I want that $2000 slouchy bag and artistic justice!

Recently I came across this podcast regarding the recent court case of graphic artist Shepard Fairey vs. the Associated Press. It turns out that the AP is suing Fairey for copy-write infringement over their photo of Obama which was later used by Fairey for political posters, under the claim "fair use". The Obama campaign, which later supported Fairey and his designs, feared copy write issues and later had Fairey design a similar poster which was not as similar as the initial one.

The copy write safe poster, available for sale at Obama's Political Site.

I could have told you that was coming! Anyways, I'm reminded in the mix of all of this hubub, that I never posted on this blog about his window displays this spring for Saks, and how his designs were a blatant copy of artwork done by Alexander Rodchenko during the Russian Revolution. Anyways, here is that posting:

So, just the other week I was walking down Yamhill St. here in downtown Portland, and as I passed in front of the windows for Saks Fifth Avenue, I saw these bright, high contrast very Russian Constructivist-inspired black, red and white geometric style posters saying things like "WANT THIS". I stopped and looked at the windows more closely. There, in the bottom little corner was a little sticker noting that the new marketing campaign was done by none other than Shepard Fairey, (you know, the Andre Has a Posse, Obey and Obama) guy?) which... I had to laugh at because I was sure that Alexander Rodchenko had kinda coined that look to start with. Intrigued, I went inside to see how Fairey continued his pretty blantant plagarism of models posing as if they are champions of workers’ rights, with the store displays inside. I walked around perfume counters with more of the similar iconography carrying more of the same message "WANT THIS BAG!" "WANT THIS BLOUSE!" and still I giggled.

Here, is an artist... (who oddly enough, prefers to be refereed to as a "street artist" despite his big studio in LA, a new museum exhibit, works with Nike, his own clothing line, and his own design firm in LA ... ) who got his start making counter culture images and jokes at aimed at propaganda, paranoia and consumerism, is now "designing" (cough cough) ads for Prada bags that cost a few thousand dollars. Now, I'm pretty sure this is all done tongue in cheek. That Saks, realizing what they needed was propaganda to sell their spendy items in our tough economic times, went to the propaganda dude.... who basically just stole his propaganda from many a artist before him. And the thing is, it's politically charged imagery, but it's meaning is wasted on the subject matter. At least the Obama images inspired people to vote, to change the way they thought, align for the greater good - but here, "Arm Yourself with a Slouchy Bag"?

Really.... that's as good as you've got Fairey? I mean, I like you, I understand where you're coming from, I know how we as designers and artists "borrow" from those before us... but i'm pretty disappointed by the lack of creativity here and then sickened by the amount of money you probably reeled in for it.

Shepard's OBEY Obey's website

And this is nice little video taken from the opening of his exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston where he talks about being a "street artist" and having a museum opening:

Anyways, I'm not passing judgement here or calling Fairey a sell out, I'm just a little disappointed by all the hype that I don't think is rightly justified. Maybe I'm jealous, maybe I'm just being too demanding of what I expect out of people who "make it big", maybe it's just the difference between viewing yourself as an advertiser, a designer or an artist and what one does for art and what one does for commercial consumption. The door is wide open for discussion. Is it art, is it plagiarism, is it a political statement, is it a joke, and if so....how many people who just bought a $2000 slouchy bag are going to realize that?

NY Times review of Shepard's show in Boston: