Allston-Brighton – Shepard Fairey, a nationally recognized and controversial graffiti artist, was arrested on Feb. 6 while on his way to his own art show in downtown Boston.
Fairey had an outstanding warrant out of Brighton District Court for graffiti that dated back to 2000, and another warrant out of Roxbury District Court. Charges against Fairey include damage to real or personal property by paint (graffiti) in Brighton, and police said he would be charged in Boston courts for the appearance of the tag in three other locations.
Fairey is infamous in Boston and other cities around the country for his signature “Andre the Giant” tag that usually features the words “OBEY” or “OBEY The Giant.” Shepard was in Boston to promote his new guerilla-style graffiti art campaign which features photographs of his moniker that were spray-painted in U.S. cities both legally and illegally. The arrest has sparked a debate in Boston over where the line should be drawn between art and the law.
The moniker is a reference to the wrestler known as Andre the Giant, who competed in the 1980s. Fairey has been tagging buildings with the symbol since 1991. Police said Fairey has admitted in media interviews that he is responsible for the tagging of the image.
According to police, the tag most recently appeared in Boston on or around Jan. 24 of this year, when it was seen on the railroad trestle under the BU Bridge and over Storrow Drive in Allston. Police said Fairey did not have permission from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to display his tag there.
