City.
"Mike believes that the recent fight over copyright and fair use, as embodied by the Shepherd Fairey versus the Associated Press legal battle, is important, but misunderstood by Fairey himself. As an artist who appropriates images, Fairey has gone on to sue other artists who borrow his own trademarks, notably Obey. As a parody, Mike will set up a lemonade stand outside Fairey’s museum retrospective in Boston, and sell touristy photographs of himself posing with Fairey’s art, as a way to sell Fairey’s art itself. Mike expects that police will get involved, but for him, it’s just a way to uphold his view that we’ve got to open ourselves up to get things done. "
The legal adventures of Shepard Fairey came to a head today when the L.A. street artist received a sentence of two years probation from a Boston court as part of a plea arrangement with prosecutors.
Fairey agreed to plead guilty to three vandalism charges in exchange for the prosecutors dropping 11 other charges. The artist pleaded guilty to one charge of defacing property and two charges of "wanton destruction of property" valued at under $250.
The judge also ordered Fairey to pay $2,000 to a graffiti removal organization and said that the artist cannot possess tagging materials except for legal art installations.
Fairey, 39, issued a public apology to the citizens of Boston for "posting my art in unauthorized spaces without the consent of the owner." He also said in a statement that "I believe in the importance of making art accessible through many avenues, and I will continue to advocate the use of legal public spaces for meaningful artistic expression and communication."
In February, Fairey was arrested while he was in Boston for a solo exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art. He was later charged with close to 30 vandalism-related crimes, of which prosecutors agreed to drop more than a dozen in June. Today's sentencing means that Fairey faces no more charges in the state of Massachusetts.
But the artist's legal troubles are far from over. In an unrelated set of cases, Fairey and the Associated Press have sued each other over the use of a photo of Barack Obama that served as the inspiration for Fairey's popular "Hope" poster during the 2008 presidential election.The legal adventures of Shepard Fairey came to a head today when the L.A. street... more
These days, every political movement needs a logo, and who better to supply the hip revolutionary imagery than street artist Shepard Fairey, whose poster of Obama ("Hope") became a cultural phenomenon unto itself -- a Warholian meta-event that combined fashion, hipsterism and a political call to action.
Fairey has been bogged down with legal problems in recent weeks, but he's apparently found time to lend his creativity to another cause. Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi is a human rights activist who has fought for years against the repressive regime of dictator Than Shwe. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist has been under house arrest for several years now, but that hasn't stopped her from campaigning with her political party, the National League for Democracy. In the last election, her party won a majority of seats in the Myanmar parliament but the ruling party has refused to let the winners take their seats.
The new poster of Suu Kyi was created by Fairey in cooperation with the Human Rights Action Center and the U.S. Campaign for Burma. (The two organizations are planning to stage a concert in Los Angeles in late fall to raise awareness for her democracy movement.) The colorful image depicts a smiling Suu Kyi wearing a dove design and features a sunburst emanating from behind her. The top of the poster reads "Freedom to Lead" in large letters, while at the bottom reads "Support Human Rights" and "Democracy in Burma."
While the Obama poster became a ubiquitous symbol -- featured on T-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers and of course, the Internet -- the new poster will have a tougher time reaching its audience thanks to the totalitarian practices of the Myanmar government. It's tough to say how Fairey's artwork will get past the censors, though as in other authoritarian regimes, the Internet and wireless communications have proven to be a consistent lifeline of communication with the outside.These days, every political movement needs a logo, and who better to supply the hip... more
Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston (S.C.) and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. His powerful and varied body of work has drawn from all aspects of our visual culture, from political posters to museum installations. Fairey’s integration of design, popular culture, and politics places him in the current of artistic and cultural forces that shape our world today. The content of Fairey’s work has always been a call to action against oppressive hierarchies and the abuses of power, politics and the monetizing of culture. He’s committed to creating work that has meaning for his audience by using familiar cultural iconography to which people can relate and by constantly bringing his works into the public sphere.
This piece includes a number of colorful illustrations, a slide show and a music video of Shepard Fairey painting at his Studio No. 2 in Los Angeles.Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston (S.C.) and currently lives and works in Los... more
Prosecutors announced today that they had dropped 14 vandalism charges against Shepard Fairey, the 39-year-old artist best known for creating the "Hope" poster associated with Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Fairey, a Los Angeles artist whose work is on display at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, was arrested and charged with vandalism on Feb. 6. The charges dropped stemmed from a series of stickers Fairey allegedly placed on signposts and other public property in Roxbury, according to Suffolk district attorney's spokesman Jake Wark.
Jeffrey Wiesner, who represents Fairey, said 13 charges, not 14, had been dismissed and that his client was still fighting 15 more. Wiesner had argued that the evidence against Fairey included commercially available stickers featuring images of his work which could have been posted by anybody.
"We're happy that those cases have been dismissed and we're looking forward to others being dismissed as well that rely on the same set of facts that these did," he said.
Prosecutors said Fairey still faces charges for 13 similar offenses, 10 in Boston Municipal Court’s Central Division and another three in the Brighton Division. The charges stem from an incident on Sept. 16, 2000 where Fairey allegedly pasted a poster onto a Brighton Avenue electrical box. Fairey did not appear at his scheduled arraignment the next morning, and police arrested Fairey in February as he was headed to the ICA for his exhibit’s opening-night party.
Wark said prosecutors are still going forward with the other charges.
"District Attorney [Daniel F.] Conley recognizes the effect that graffiti have on the quality of life in any neighborhood and he has asked his prosecutors to seek convictions whenever they are supported by the evidence," Wark said.Prosecutors announced today that they had dropped 14 vandalism charges against Shepard... more
In an attempt to recruit new, younger members to the Jorge Luis Borges Ultra-Secret Society, we have been advised to engage in a "viral" campaign to come across as "hip." After consulting with a number of marketing agencies, we have decided to give our blog readers a sneak peak of our "Jorge Luis Borges Has a Posse" campaign, modeled after Shepard Fairey's "Andre the Giant has a posse" campaign.In an attempt to recruit new, younger members to the Jorge Luis Borges Ultra-Secret... more
Citing a lack of evidence, a Boston Municipal Court clerk-magistrate yesterday rejected some of the vandalism charges Boston police are trying to bring against celebrated graffiti artist Frank Shepard Fairey, Fairey's lawyer said.
The clerk-magistrate said that seven of the 17 charges police wanted to bring against the Los Angeles-based artist should not go forward in criminal court because there is not enough proof he committed the acts of vandalism, said Fairey's lawyer, Jeffrey Wiesner.
"The evidence has to be virtually nil for a clerk to do that," said Wiesner, who is based in Boston.
But Fairey, 39, who gained acclaim for his "Hope" poster of Barack Obama, has not seen the last of Boston law enforcement officials. He still faces 17 other counts of vandalism.
Today, he is to return to Boston Municipal Court to face the 10 other charges of vandalism.
Wiesner said in court that Boston police are needlessly going after Fairey because stickers bearing his images have been posted on stop signs and guardrails throughout the city. Those stickers have been mass-produced, are sold on Amazon.com, and could have been posted by anyone, the lawyer said. The Institute of Contemporary Art, which is exhibiting Fairey's work, has distributed some of the stickers for free, Wiesner said.
But prosecutors said that one of the charges stems from the Jan. 24 discovery of a 6-by-8 foot mural painted on a condominium on Massachusetts Avenue that took "time and knowledge."
After the hearing, Fairey did not comment on the charges, but smiled wanly and offered this: "This is a fun process, I'll say that."
About a dozen residents from Mission Hill and the Back Bay, neighborhoods plagued by graffiti, were in court yesterday to witness the proceedings.
"We want the judge to know the community is here and wants something to happen, wants for this to be taken seriously," said Kathleen Alexander, cochairwoman of the Graffiti NABBers for the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay.Citing a lack of evidence, a Boston Municipal Court clerk-magistrate yesterday... more
