Shepard Fairey—Iconic Design, Controversial Subject Matter, the Barbara Kruger of Our Generation.

I don’t know about you but I remember the first time I encountered a Separd Fairey piece. It was about a decade ago and on the street (where it was meant to be seen). With graphic design being the being the main driver behind his work, for me it was a no brainer, I’ve been a fan ever since. His work had the same impact on me as the first time I saw a Barbara Kruger piece. The work is iconic, bold, at times controversial yet highly accessible.

Visit gestalten.tv and see the artist talk about his work, copyright law and the pending lawsuit via the Associated Press over the referenced photograph used to illustrate the Obama Hope poster. Fairey’s philosophy on copyright law makes total sense and in many ways has been in practice for decades. There are, of course, many grey areas.

In January a New York judge dismissed the copyright lawsuits, but left a March trial date in place for additional claims over merchandise sales using Fairey’s image. It will be interesting to see the outcome!