Famous Obama ‘Hope’ Image Stolen?
Posted on January 24, 2009
-By Warner Todd Huston
So, where exactly did the communist graphics inspired artist Shepard Fairey get the image of Obama for his ubiquitous “Hope” poster featuring a confident, young Obama intently staring off into the distance for glorious leader’s future, anyway? Turns out the celebrated artist stole it from an Associated Press freelance photographer and never bothered to acknowledge where he got it in the first place. I guess the word “ethics” didn’t fit as easily on that iconic Fairey poster, eh?
At least one Old Media photographer was curious about the source photo that the poster was based on. Philadelphia Inquirer photog Tom Gralish wondered aloud on his phillynews.com blog about just where the heck that original photo came from? Apparently among the shooter set in the Old Media the question had become a nagging one and Gralish decided to put on his sleuthing cap to track down the original source. After a short time at the task he discovered the original, uncredited photo used by Fairey to make the wildly successful poster that made him bundles of cash.
The original photo was snapped by Associated Press freelancer Mannie Garcia who took the iconic image as he covered a press conference in 2006.
The photo was made by freelance photographer Mannie Garcia who was on assignment for the AP in April of 2006, where a National Press Club news advisory alerted the media that, “Academy Award Winner George Clooney will address National Press Club on his recent visit to war-torn Darfur and will release video footage from his trip to Sudan. Clooney will be joined by U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), co-sponsors of S. 1462, The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, and co-sponsors of amendments to increase funding for peacekeeping operations in Sudan.”
As it turns out, Obama wasn’t contemplating how to save the planet when the image stolen by Fairey was originally taken, he was listening to conservative Senator Sam Brownback speak at the press conference!
So, the main question here is, will the communist inspired arteest Shepard Fairey share the wealth from the photo that made him famous with the actual photographer that took it? Will Fairey follow his Obammessiah and “spread the wealth” a little to the poor, struggling, work-a-day photographer that unwittingly made Fairey a household name in many circles?
Or will they have to settle this sticky philosophical point in the place where those many greedy, mean-spirited capitalists that Fairey is so disdainful of go to solve their problems: the courts?
Either way, the whole thing gave me a laugh.
(Hope poster image credit: Wikipedia/ Original AP photo credit: phillynews.com)
» Filed Under Barack Obama, Democrats, Liberal Media/Bias, News, Propaganda, liberalism
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9 Responses to “Famous Obama ‘Hope’ Image Stolen?”
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Actually, the artist didn’t make any money on this poster, it all went to the campaign.
Actually he DID make money and lots of it. All the notice he got from that poster advertised his website and there he sells alls sorts of “art” that does NOT have anything to do with the O campaign. So, you are wrong. He made tons of cash from that poster.
So typical of liberals. Lie. Cheat. Steal. Their ends always justify their means.
I can’t wait for 4 (or is it
years of this shi$.
Louis Morrone on January 24th, 2009 4:35 pm Actually, the artist didn’t make any money on this poster, it all went to the campaign.
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A thief is a thief regardless. Something Obama and his thug party or you will never comprehend.
Some interesting facts I’ve gathered on on Obama’s communist-inspired artist Shepard Fairey:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2171204/posts?page=7#7
Well, I suppose you can say it gave him a lot of publicity, which in turn made him a lot of money… But he didn’t actually sell the image we’re talking about here; I’d say that argument would hold up in court if he were sued, depending on how it is presented of course.
Uh, problem boy.
If that image is traced vector graphics, merely using an image on the background, someone doesn’t really need to acknowledge anything.
This is an often used technique: ( http://www.webdesign.org/web/vector-graphics/adobe-illustrator/how-to-tracedraw-people-from-photo-with-illustrator.7883.html ) but you are deluding yourself if you think that every original photo owner gets to get credit for the final graphic.
It is no different that seeing something on a background and drawing it on a blank canvas, except that with our modern technology our canvas just so happens to be transparent and you are able to see exactly what you trace, and mistakes are easily corrected. Still an originally blank file with 100% generated information by the artist (as opposed to, say, a collage)
There is a grey area of copyright in issues of “derivative” art. It’s left to the courts to decide whether or not the image has been modified enough to become a new and different work. Violators might luck out on this execution or they might not. But it’s plain that Fairey took advantage of a photographer’s efforts (and a minority photographer to boot). What’s more troubling is that The One’s campaign made tons of money from the image. If there is copyright violation here, Garcia would be entitled to a share of all the profit made from the image, regardless of who made the profit. I’m sure he could find a legal team that would roll the dice on a possible multi-million dollar payday.
Yes he steals, yes he made a ton of dough off it by selling limited editioned silkscreens but copyright is dead and no one can stop it.
People have stolen from beginning of time, be it language or stories (biblical).. art etc. As long as there are people, things will be stolen and be mutated into something else, something even better.
When it’s good, people won’t mind it, like this photographer, he was flattered and he won’t sue. It’s called progress. Enjoy it you no talent hacks.
Oh, and yes, it was an easy vector trace but art is not about degrees of hardships. It’s about the msg and this image, like it or not spoke to the masses, in a big way, at the right time and it will be immortal.