Obama Poster Artist Arrested

Shepard Fairey was on his way to DJ at his exhibition's opening
By Erin Mendell,  Newser User
Posted Feb 7, 2009 10:29 AM CST
Obama Poster Artist Arrested
This undated file photo shows the mixed-media collage by Shepard Fairey, photo courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.    (AP Photo/National Portrait Gallery, Barack Obama by Shepard Fairey © Shepard Fairey/ObeyGiant.com)

Shepard Fairey, the hot graphic designer and street artist behind the Obama "Hope" poster, was arrested yesterday on two outstanding warrants as he arrived at the opening for his new exhibition at a Boston museum, the Boston Globe reports. He's accused of tagging two Boston locations with graffiti, the police said, and was picked up before he could DJ at the evening opening at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Said one graphic designer of the bust: "I think it shows he has integrity."

Boston police said Fairey's offenses were painting an "Andre the Giant" graffiti near an entrance to the Mass Turpike and the Boston University bridge across the Charles River, WCVB Boston reports. He's also in a copyright fight with AP over whether his appropriation of an AP photo in his Hope poster is covered under fair use of a protected image.
(More Shepard Fairey stories.)

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