Controversial street artist faces graffiti charges

What an idiot!

So the ICA is a little bit of a strange place, and Art isn't really my thing so to speak...if you can call that stuff art in there. regardless - this is an incident that poorly reflects the ICA, and i think the BPD too. If the BPD knew he was going to be there for an event, why not pick him up on his way out...there isn't exactly a place to run - if you know how the parking lots work there. The ICA is in a neighborhood that is trying to rebuild - and the ICA has had MANY problems already, they had paying patrons waiting for this event - it seems they cant catch a break over there...

Use the law as written to prosecute if the case is valid. If it is proven he committed the crime, he should receive the maximum sentence as it would act as a deterrant to help reduce the spread of this public crime that he advocates.

Oh, I see how it works: You start by defacing buildings and make us all live with ugliness and then proceed to make art and become famous because you are a media darling. Hmmm, guess I flunked out for not being the son of a wealthy doctor/lawyer, etc. What a strange time to be living in. The strangest of all is the fact that so many of these sociopaths flourish now.

Artist? If I spray painted his father's house, or properties that he owns, I'd be called a vandal and most likely would end up in jail. If infact he had that many people waiting for him at his showing, he must be making some kind of income....Acess all of the damaged property and make him pay for it! Either with his own money, or his time in jail. This is not a form of censorship, it is a matter of breaking the law and flauniting it in the faces of those who follow the law by claiming that it is art. Grow up and get a job...or a scrub brush!!

He's a petty criminal. Why he's celebrated is known only to airhead liberals. I take that back - they have no idea why they do what they do. They're willing to accept a cult of personality around Obama, and Fairey's posters have been a key political propaganda tool. His style reminds me of the heroic style popular in the Stalinist USSR. Try googling "soviet heroic art obama" We don't need a Dems version of Castro, but we're stuck with him for 4 years at least. We'll see "socialism from above" and we can thank Fairey and his ilk for promoting a Democratic Party version of an authoritative regime in our country.

Ooh oooh, graffiti.

Mayor Menino, get a handle on your police department. You're letting them arrest artists, when violent crime is rampant in your city.

Thank God neither you nor your Police Chief run the NEA.

Those 750 people waiting for his appearance at the ICA obviously have never had their personal property univitedly "tagged" (otherwise known as spray painted or marked) by graffiti "artists". Thank you Boston Police.

HANG EM!

A 38 year old man still vandalizing public and private property? Jesus H., man grow up and get a life already!

Sure smells funny to me. Way to restore some street cred after unleashing his high paid lawyers on people who dared appropriate his work the way he appropriated others. Don't misread me: I'm all for appropriation in a creative way, like what he did, as did some of those he sued. And the police dept actions smell bad: at best a stunt, at worst a deeply held fascist envy. But Fairey knows so much about all this I have a hard time taking this latest event at face value.

Typical police action. What does it matter if he's an artist? What does it matter if he's making a creative statement? What does it matter if his intent is constructive rather than destructive? WE HAVE GUNS SO YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT WE SAY.

Fairey will be remembered long, long after these fascist cops are gone. Most of them have never had a creative thought in their entire lives. THAT'S why he was arrested.

Lame...

Arrest the morons doing this to promote hate and gang violence. But I guess I understand, it can be hard for cops to distinguish average gang members from regular folks... you know like middle aged white guys.

Graffitti rocks-Police suck!

Art? Cool.
Imposing your art on others by defacing public and private property? Not cool.

I'm all for the arts, controversial or more convential. All art has value in its own right, whether or not it appeals to people or offends their sensibilities. But I stand firm against narcisictic artists who feel they can impose their vision on other people by defacing public or private property. It's ironic that artists who protest against the imposion of authority on people's lives have no trouble imposing their art on the world while defacing property and degrading public spaces.

As an Artist in Publishing, I know that the AP photo was modified enough to be considered both " Fair-use" and an "original " creation. AP doesn't have an easel leg to stand on.

He should have to scrub it off with a toothbrush.

This is really sad. Boston Police really need to focus on more important things facing the City. What on earth are they thinking. Lets hope for all of us that this was not based upon politics.

Interesting that the artist gets arrested and Madoff is still at large in his luxury digs after absconding with $50 bil.

Any Pics of the 'Tagged' areas?

Street Artist ... bovine feces!

He continuously and brazenly breaks teh law and brags about it.

He is, by definition, a criminal

Good use of Friday night overtime by the BPD instead of just asking him to show up downtown or risk further charges.
And what good is an artist if they aren't controversial. Wasn't Wyeth when he was written up a couple weeks ago?

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not surprised another liberal Obama supporter has done something illegal! Is there ONE, just one, liberal that obeys the law? I don't think so!

Typical Obamma supporter. Trying to make/steal money off other people's hard work and, to boot, has been arrested 14 times. Yup, you'd know he was an Obamma supporter even if you didn't know what his latest art theft was. If only he cheated on his taxes, he'd be up for a cabinet position.

Aparently the associated press thinks they can copywrite light. Good luck for anyone trying to create art based on anything that exists.

free shepard

WTF? give me a breakkk

If he would come to San francisco and tag my house I'd be glad to pay him for the effort

Its gonna be funny to see that bitch go down.

Geez...give the guy a break, so he ripped off some photo and made art? Can't we all embrace the outcome instead of trying to make a dollar on it?

Despite having two weeks to make the arrest, they not only chose to do so on a Friday night, so the guy has to spend the weekend in jail, but chose a Friday night that was important for the guy's career. Nice

This isn't justice. This is a police state.

Well it is what you would you expect from a liberal. Isn't that what liberalism is all about?

John from brokencountry.com

still tagging at 38? what a loser!

What a waste of time, effort and especially money. At a time when every department's budget is shrinking, is this really the wisest way to spend taxpayers' dollars?

Glad to see that the BPD is using its resources wisely - why spend your time making Dorchester or Mattapan safe when you can disrupt an art show?

Interesting. The man is very talented, but seems to enjoy pushing the envelope, as in breaking the law. I'm old fashioned enough to think he has proven himself as an artist, and should get some therapy to address his need to deface public/private property in the name of "art." As for the AP photo, it's not that remarkable a resemblance, one of many that show Obama in a thoughtful pose. I think AP is trying to make a buck from Fairey's fame. Come to think of it, they may deserve each other...

You would think this was a white collar crime from the way this is portrayed. Basically you have some local cops trying to get their Sheriff re-elected by pursuing some high-profile pseudo-crime. If the police put one tenth of the amount of energy and money that has gone into prosecuting this one guy, they could have easily prosecuted plenty of vandals tagging electrical boxes or public restrooms. BUT WHY BOTHER WHEN YOU CAN LOOK SELF IMPORTANT IN HEADLINES. Total bunk, people who believe this is law enforcement need to realize some old artist "dude" does not represent tax evasion by the wealthy, or raising terrorist threats to new and unused colors.

When you were younger, your elders called this a 'tattle-tale' ... Just b/c you get older doesn't me you outgrow this kind of thing.

That's right... arrest an artist who has inspired millions with his art on charges of graffiti, but don't even touch those who have raped and pillaged our country, who rob it even now, and who are responsible for 4000+ and countless Iraqis dead.

Might just be me, but I am thinking there is a possibility that more serious crimes are being committed that would be otherwise prevented by dedicating more cops to catching REAL criminals.

Silly

Graffiti should always be characterized for what it is, a crime that defaces public property that is funded and designed according to the will of the majority of Citizens. Graffiti is a way of forcing one persons view on everyone without asking for the public’s permission or concurrence. Graffiti is not art; there is nothing artistic about the destruction of everyone’s public property in satisfying a narcissistic need for attention, and the pursuit of personal fame and fortune. Graffiti is also not a protected freedom of speech; it turns the Citizens into a captive audience and uses our public property as a canvas for the few or the one.

There are legal ways to introduce personal art to the public, legal ways to have personal artistic ideas considered for display on public property, and legal ways to have your opinions heard or seen by anyone in the interested public. However the legal ways would not garner media attention (like this article), and would not create a rebellious image for financial exploitation of the public. The right way would have allowed for competition and public opinion which would probably not have favored the graffiti criminal’s goals or ego.

Freedom of speech was intended to protect the rights of Citizens to speak their opinions about their government, not to enable one person to use the concept to take away the freedoms of the majority of their fellow Citizens. Shepard Fairey is a criminal who chose his own wants over everyone else, no different than a thief who wants to take your personal stuff instead of earning it themselves the right way, and he should be punished accordingly.

I'm all for freedom of expression -- up until the point when cleaning it up comes out of my tax nickel. We need here is a little Singapore-style justice for this graffiti 'artist': CANE HIM!

Isn't it ironic that the kid who was caned in Singapore's name was 'fay', which is a synonym for 'fairy' :)

From the outside Boston looks uptight, foolish and often racist. Chasing artists reduces this to absurdity.

Poor Fairy. Obama will come to the rescue and pardon him!

Yo, Joe BlahB, I was just about to post the exact same thing! 38 and still acting like a tween going through a rebellious phase? I've heard about staying in touch with the 'inner child' but that's freakin' ridiculous!

Perhaps his next 'tag; should be from 1 Corinthians 13, you know that stuff about 'putting away childish things'.

CANE HIM, CANE HIM!

Yo, Joe BlahB, I was just about to post the exact same thing! 38 and still acting like a tween going through a rebellious phase? I've heard about staying in touch with the 'inner child' but that's freakin' ridiculous!

Perhaps his next 'tag; should be from 1 Corinthians 13, you know that stuff about 'putting away childish things'.

CANE HIM, CANE HIM!

Why do people make such an issue over this man's work? It's not like the HOPE poster has caused anyone any harm. It doesn't even take away from the original photograph. This man is not a criminal. Prosecuting him solves no problems and is just wasting money. Please find real crimes and issues to focus on.

The BU bridge railroad overpass? I'm not sure it's possible to make it uglier. And I'm sure an artist of his magnitude is going to do something a lot better than what 17 generations of crew jocks have done. Or has it all been sandblasted since I saw it? Somehow I doubt it.

I'd want to know just WHERE he did the graffitti in the Mass Ave-Newbury Street area before commenting on that one.

Chuckjones really hasn't been watching. Obama is in office in no small part because people were sick of GWB's authoritarian regime. When you torture prisoners and hold them without due process, that's an authoritarian regime. So no more flaming about Castro unless you have evidence.

I'm a rather liberal person and I value art for art's sake, whether or not I like it myself. But there should be no debate here, no grey area. It's very simple: If it is not your personal property, you have no right to use it as your personal canvas to impose your vision on everyone else. Period.

I cannot believe that all of these people posting are complaining about graffiti. With all of the other issues the city faces, they're on here whining about this guy's "lack of a life"? Give me a break. You all need to go find real issues, not some guy who runs around spray painting buildings. Jesus.

Ride it Shepard.. ride the wave of fate. The new work is inspiring.

Amazing level of hatred and anger in Boston! Shepard Fairey has never spray painted or vandalized buildings in the way these comments state. What stake do any of you have in this issue or its outcome? This artist is known for his generosity of spirit and humanity, and many people working in good faith have worked hard to bring his show to Boston. The police have a beef with the mayor and are hitting an artist! That's a new one. It is truly astonishing the level of negativity toward someone who has invented a new way to get us to think about the imagery all around us. Accusing Shepard of vandalism is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500.

I think the AP should be hung for attempting to expand the definition of copyright..... Fairey's work was transformative so it doesn't matter what it was based on, copyrighted or not.

Why does anyone come here? Why do I live here? This state is the absolute worst when it comes to criminal "justice." We've not recovered from the days of the witch trials.

I'm encouraged that Chuckjones' mindless screed seems to be a minority comment. Still, such attitudes from both the left and right make me wonder if this country has become ungovernable.

Vandalism is a crime and this guy is a criminal. It's amazing that some will support his criminal activity. If you want to support him, then let him spray paint your house.

maybe the bpd should focus their efforts on solving the hundreds of murders that have gone unsolved in past years. Stickers and posters eventually disappear, but I am assuming that they are too unintelligent to understand that.

"When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle.
Then I realised God doesn’t work that way, so I stole
one and prayed for forgiveness."

Ok, so let me get this straight. Since 2006, there have been 204 homicides
in the city of Boston and only 93 of those have been cleared. By my calculations, that's not even 50%. YET... the Boston Police CAN swoop down
on a local museum to arrest a " graffiti artist " on several outstanding warrants.

WooHooo !!! Boy, do I feel REAL safe in this city now! Good Job BPD !!!

not everyone is cool like him and his pals,
Not everyone likes looking at stickers and the like plastered on light posts, traffic signs, and Federal mailboxes.
If he is telling the truth and he has been arrested, then throw the book at him to the fullest extent. Discourage other 'artists' from trying to make a name for themselves through defacing public property.

HAW HAW!

Street art does not necessarily mean spray paint or vandalism. Ask yourself why you tolerate the invasion of advertisements on every public surface just to sell you things you don't need or even want.
Street art is free art. Remember this the next time you safely fork over $17 at the MFA, if you even bother to consume culture at all.

Casey Ramsdell is not doing his job. If he or the Globe was on their game, there would be photographs of the graphitti that this guy allegedly created. Where can we see and judge for ourselves? If any Bostonians have a camera, please go out there and do the globes job for them and then post images on your blog... or better yet, sell the photos to the globe and make a few bucks!

This is disgusting. Let an artist make art. He deserves a medal for creating art that people can enjoy for free, not jail or a copyright dispute. The time has come that we stop letting big money suppress people's creativity by stamping a copyright symbol on something and using it to bully around the little guy.

Art? Cool.
Imposing your art on others by defacing public and private property? Not cool.

I'm all for the arts, controversial or more convential. All art has value in its own right, whether or not it appeals to people or offends their sensibilities. But I stand firm against narcisictic artists who feel they can impose their vision on other people by defacing public or private property. It's ironic that artists who protest against the imposion of authority on people's lives have no trouble imposing their art on the world while defacing property and degrading public spaces.

Seriously - to all of the people siding with Fairey, GET OVER YOURSELVES.. as a practicing artist and professional in the design world I find him EMBARRASSING... he doesn't even deserve to call himself an artist.. especially ripping of the work of others.. kudos to the BPD for arresting him

He's talented... and a criminal.

Let him make art, but let him be prosecuted when he vandalizes!

The graffiti debate hasn't changed in many years. The Fairey debate hasn't changed since he went corporate.

Gotta wonder why the BPD felt the need to arrest him at 9:15 at night. Hoping he couldn't find a bail bondman and would have to spend the night? Wanting to make sure that 700 people waiting at the ICA knew who's boss in this narrow-minded town? Even though Fairey's been in Boston the whole week--and they knew it. Wonder where Mayor Menino is on this. And why the police want this to be the way the nation thinks about Boston and about them. Real good for tourism...

My vote goes with 31

Wonder why they arrested him? After all, he didn't seem like a threat to the public?

This street artist is a fascist nazi - what else do you call someone who tried to justify the perspective to inflict his vision of art on property he doesn't own. It's not his property, and art is subjective, what if the people who own the property think it's ugly and not art to them. What if someone broke into and deficated in your car, but he considered what he produced to be art. Should YOU personally be forced to live with, clean it up, and just let the "artist" continue to do it because it's considered "art" by someone. And to all the morons who are complaining about the police not chasing murderers instead, am I to believe that your position is the police should spend 100% of their time chasing murderers and ignore ALL other crimes??? It;s not like they had the crime lab spending long hours tracking him down. The moron made public he would be at the event. It took very little time and effort to track down and arrest this nazi. I love art, but I don't love people who force their visions on others, and do so by acting like they have the right to destroy what somebody else owns.

"It is the American vice, the democratic disease which expresses its tyranny by reducing everything unique to the level of the herd."

Shepard Fairey is on the cutting edge of contemporary art. The police are not only showing their considerable ignorance they are also adding to his fame.

Wait a minute. Unless we're talking about gold statues, nothing has been 'damaged. ' if anything the 'damage' at issue has has increased its value many times over.

My god! All you decadent bougeois fools taking the side of the law as it cracks down on an artist.

I hope 1,000 others take up spray cans and cover the city

He's hardly an artist. Using him and that word in the same sentence is ridiculous.

Fairey is an unoriginal hack. Steals others images, photoshops some colors over it, fashions it slight as early 20th century socialist propoganda poster...and walla genius!? Hardly.

The fact 'some' actually defend the guy is appalling...ethically and artistically.

They arrested him because it is their job. Most major city police departments have a group of officers assigned to serve outstanding warrants.
What probably happened was someone saw his name in the paper for this event and recognized it from the outstanding list of warrants. So they verifed there was still a valid warrant and showed up where and when they knew he would be and served the warrant. The fact that it was at night and that people were waiting for him didn't even enter the equation.
If he hadn't keep himself in the public eye, the warrants for a nonviolent crime like this would never have even been served.

Yeah, definitely smells like a stunt.

This guy read one too many Abbie Hoffman books. Anbody who takes Hoffman and that counterculture crap seriously is a complete idiot. I hope they send him to Walpole for a few weeks just to teach him a lesson. (Grunt)

......One less disillusioned protester defacing public property.....make him erase all his stupid 'creations' by the same hand that spray painted the public property!!

Jeff, I understand your concern for the integrity of you property, but consider this: there are hundreds of walls in the east end of London whose Banski's are worth 3x the assessed property value of the buildings they belong too.

At 82, I have found the above discussion fascinating. Since I am an artist, too, I have followed his art work with great interest. I have always enjoyed truly artistic graffiti whether I'm viewing it from a subway heading to La Guardia Airport or on the houses in many tiny Romanish villages in Switzerland. It is truly an unusual art form that has many attributes.

No matter how old he is, black or white he should have the DEATH PENALTY or at least LIFE behind for bars for his acts. He knew what he was doing was wrong ! HANG HIM !

I am so grateful that we are all doing so well that this is the worst problem we have to worry about.

As far as AP copyright claim, the only question is if Fairey work based on its photograph is art or not. If it is art, it is by definition transformative, and you can't claim you own right to it because it is based on a photograph you own (which is not art).

Or look at it other way: let AP make a copies of the photo and sell them, and let artist sell his work based on those, if the artist work sell for more, substantially more, then market is saying the art work is not a mere copy but added (much) value, case closed.

It is funny that

So why doesn't he get permission to paint his art on the side of buildings? Does any one remember when barns had advertisements of products? Graffitti? Nah, it should be murials painted with permission to allow and encourage budding artists.

When I was fourteen, I got a thrill out of going out at night and putting red dot stickers on deer crossing signs to make Rudolphs. Then I grew up.

The man creates beautiful things. I don't see the problem here if he's painting on buildings that could really use the improvement. Art exists to beautify the world AND the person who owns the building gets an original one of a kind work of art on their property.

People really need to learn to relax.

Arrested for graffiti? Wonder how many others kid with spray paint have had the fate? Maybe none? Nice use of police resources.

When the Madoff and other white collar criminals are arrested the law contacts their lawyers and have them report to the Precinct House or the Court UNLESS they want to make a show. Which is what some of the over paid lazy police did in this case. A 'Big Show' by small minded people.
In America, I have always been told 'innocent until proven guilty'.

The only person here not complain in Fairey, himself. It goes with the territory, and from what I can gather, he accepts it as part of what he is doing. Chill out every one and go see the show so you know what you're talking about.

Shameless self promotion.

If Fairey is found guilty of painting graffiti, he should be sentenced to home detention where he can spend his days spray painting the inside of his apartment!

I love how only one commenter so far has questioned whether there is evidence or how much evidence there is. This guys has spawned so many copycat artists, I'd be interested to see how they know it is him at all - or is it just convenient to point to a sticker made from a graphic printed off of the web and arrest someone who is headed for a photo op with the mayor?

BU bridge? Um, yeah, and where are these guys the night before the head of the Charles when the paint comes out? Crew paints those bridges 2x a year!

As someone who lives in a town with real urban problems, I say wow! If the citizens and police dept of Boston are all up in arms about some middle-aged white guy and his spray paint, I'm assume they don't have any actual crime they have to concern themselves with. Kudos to you, Boston!!

One of the many poster-boys of the obama-culture down the tubes

Hey Jeff from Boston (39), Do you even know what a Nazi is?

I think he kind of broke the law. But I still like his art. so, it is ok he's arrested, and it is ok that he is famous! Nothing's wrong at all!

Yeah what an idiot, you think he would figure out how to do stuff more inconspicuously after getting arrested 14 times.

He's no Banksy, but at least he's creating something that's visually interesting.

He can paint my house any day.

FACT. it is art. he did not vandalize he actually improved it.

why the hell do u ppl care ?? it is a art form and ppl make a living off it ....go cry somewhere else at least he isnt a gangbanger ...
and if the AP cares about a pic someone used for a painting then they shouldnt post pics ...period end of story wtf do they expect?

Graffitti has always had a place in civilization. It is purely the language of people in the streets. To try and stuff it out is impossible. I for one would much rather look at stickers and posters than fat marker scribble. Modern grafitti, especially spray paint murals, stencils like those by Bansky and Shepards work enrich my life. And here I am a middle class working father in the suburbs. Too bad most of you don't share this point of view, because a desensitized, sterilized version of life would make me miserable. Don't you get it?.. Shepard is prodding at you to wake up and realize that life has more meaning than a Starbucks coffee. "Obey." Judging by most of these posts, it's going to take more than a few stickers on Newbury to accomplish that.

I feel like this guy's 15 minutes are up.

I love graffiti. I once like this mans work. But, its socialist themes have all been paste-cut to popularity. That is ok --- but not giving credit where it deserves -- in fact hurts art! His work is a collective, that is not graffiti, that is a collective of other artists and your work. Yes, there is talent there. But lets look at it as it is, he used the streets to promote his style. His times in jail obviously did not deter him into finding the root of his genre of work.

I love street graffiti, and I believe it is expression of today's mass media culture. But, if you get caught, you deserve the penality. If you don't like that go to Brazil. Or some other country.

Just because this guy doesn't create his art in conventional way doesn't mean that he isn't an artist or that he is a criminal. How many of you have seen his art (other than the Obama poster)? Get off your high horse and grow up, I wish there were more artists of this caliber making our cities more interesting. Basically, you guys need to stop being so old and cranky. I mean he got caught, and the law states that he should be punished, so he'll get judgment and then go back to what he does, you don't need to hate the guy for it. If he ever wants to tag my room I'm up for it.
Free art!

Why don't you take a second to read comment #39...

^ Didn't the Nazis commit mass genocide?

I was unaware that by putting up posters, Shepard Fairey had killed millions of innocent people! Seriously, some of you people sound so ignorant that it makes me sick. Sorry to break it to you assholes, but graffiti has been around much longer than you and will continue to occur whether you like it or not. It is simply out of your control!

The entire country thinks Boston is filled with tight-assed intolerant idiots already, the BPD has once again given them reinforcing evidence, and most the comments on this board add extra credence to their asinine display of petty political maneuvering.

The BU train bridge? Please, really. people, give me a break - I can't imagine how anything painted or pasted to that thing could be consirdered vandalism.

By the comments on this page, you'd think the man wanders around putting rocks through windows. Let him do his art. We can use more on the streets.

Art, I'll give him props for using an intuitive approach to revamp and make an eye catcher out of a plain picture! The ability to show patriosim through a picture is amazing! Now if you have a warrant out for your arrest, the best thing is not to attract attetion, specially those who watch alot of tv, like hmmm the police (and don't say they don't, most of them have purchased a little portable walkman, for their thing with wheels that they sit in). Anyways he's been arrested 14 times!!! now that's stupid, you'd think he'd know how not to get caught! But that explains alot though, when your in prision or ail and you have nothing to do, most the time you DRAW! So if only imagne the money inolved in art, imagine all those people in jail that would be millionares or celebritys! plus i'm sure if he purchased the magazine he has rights to exploit what he sees.

so the police feel that grafitti is the biggest concern facing the city?

i wonder if boston residents feel the same way?

someone in the DA's office must not be a fan of obama, lol.

the city of boston has it's priorities askew? surprise, surprise.

It would seem that the BPD is allowing itself to be used and made to look like bullies.

A better method would be for the city to simply give him a summons to appear in court, with the intention of the prosecutor seeking a remedy from the judge which is to have him spend the many hours needed to properly remove his works and restore any sites to original form.

By a court turning his actions and the obligation to undo them back onto him, he would quickly loose his appetite for this type of now highly effective publicity-gaining maneuver, which the BPD and prosecutors are actually helping him with by their approach.

So far, this artist has successfully baited the prosecutors/cops and used them as a free marketing asset. If he gets turned into a maintenance man whose job is to clean up any private properties he defaces, then he loses status in this game.

There is/was a wonderful artist named "Sidewalk Sam" whose work all admired, but of course was done in chalk, and each work was quickly lost to the next rainfall. To my mind, Sidewalk Sam was true in his intent to give wonderful visuals all, and to not seek to exploit the free publicity coming from baiting the authorities. The ICA might consider an exhibit of private citizens' photos of the many delightful creations of Sidewalk Sam.

It should come as no surprise that the same cops who shot and murdered a Red Sox fan, then beat a Celtics fan to death- would now turn on the artists.

Bruins fans, actors, and poets better watch out- they're next!

Considering his fame, I think he has just increased the value of the walls he painted on. Sell now, while he's still hot! : )

First of all, I'd like to thank the Boston Police Department for helping to make the ICA exhibition a great success, and for making Mr. Fairey so much better known nationally and internationally. (To tell the truth, I'd never heard of him up to now, and had no idea who had done the Obama pic.)

THEY ARREST him on a warrant when he is on his way into his opening party. Did he post bail and go to the party and deejay? The charges sound really lame and dubious, so it is real vicious to arrest him at that time. Whoever ordered that sure sucks. And they are saying "tagging," but it was probably graffiti, which is a world of difference. And if a famous artist "signs" your building or bridge, it is worth more, not less. Get real, Boston.

The Associated Press is silly to think S.F. would be violating copyright even if he did use their photo to work off to make his poster. He changed enough there that it does not violate copyright. Does the AP have clown for a lawyer? Get Real, AP.

Right now, Boston looks like a bunch of anti-art, anti-culture goofs.

I have to agree with 16. If the Police wanted to incarcerate everyone who has left their mark on the BU bridge, they could just wait with open arms at the finish line of the Head of the Charles next October. It seems like everything linked to Obama has been bludgeoned this past week...

my guess is that the Boston popo is still recovering from the embarassment of the aqua teen hunger force "bombs" and vowed revenge on street artists no matter how ill appropriated the effort. it was estimated that Boston businesses lost millions before these genius enforcers figured out they were light-brites - subsequently causing the show's national profile to grow. now Boston, an art deprived city makes a bigger name for a street artist. ultimately that's our backward contribution to the the art world, so that's the bright side. The dark side, is where chuck jones (above) thoughts live. chuck, you're a sad, sad, angry and misguided person. have fun with that.

Street artists come in many colors. This particular "petty criminal" uses art as a voice for his ideals. This voice speaks against the bigger criminals - the ones that run the corporations and ran my country for the last eight years.

I'd stand behind THIS criminal any day.

if you don't want to look at it don't look. It isn't like he is holding you in place and forcing it down your throat. Any artist that thinks street art is wrong needs to check themselves. You only wish you had the amount of publicity of a street artist. To everyone else maybe you should go on a crusade ripping down "yard sale" signs, and "my dog is missing" flyers that are posted everywhere, I'm sure none of you will actually go out and do it because you're the ones posting the signs.

no 39. fascist nazi? equating fairey's art with defecating in a car?
really?! no I mean really?

It's hard for me to take serious anyone who is supposedly outraged by this guy or his street art. The AP sueing him is equivalent to campbell's sueing Andy Warhol.

Thank god we have courageous individuals like Fairey that do more that sip starbucks in a cubicle all day. Wake up sheeple...its almost too late!

He's gong to be laughing all the way to the bank. This is a publicity stunt to keep his name out there. He has a book coming out and he's going to get the equivalant of million in free advertising. He's playing the system like fiddle.

Nazi!!!!???? WOW! Do you even know what a nazi is? Or the meaning of Facism? It must just be easier for sore loser conservatives to attack someone who puts up very little defense. Unless you have a team of lawyers writing your daily dialogue watch out for right wing attacks. BTW the hatred and bad publicity are great publicity for a cult figure like Fairey, if you want him to go away STOP GOOGLEING him and you will not have to hear about him again.

I have an idea. If the Boston Globe were to be so kind as to find out and publish Fairey's home address and license plate number (if he drives), then everyone can stock up on spray paint and make some artistic statements on his house and car. I'm sure all of his friends and family would also be happy to receive the gift of art.

if fairey made art with integrity i'd support his right to do it. but he's simply taking methods and images that others originated, and turning them out on the world as his own and winning acclaim and fortune in the process.

surely he is only aiming to cultivate an image - and he's not driven out of any particular desire to speak his "message."

What an idiot!

graffiti will never die

=)

Don't out police men and women / district attorneys / judges / TAXPAYER MONEY have better things to do right now? Come on, Menino, this was lame. I dislike Fairy's as much as anyone-- he probably has a special 'Shepherd Fairy Photoshop Plug in' and just pushed a button and people swoon and call it Art. His best days are behind him and he's just collecting money now. But come on! This is pointless and wasteful!

I second 20

I'd rather see Shepard's grafitti on my city's walls than all the billboards for plastic surgery and malt liquor. That's the real urban blight. His art questions authority and celebrates individualism. Those who can't see that or insist on demeaning him as an artist are sheep sucking on the teet of the status quo. Fairey is on the way to becoming the Lenny Bruce of visual arts and I'll cheer his talent and guts (and self-promotional skills) all the way.

Please arrest Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Apple, et all for their obnoxious 'art'.

Be sure not to miss Geoff Edgers commentary - he's about as far out in left field as anyone who considers this crap to be art.

I agree with Winters - publish his address and license plate. I'd like to make my own "artistic statements" on his residence and vehicle. I hope Fairey will consider my artistic statements as not only a static display, but also the value of my "performance". if it angers him, well, it's just "my statement", and he needs to be as considerate and understanding of my statement as he expects us to consider his.

If he (and his supporters) don't appreciate this, well, you "just don't get it".

Get enlightened.

Here's another thought, it's time for some "performance art".

Next time Fairey shows his face in public, I'll be glad to pour paint on him as part of my ongoing statement - I call it "anti-art".

Anti-art is also art. Says who? Why me, of course. If you find that troublesome, it's because you don't get it.

I'll also be doing a "noise piece". Loud music interspersed with a variety of bizarre sounds, generated at random intervals outside Fairey's home at 3AM. Purpose: to elicit an emotional response from observers, of course. It's performance art, so go with it...grow with it.

Why am I not surprised that the artist who glorified the lying fraud gets arrested for defacing property? Obuma!

It must be art when it's plastered all over someone else's building in Boston or on the side of a bridge, train or truck........but when it is on the side of YOUR house in Cambridge, Brookline or Wellesley, then you'll be pissed off! Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Art and the artist should not trespass.

I was there at the ICA experiment party and I waited until 1am for him to show up. I want my $20 (cost of the ticket) back.

I am amazed at the complete lack of logic and reason in so many of these postings. For example, "Arrest the morons doing this to promote hate and gang violence. But I guess I understand, it can be hard for cops to distinguish average gang members from regular folks... you know like middle aged white guys." So essentially what you are saying is that it is ok for "middle aged WHITE guys" to commit the same crime for which young minorities should be arrested. I have many issues with the police (racial profiling, excessive force etc.), but I don't see how you can criticize them for this situation. They are doing their job. If you don't like them arresting someone for committing a crime, then complain about the legislators that wrote the law. And to argue that this can be in any way connected to unsolved murders is equally absurd. I really don't imagine that resources were taken away from homocide investigations to make this arrest.

Slash @ 7:19 PM had the hammer to the nail! Punishment should equal the crime. Vandelism is a punishible crime. I could be wrong, but, in this Country where we are proud to be free it would seem to me that in the simplest form, once an action is taken at the expense of another individual's freedom, a crime has been commited. The response of authorities at this point should be to exact a punishment that is equal in severety as the crime itself.(Open for subjectation). I am not using this posting to declare myself as one without fault, but people need to be held accountable for their actions. Moreover, take ownership for their own actions. Go ahead; exspress yourself, but not at the expense of another's freedom.

Agreed with 44 although I understand Fairey's work has always dealt with phenomenology, propaganda, commercialization and this is just the next step for the cult of Obey. These comments clearly show that Boston will just never get it. Anyone remember the Mooninite BS that happened a few years ago? Hate on haters.

Seriously.....The cops in this city are retarded. That's why they all graduated from Curry and Bridgewater State......All this does is give the guy more publicity....I guarantee these charges are dropped

I went to the ICA experiment party and saw his exhibit last night. I wasn't terribly impressed. His art is devoid of all meaning save for a weak anti-war message in some of them. Perhaps there was some meaning back when he was in college and started the "obey" Andre the Giant campaign but that was undermined when his art became a commercial commodity itself. He has been compared to Warhol but the difference is Warhol took advertising and corporate images and showed us how they can be art. Fairey on the other hand, steals images from activist groups, strips them of their meaning and trivializes them and turns them into corporate images used to sell prints, stickers and T-shirts.

How embarrassing for Boston that he was arrested here.

Could comment #42 be in more ludicrous? By definition graffiti is forced upon all - one does not voluntarily go to a museum or gallery, or examine it online; rather, it assaults all comers in just the same manner as someone shouting on a street corner. I am a lefty liberal and oppose the death penalty even for murder -- at least that is a crime of passion with one form or another of extenuating circumstance. But if I ever came upon someone spraying graffiti, exercising the ultimate selfish and self-centered act while destroying the property of another, I'd relish using any means necessary to stop them, and would love to see them strung up like 17th century pirates for all to see.

46,

Just carry a can of spray paint and decorate the guy's jacket when you meet him - after all his picture is out there and his jacket is so drab... just waiting for an aspiring artist to leave its mark.

So if everyone who defends this criminal's actions thinks it's okay to spray paint someone else's property, would you feel the same way if you woke up tomorrow and someone spray painted all over your house and car, and spray painted something that looked disgusting and unappealing to you? Would you approve because someone else called it art and liked it, even though you hated it? Just because he's an artist, doesn't mean everyone likes what he's producing - why should he have the right to destroy someone else's property. How would you HONESTLY feel about the scenario I described. He may be an artist, but he has no right to infringe others' rights by destroying their property. And to the person who thought I was conservative because I oppose what he did, I'm a lifelong and proud democrat, despise GWB and many large evil corporations, but I also appreciate fair and just laws, like protecting people's property from being spray painted just because someone is an artist. THAT is oppressive.

The timing of the arrest is really questionable. Hundreds of people waiting for Shep to DJ on Friday night and the BPD chose that moment to arrest him and ruined the night for everyone. He was in Boston all week - why wasn't he arrested at the ICA party for patrons on Tuesday - with ICA trustees Barbara Lee and Paul Buttenweiser cited for harboring a criminal? He could have been arrested on Thursday evening when he was giving a talk at the ICA or ANYTIME this week in Boston. The timing on this really stinks - makes Boston look even more like a small time, parochial backwater than it already is.

"Artist"? Last I saw, he was using a stencil. No 'artist', just a defacer of public property with a spray can... you know, a 'vandal'. It is spray paint on a property he doesn't own, what difference does it make if it is a graphic or an f-bomb?

I was wondering how this guy was getting his way with being so 'featured' by the press, and not arrested for defacing property.... I say we charge him $1000 for each of his 'obey' guys, see how 'featured' he wants to continue to be.

Does it surprise anyone???? Anyone connecated with BO is a crook, liar, tax evader, fraudlent, etc etc.

Rich folks buy bill boards. Poor folks tag. It is economic racism to hound this fine artist. Gang signs are one thing and art is another. If he is talented, perhaps the public should have some tolerance to free social art.

what else do you call someone who tried to justify the perspective to inflict his vision of art on property he doesn't own.

I could probably come up with something, but I don't think it would be "fascist nazi."

Seriously, I don't think they brought anyone to Nuremberg for trying to justify the perspective to inflict his vision of art on property he doesn't own.

Have any message you want but don't write it on my things. Would you like my message written in paint on your dining room table or your headboard? I think no and I haven't even said what my message is.

Putting up ads in public places is OK because it's paid for.
Putting up non-commissioned art (no matter how beautiful or good) in public places is not.

I wish it were the reverse.

To be clear, Sheppard Fairey does NOT use spray paint. He pastes his posters to walls. This guy isn't the same as your average hoodlum tagging buildings with ugly and senseless drawings. Not all graffiti is spray paint. Graffiti can be anything.
That said, unless he gets the permission of the building owner, it is graffiti. Its against the law. The anti-graffiti efforts of the New York City Police were extremely instrumental in drastically reducing the crime rate during the 90's. (For more info on that, read Malcolm Gladwell's "Tipping Point.") The suggestion that making an effort to discourage graffiti distracts police from dealing with "real crimes" implies that we shouldn’t try to protect the rights of property owners. I admire his art greatly and look forward to seeing his work at the ICA. While I would actually welcome Sheppard’s work on the side of my building, I would first expect him to request permission. One of the basic tenets of property ownership law is the right to “quiet enjoyment” which roughly translates into “you leave me alone, and I’ll leave you alone.” A property owner should have the right to decide how his or her building appears to the world and that right should be defended.

yeah what u don't get is the fact that he is one of the most famous graff artist around and he stuff is copied worldwide, unless they have conclusive video evidence he'll walk from all charges.

Tagging is SO not cool. He's Sooooo special that he gets to decide whose property he can deface? Then, we're uptight because we care about the vandalism? This guy's not an artist; he's a self centered PUNK.

fairey is having his 15 minutes of fame - he is just the latest flavor of the day - not much substance - he needs to engage in antisocial behavior in order to keep himself in the limelight - something like brittany spears, paris hilton.

a big YAAWWNNNN

Wow, the sweeping statements, generalizations and accusations here are absolutely ridiculous. Has he been convicted of any crime in this article? Do you have the same opinion and wish the same fate for the Harvard students that paint on the SAME BU bridge? Have they been arrested as well?

I'm willing to bet most haven't even seen his work.. Much of his work inspires us to look at and think differently about our society, government, etc. If the illegal artwork can make just one person think differently, then it's well worth committing the crime.

However, if he committed a crime, let him be judged in a court of law first.

I think it wonderful that Shepard is able to create such contorversy in a time when life and art has become so mediocre. His creative flair is a sign of the times. With all the global problems we face, worrying about an artists run in with the law over local graffiti seems trivial at best. Side walk Sam was revered not attacked, so why suddenly are we attacking this artists creativity?

Arrested in Boston on the way to a exhibition opening event at the ICA where over seven hundred waited. Shepard Fery couldn't get better promotional publicity than if he had planned the arrest himself. Now if he could only get himself banned in Boston his status as an iconic artist would be assured.

Sorry, but those charges don't make any sense to me. If you have a look at Shepard Fairey's works you can clearly see that this guy is not a "tagger". His works are in the form of paste-ups and stencils. Tagging is something pubescent kids do to mark their territory - this guy is 38 years old. But obviously the BPD knows how to incite a witchhunt. And hey - even Godwin's Law has confirmed itself once again in this discussion!

Most of you commenters are missing the point here: a lot of people like this art. Grafitti artists do not deface private property and if you think the BU bridge looks better rusting in gray then you should stay home. It should be a traffic ticket and a wink.

All of you people make me sick who are attacking this man. You keep saying if he's an artist and what he was doing was art, then I should let him paint my house...

YES PLEASE!

Fools, can't you see that the property value would INCREASE?

You hypocrites keep going on and on about an eye for an eye here, and destroying his property and harming him. First off, he doesn't deface individual's homes. He works primarily in PUBLIC spaces, and as he's a member of the public he should have just as much right to do his art there as anyone which sadly in the police state we live in is none. Second, why is it legal for an advertising company to plaster their posters everywhere, and erect massive billboards yet graffiti is still a crime? Oh that's right, they PAY MONEY. Sorry, I forgot that expressing yourself was a privilege of the rich, not the poor and people who's voices NEED to be heard.

Welcome to 1984.

I'm sure the railroad trestle was a sight to behold before he RUINED it with his colorful artwork. Of course, I believe that he could find willing building owners to provide him with a legal "canvas", but then again making the news by being arrested will draw an audience... Maybe he should just be ignored and the police department could focus their energy on all those delightful violent criminals. What a waste of energy.

Dear Chuckspeed,

Apparently you are very angry that Obama won and as a result you have resorted to name calling. I'm one of those liberals who voted for Obama and I'm proud to have done it. I am by no means an airhead. As far as accepting the "cult of personality around Obama", I think you are mistaking true good feelings of having found a candidate that expresses our ideals, with a "cult". Of course we are enthusiastic about Obama, we LIKE HIM, a lot! If you really want to talk about cult of personality, I could more easily apply that definition to all the ditto heads who listen to Rush Limbaugh, and all the right wingers who listen to Hannity or O'Reilly. Finally, your worries about a democratic authoritative regime are quite unwarranted, since for the last 8 years, we have already been living under a republican authoritative regime: Habeus Corpus - no longer guaranteed; Government listening in on our phone calls and reading our e-mail, Prisoners held for 5, 6, 7 years with no charges brought, Torture of prisoners. Our country will become less authoritative under Obama. And would you like to talk socialism? How about Bush promoting the 700 billion bank bailout with taxpayer money? How about Bush approving money for the automakers even after congress rejected it? Now I'm personally fine with the auto bailout, and I would have been fine with the bank bailout if it actually had some rules attached, but unfortunately Bush and Congress blew it big time on that one. You throw the word socialism around like it's a bad thing, but our society has always been partly socialistic. (fire departments, police departments, highway system, power grid, etc.)

Breaking the law is breaking the law and you need to be resposible for that. The man may be an 'artist', but he has no respect for other people's property and no respect for the law. He can be an artist on his own canvas...perhaps buy a billboard. I like art as much as the next person, but I don't want it on the side of my house. The police are doing their job; they are arresting someone who is breaking the law. This is not so hard to understand.

What if he tagged over bad tagging, is it okay then? If he covered up old graffiti should he be prosecuted the same? Cause there are a few places in Boston, that haven't been cleaned up in years that I'd prefer to see artwork on?

Yes he's breaking the law, but they didn't have to INTENTIONALLY ruin an event. What the BPD was spiteful, that's why they get no respect.

The city belongs to the public, art is not a crime.

Also, once again, Boston is lame for pulling this crap.

Instead of the ICA using space inside their museum for his graffiti art, why didn't they just let him spray paint the outside of their building? That way they could have a lasting monument to the quality of his artistic image. Their structure is large enough that he might exhaust his energy and his cans of spray paint, leaving him without enough of either to deface other unwilling property owner's homes and businesses.

It looks like Obama will have an opportunity to the power of the pardon for the first time in his presidency.

a good portion of these posts look like their from herald readers. i would expect comments like this from some town in west virginia, but come on...boston? don't show your age and prejudice to artists on here, no one cares. BPD was wrong....very wrong.

Wake up People Shepherd Fairey’s art shamelessly participates in the commodification of appropriated cultures and languages with unabashed support of the capitalist economy while simultaneously using the images of anti-capitalist revolutionaries to make himself rich.
Shepherd Fairy represents postcolonial exploitative discourse not the populist voice rearing the ugly head of the snake of dishonesty and greed, like a disaffected tourist outsider Shepherd pillages the work of important political and cultural movements and economically authors the oeuvre of artists like René Mederos and other political activist along with their motifs and images to advance his finance and his great name in our community.
Nothing is sacred for this private schooled boy as he takes the image of Subcomandante Marcos, slaps the OBEY logo on it, and sells it for profit, in effect, creating an advertisement for his politically correct company through the appropriation of the image of a revolutionary anti-capitalist. This is an individual and a corporation not a true artist who is supported by money fed publicity machine who will exploit anything in their way. His Publicity Machine smears the name of outspoken critic like Mark Vallens fabricating stories of his character; they challenge Mannie Garcia¹s and the AP lawsuit in retaining top lawyers in the field of intellectual property at Stanford University to cite fair use law instead of acknowledging their mistakes. Now in embarrassment and in bad taste for the ICA he has been given a retrospective by a curator named Dackerman who only allows certain questions to be asked by her corporate-funded Museum all the while a protest takes place outside demanding that the AP photographer Mannie Garcia’s name be credited and compensated. When Museum conjures 20 year retrospectives I have to ask where’s my shoe?

Character Approved Rebel Artist...

Wow. You guys really love violence. I hope I never meet any of you in a dark alley.

OBEY IS THE MAN!!

OBEY THE GIANT!
YOU ALL SHELL BOW TO THE FAIRY>

if these walls could talk...theyd say fuck you all nazis.

life is art.
spread it.

these walls are ours.

MOST OF THESE FEARFUL COMMENTS MAKE ME KNOW JESUS WOULDN`T RECEIVE A SECOND GLANCE FROM MOST OF THIS WORLD IF THEY WERE LIKE THSE PEOPLE.

He's only trying to open our eyes. I admire Fairey and what he stands for. Plus, graffiti can't hurt anyone, so dont call it a criminal act because it shouldn't be.