"The people who truly deface our neighbourhoods are the companies that scrawl giant slogans across buildings and buses trying to make us feel inadequate unless we buy their stuff. They expect to be able to shout their message in your face from every available surface but you’re never allowed to answer back. Well, they started the fight and the wall is the weapon of choice to hit them back.
Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place."
— Banksy, Wall and Piece
Shepherd Fairey, the famous graffiti artist responsible for Obey as well iconic imagery used in the Barack Obama presidential campaign was arrested in Boston on Friday night. Fairey was in town for an opening of a new show of his, "Supply and Demand," at the Institute of Contemporary Art. He was arrested on two outstanding warrants for graffiti in Boston.
Fairey told the Los Angeles Times last year that his "Obey Giant" street art campaign had led to his arrest many times.
When Fairey came to San Francisco for a show at the Shooting Gallery late last year the entire City was bombarded with his art on everything from the back and fronts of billboards to abandoned gas stations. Most of his work in San Francisco last year was around his Obama images.
Earlier this week I blogged about an ongoing dispute between Fairey and the Associated Press regarding the source of his famous Obama HOPE image.
In another high profile graffiti arrest about two weeks ago, 7 high profile graffiti taggers from the crew MTA were arrested in Los Angeles.
Love your work but I don’t agree with you on this. The problem is that the graffiti “artist” is making things beautiful that he doesn’t own and the owner disagrees. His getting arrested was nothing but a publicity stunt and you participated.
This is nothing like photographers getting arrested for lawfully taking pictures.