In a searing blow to counter culture and the integrity of his career, graphic design stealing artist Shepard Fairey admitted he lied about the source of his presidential HOPE portrait in his ongoing legal dispute with the Associated Press. In a statement released Friday on his website, he discussed the blatant thievery and apologized, kinda:
STATEMENT ON ASSOCIATED PRESS FAIR USE CASE
In an effort to keep everyone up to date on my legal battle to uphold the principle of fair use in copyright laws, I wanted to notify you of a recent development in my case against The Associated Press (AP).
On October 9, 2009, my lawyers sent a letter to the AP and to the photographer Mannie Garcia, through their lawyers, notifying them that I intend to amend my court pleadings. Throughout the case, there has been a question as to which Mannie Garcia photo I used as a reference to design the HOPE image. The AP claimed it was one photo, and I claimed it was another.
The new filings state for the record that the AP is correct about which photo I used as a reference and that I was mistaken. While I initially believed that the photo I referenced was a different one, I discovered early on in the case that I was wrong.
In an attempt to conceal my mistake I submitted false images and deleted other images. I sincerely apologize for my lapse in judgment and I take full responsibility for my actions which were mine alone. I am taking every step to correct the information and I regret I did not come forward sooner.
I am very sorry to have hurt and disappointed colleagues, friends, and family who have supported me in this difficult case and trying time in my life.
I am also sorry because my actions may distract from what should be the real focus of my case – the right to fair use so that all artists can create freely. Regardless of which of the two images was used, the fair use issue should be the same.
-Shepard
This also means that’s Shepard lied to me in this email he wrote on February 20th of this year:
On the plus side, as least he won’t be the one winning Evan Roth’s ‘Asshole Competition.’
"In a searing blow to counter culture…" really??!!
Fairey is the Walmart of Street art. Yawn. Does this mean he might go to jail now for lying? "Now, get on yer knees, boy and OBEY".
I laugh whenever i hear kids calling each other toy. Maybe because i know that no matter how bad their throw ups might be- it's lamez like these that really deserve the badge.
Fairey is a chronic wholesale art ripper, look at me publicity whore. Empty talent.
It's a teaching lesson for this designer. The news service deserves all credit & monies derived from their image. The separate issue is the design. It is an incredible cultural icon. Only the designer saw and created this icon. All he had to do was admit the truth, and he would be celebrated now for his talent, instead of being denigrated as a thief.
Did he really lie to you? Man!
What's among the most disturbing is Fairey's remark concerned his not knowing who the photographer was – therefore somehow allowing him to steal it without having to ask?
I don't know who this car belongs to, so if I take it, it's not stealing because I didn't know whom to ask?
Would love to see the rest of your exchange with Fairey. I'm wondering if they're at the stage in the lawsuit now where Fairey had to answer questions under oath and didn't want to perjure himself, hence the motivation to suddenly come clean about his hiding the truth?
Copyright is a civil matter (for $ damages) but here we have someone stealing, obstructing justice (?) by lying and covering up that theft….not sure if there are any criminally prosecutable elements in these acts here, but would be curious to get feedback from an attorney on this, especially if there may be a pattern of infringement and possibly illegal business practices through the past decade or so if intimidating other artists, misrepresenting that they have the rights to issue Cease and Desist letters against other artists, and well, what's up with this fighting to protect the rights of artists to free expression and fair use, as though he is some folk hero? Hello? Fair Use? http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html
Thanks again for getting this information out there. Any chance you're willing to share excerpts of your exchange with Fairey wherein he may have lied to you? Is there something that can be done about this?
Thank you again!
Americans can't do anything right, oh, except maybe cheat, lie ,steal, rape, kill, gloat, hurt, discriminate, segregate, brag, hide, blame, sanction, destroy, pollute, harm, contaminate, rob, damage, and make a good cheese and steak sandwich.
Yay! A brave soul to counter the oppressive bunch..
What a fucking imbecile!
The Phantom Street Artist has said:
People will one day speak of a Future Day and Time when a coined term will come from the voice of the streets. The term will be a definitive colloquial called Fairey Use TM to mean when an artist out of disrespect betrays important historical and revolutionary cultures, languages and authors to advance his own selfish interest in greed and mammon. This is called Fairey Use TM when an artist steals from other artists, cultural references and fails to give proper credit then tampers with federal evidence then hides behind important movements like the creative commons and attempts to escape justice under interpretative legal defense.
In a sentence:
Mommy is that artist pulling a Fairey Use?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrx4l3rHAg8