Jul
17
I wish somebody could explain the reasons behind the Shepard Fairey prosecutions to me. I’m too dumb to get it from the news. From last march-
Boston police are pursuing 31 new vandalism charges against Shepard Fairey, including allegations that stem from posters of his iconic image of President Obama hung on properties in Allston, according to the artist’s defense attorney.
31 charges! Sounds serious. Then yesterday, after a guilty plea on three charges.
Prosecutors moved to terminate the prosecution of 11 additional graffiti-related charges against Fairey. Prosecutors had previously terminated the prosecution of 14 complaints after a review of the evidence led them to believe they could not prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
So to get this straight – of all the crap they were threw at him last spring, all they were able to make stick was putting up two posters and one sticker. That’s it? This shows a massive cognitive disconnect about the state of art vs. serious vandalism in Allston, about which crimes actually have a direct impact on quality of life. The money quote from that Globe article that shows what a political farce this whole situation was from the get go.
Police admitted in testimony today before the magistrate that they had no eyewitnesses or surveillance video of Fairey putting up posters, Wiesner said.
Wicked Local wrote back when that the proprietor of Brazilian Corner Grocery Store at 192 Brighton Ave said a number of posters had appeared on his building in either November or December (ie, more or less immediately following the election). Based on that observation alone, charges were filed against Fairey.
Yet these images were appearing all over the country at that time, in Los Angeles, Houston, Oakland, Washington DC. I would’t claim to know whether Fairey actually put up his little sticker & posters himself, or simply plead guilty to get the BPD and DA (seemingly hellbent on railroading him for something) off his back, but the whole situation doesn’t pass the Law & Order computer-generated plot coherence smell test. Welcome to Boston artists! Enjoy the squad car.
Oh by the way, his exhibition is still on at the ICA through August 16th.
<Obey | Shepard Fairey>
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