Shepard Fairey, the artist recognized for creating the Hope poster associated with President Obama’s campaign, took accountability for lying about the photograph on which he based the reproduced image. The confession, made known to the public on Friday, finally came up after months of fighting lawsuit charges from the Associated Press.
The New York Times reported the following:
Mr. Fairey admitted that in the initial months after the suit and countersuit were filed, he destroyed evidence and created false documents to cover up the real source. He said he had initially believed that The A.P was wrong about which photo he used, but later realized the agency was right.
“In an attempt to conceal my mistake, I submitted false images and deleted other images,” Mr. Fairey said in a statement, released on his Web site. “I sincerely apologize for my lapse in judgment, and I take full responsibility for my actions, which were mine alone.”
Mr. Fairey’s lawyers said they intended to withdraw when he could find new counsel.
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2 years ago | Tags: obama, New York Times, contemporary art Sheperd Fairey copyright laws
On the same day as President Obama’s historic “New Beginning” speech to the Muslim world (if you haven’t seen it, watch it), The New York Times published an article about “The Intersection of Islam, America and Identity,” focusing particularly on the creations of two Iranian female artists living and working in the New York area. Asma Ahmed Shikoh moved to New York from Pakistan in 2002, and the changes in her work reflect her own changing identity from a sociopolitical critic to more observant muslim. Along with American-born Negar Ahkami, Ms. Ahmed Shikoh is featured in the show “The Seen and the Hidden: [Dis]Covering the Veil,” at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Manhattan, through August 2. According to The New York Times, the exhibition is a partner event of the Muslim Voices Festival organized by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Asia Society and New York University’s Center for Dialogues.
As America tries to renegotiate its world position and Obama extends himself to the Islamic world, it is a poignant moment to reflect on Islamic art and culture in the 21st century. The “Seen and Hidden” exhibition at the Austrian Cultural Forum should definitely be worth checking out, as well as the other events of the Muslim Voices Festival.
2 years ago | Tags: Obama, Islam Islamic American art Islamic art New York Austrian Cultural Forum art
