Art. Controversy. Anger. Buy It or Run From It.

Shepard Fairey. The iconic Obama Hope image. Lots of opinions and the published ones I have read more hateful than warranted, I think. A good debate about legal costs, intellectual property and artist's responsibilities is not happening. He lied and admitted it. I imagine there were mounting legal bills in a non-defensible issue that was actually a non-issue.

Banksy, Shepard, Blek Le Rat, Bast ... they borrow from iconic images and the result is theirs. Not dissimilar from what is done in the world of fashion. There is a moment when the pencil skirt at Chloe is similar to one at Dolce & Gabbana. In that it has a waist and fabric covering the front and back of the item, probably a hem and a zipper.

Andy Warhol and the soupcans - some bring millions at auctions. Iconic images. Public domain? I don't know the legal answer. I think so.

I think asking Andy for an advertising discount at DeNoyer's instead of buying a piece of art was a mistake.

I'm quite happy to have four Shepard's, retired stencils of his from Merry Karnowski. His show was sold out before the preview and the line was literally a block long for the public show.

Shepard's portrait of Obama is hanging in The National Gallery.