Only addressing the ripoff issue – Fairey's work doesn't “blatantly rip-off” older posters. What he does is take an existing piece (this includes the feelings and subtext that go with it) and recreate it in a way that is meant to elicit a response.

So in the Soviet propaganda posters you mentioned above, Fairey's taking the visual ascetic and saying that certain things we are told equate to Big Brother in Communist Russia. We are told to “obey.” But why do we?

As with all art, the meaning behind the pieces doesn't always come through to people that are unfamiliar with the source material or references made. A lot of paintings during the Impressionist period referenced Greek mythology. Of course you wouldn't know it if you hadn't studied those things. Same with Fairey's work. To the untrained eye, they seem to be “ripoffs,” when there are actually quite a few levels of depth to the images, including references to propaganda posters, pop-culture icons, politics, etc.

It's not much different from Warhol pieces. Warhol's painting of Campbell's Soup can wasn't because he wanted to paint that can. It was more a commentary on commercialism, culture, and what people were willing to do/buy. A lot of art is the intent behind it.

I'd suggest reading a bit more about art history. It's really interesting to see how street art has evolved and its influences. Sure you can dismiss Fairey and his ilk, but then you sound like the old guy that said that Elvis was “too sexual” or that Rock n Roll was the devil's music. The only thing that your proving is how out of touch you are with the people of today, and the people that will control tomorrow (the younger generation).

http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Cont...

I am not sure I understand all your points but there is something quite hypocritical in the anti-authoritarian, anti-captilistic “street-art” scene that I think you may be pointing out. Well, perhaps it's just my cynicism having grown weary of all the “anti's”

I created and posted this image today after watching “POPaganda: The Art & Crimes of Ron English”:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shepard_Faire... but I don't know how long it will stay up because I can't figure out wikipedia's bureaucratic nightmare for posting fair-use works.

For the record, I voted for someone other than Obama this last election. But I have HOPE we'll somehow get through to another time (and will be in debt for some time.)

anyway, robert (and history!) are coming for you, and they are armed with google, and a 27 by 40 poster!

You use “no time flat” which was actually 20 years. You use “My guess is” which pretty much say's it all and confirms that you don't have a clue. You state,” Fringe protest is sexy, in certain circles, but it remains that only the people with power have power”.

For the past two years preceding the Obama Hope image Shepard Fairey was already one of the most important emerging artists in the world. Now, with his image in the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian, he is definitely one of the most important artists in the world. That standing brings with it a certain amount of power and if you don't see that then you should google “Shepard Fairey”, 5,740,000 listings. The fact that you are writing about him when up until recently you probably had never had heard of him also proves my point. You then add, “That’s why I consider … a regrettable failure of American grassroots culture-making,… in which you totally dismiss or are oblivious to the overwhelming popularity, respect and hope for the future of our country that has been inspired by Barack Obama coming out of the miserable, hateful and disingenuous eight years of the Bush/Cheney/Rove crime family and the disaster they perpetrated on the American people.

Your Wikipedia entry which, I would imagine, you wrote yourself, has this entry near the bottom, “On June 27, 2008, Wilkinson was cited by David Brooks as a member of a “group of young and unpredictable rightward-leaning writers” who have “emerged on the scene” in recent years. He calls their emergence a “genuine bright spot” for the conservative movement.” Good luck with that, Mr. Bright Spot. The “conservative movement has been marginalized and is loosing it's more intelligent members and the Fascists on talk radio will end up with the ignorant dregs. The conservative movement is so nineteenth century. Get over it or be left behind as a footnote in the history books.

Fair use is a defense not a right. Fairey took an image and traced it out. Idee has confirmed that it is a virtual match with the AP picture.

To top it off, it is not even clear that the AP owns the picture due to the photographer being a temporary hire.

If Fairey infringed on the image, he needs to deal with the consequence. End of story.

http://copyrightsandcampaigns.blogspot.com/2009...