Obama Artist Shepard Fairey Arrested

[rattlesnakeroot]

Well, here we go ~ this story just got bigger. Shepard Fairey, the artist of the famous Obama painting, was arrested in Boston on a warrant for painting Graffiti on walls and billboards. I think it is connected to THIS story about Graffiti arrests in LA. More HERE, with a picture of some of Fairey's graffiti art.

Comments

[lunas_ceiling]

Well, I think we can safely include this one under the truth is stranger than fiction category. I think you might be right about the end result of all this. Who knew the name of the artist behind the famous poster before this week?

[saiphgrl]

Wow.
I don't condone all graffiti, but artists who are using graffiti to make social commentary or to beautify places tend to win me over. This is quite interesting timing.

[rattlesnakeroot]

This is only going to add to the controversy, but here is the artist speaking about all the times he's been arrested. Found this on Daily Kos where opinions are split half and half for and against Graffiti as "Art."

[bluestockingbb]

That's interesting.

[ms_arithmancer]

I agree the likely effect of the arrest will be to make Fairey more famous and viewed as an outlaw/martyr artist. I think, though, that there is nothing sinister or hard to explain about his arrest at the opening of the exhibition in Boston. Boston is the jurisdiction in which he is wanted, but he lives in LA. This may be his first trip back since the Boston authorities obtained a warrant for his arrest. I doubt graffiti vandalism is a crime for which people get extradited across state lines....

[clair_de_lalune]

I was going to say the same thing about the timing - it makes sense for the Boston Police to arrest him when they know where he is.

[rattlesnakeroot]

I guess you are right about that.