American street artist says French far-right party 'hijacked' his art

RFI

26 June 2024 at 10:59 am·2-min read

American artist Shepard Fairey, better known by his tag Obey, was not pleased to discover his work being used by the far- right National Rally political party in France.

The 54-year-old American – renowned for his 2009 Barack Obama US presidential election campaign poster – is one of the most famous street artists in the world, but is also a long-time social justice campaigner.

He was unimpressed to discover that his image of Marianne, the symbol of the French republic, hangs in the office of Jordan Bardella, president of France's far-right National Rally – the party leading in polls ahead of this weekend's fraught elections.

A number of internet users pointed out this when Bardella appeared in a TV interview with the Marianne portrait behind him in the background.

"It's so ridiculous it's hard for me to even believe," Fairey told French news agency AFP in Paris, where an exhibition of his work is running at the Itinerrance Gallery until 15 July.

"My work's been hijacked for political purposes, but usually it's subverted in a way that makes sense," he said.

Gesture of solidarity

"The audacity to take an image that was about peace and compassion after a terror attack, and also embracing the French slogan, which is a beautiful slogan – liberty, equality, fraternity... Right-wing people don't have those values."

A print ended up in President Emmanuel Macron's office and was seen by millions during a TV broadcast in 2017, forcing Fairey to defend himself against claims of political bias.

His 30-year career has featured 135 murals, hundreds of illegal works and 18 arrests, he said.

(with AFP)

Malay Mail
Thursday, not Tuesday: PM Anwar raps home minister for batik blunder in Parliament
KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today admonished Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasut...
Malay Mail
Syed Saddiq completes 200-km ‘Langkah Muar’ run with Perikatan’s Radzi and Wan Fayhsal joining at end, raises RM160,000 for constituency
KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman today completed his 200km run called “Langkah Muar”, raising RM1...
HuffPost
Harvard Law Professor Delivers Chilling Prediction After Trump Immunity Ruling
Laurence Tribe explained what the Supreme Court decision means in "practical purposes" and it's "devastating."
HuffPost
Reporter Reveals 'Real Anger' From Biden White House Aides After Debate
They were "shocked" and felt "they had not been told the truth," said Axios' Alex Thompson.
Malay Mail
Spurned by Perikatan, Ramasamy says ‘time for Urimai to be a political coalition’ in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 ― The fledgling United Rights of the Malaysian Party (Urimai), an emerging political entity that...
Malay Mail
Anti-Anwar protesters say would hold more demonstrations unless concerns addressed
PUTRAJAYA, July 1 — Influencer Aidil Yunus, also known as YB Viral, today said there could be further protests against P...
The Hill
7 Democrats being floated as potential Biden replacements
President Biden’s campaign is intensely trying to quell speculation that he may drop out of the 2024 race following his lackluster debate performance last week. Most top Democrats have voiced support for Biden continuing in the race, while members of his family, including first lady Jill Biden, have declared they also want him to remain…
Malay Mail
Abang Jo denies Sarawak trying to squeeze out Petronas
KUCHING, July 1 — Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg today denied the state government had breached the spirit o...
INSIDER
A Biden donor says giving him cash is a waste of time and money if that bad debate showed what Biden's really like
Investor Whitney Tilson said it didn't make sense to support Biden "because he has almost no chance of beating Trump."
Reuters
Russia says it destroys five Ukrainian SU-27 jet fighters at airfield
Russia said on Tuesday it had destroyed five Ukrainian SU-27 fighter jets with Iskander-M missiles and damaged two more at the Myrhorod airfield in Ukraine's central Poltava region. Ukraine said there had been a strike at the airfield but that Russia was exaggerating the damage caused. Ukraine did not detail exactly what had been damaged.
CNN
Netanyahu says Israel advancing to ‘end of the stage of eliminating’ Hamas’ army in Gaza
‘We are advancing to the end of the stage of eliminating the Hamas terrorist army,’ the Israeli leader tells group of military officials.
INSIDER
Estonia says it could hold out against a Russian attack 'for a couple of weeks' before NATO arrives
Estonia has ramped up its defense spending and believes it could hold out for a couple of weeks before reinforcements came, if Russia attacked.
The Telegraph
Someone is standing up to Beijing’s ‘Nine Dash Line’ South China Sea land-grab
Scarborough Shoal is a ring of rocks and reefs 29 miles around that lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea west of Luzon, the Philippines’ biggest island. Unfortunately for the Philippines, the Shoal also lies within the so-called “Nine Dash Line” under which China attempts to claim that it owns more or less the entire South China Sea – in defiance of international law and international court judgement.
INSIDER
The most immediate threat to China's economy isn't external. It's internal.
Recent gauges of China's manufacturing activity show export demand, but domestic sentiment is weak.
Sky video
France faces a new political reality as Le Pen's prodigy stands on the brink of power
A new political reality has been revealed in France, it has a new face and a new name - 28-year-old Jordan Bardella.
The Hill
Ocasio-Cortez vows to file impeachment articles against Supreme Court justices
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that she will soon file impeachment articles against at least one justice on the Supreme Court in the wake of their decision to grant partial immunity to former President Trump as he faces felony charges for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent liberal on…
AFP News
'Can't go back': Myanmar conscription exiles struggle in Thailand
When Myanmar's junta announced a conscription law to help crush a popular pro-democracy uprising, Khaing knew there was only one way to escape its clutches, and began planning her escape.- Smuggled for $220 - Shortly after enacting the law, the junta tightened requirements for people crossing Myanmar's land borders, and temporarily halted issuing foreign work permits for young men.
CNN
The Supreme Court just gave presidents a superpower. Here’s its explanation
With its immunity ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court granted former President Donald Trump’s wish of all but guaranteeing that his criminal trial for trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election will not go to trial before the 2024 election in November.
CNN
How ready is China’s military? Dramatic downfall of two defense ministers raises questions
The downfall of two defense ministers over corruption allegations raises tough questions about the country’s combat readiness at a time of heightened tensions.
INSIDER
Changed rules for Ukraine mean its F-16s will arrive when they can make a far bigger impact, military experts say
Ukraine's F-16s are set to arrive when it's allowed to use allied weapons to hit targets in Russia — making the jets far more effective, experts say.

Gesture of solidarity

Latest stories