Detroit worries commissioned artist has been tagging

DETROIT — A street artist who became widely known for his Hope poster of 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama may have left his mark here, and police are investigating.

Shepard Fairey, commissioned to paint an 18-story mural downtown, previously had said he intended to leave unauthorized graffiti in the city.

"I still do stuff on the street without permission. I'll be doing stuff on the street when I'm in Detroit," he said last month shortly before starting his paid work. His signature black-and-white Andre the Giant face has since appeared on multiple buildings downtown, in Eastern Market and along Jefferson Avenue.

The issue came up Monday at a news conference when a reporter asked city officials whether police were investigating Fairey.

"We treat everyone the same," Detroit Police Chief James Craig said. "Let the facts show what the facts show. We are moving forward with the investigation."

Mayor Mike Duggan pointed out that many people who deface property in Detroit aren't from here.

"As I've said to the chief, I expect this to be investigated vigorously," Duggan said. "I think Prosecutor (Kym) Worthy has brought seven different felony charges in the last six months against at graffiti artists. … Graffiti is being dramatically reduced."

Fairey's admission that he would be tagging property without permission raised sticky questions for Bedrock Real Estate Services officials, who invited him to create the mural and multiple other pieces on its downtown properties.

"I definitely do not promote any unsanctioned work," Dan Mullen, Bedrock executive vice president, previously said..

Fairey's Andre the Giant mark is easily recognizable. It's at the center of the 18-story mural the commissioned to be a signature work of public art in Detroit. It's also featured in a separate piece in the Bedrock-owned Z-Lot parking structure and is also on a water tower on a Bedrock-owned building.

Fairey uses it on his Obey clothing brand, and its website shows Fairey's Detroit work on a blog.

At this point, it's unclear whether any of the other places it's been posted were authorized — or whether Fairey did them.

The Los Angeles-based artist was last in Detroit in the early 2000s when he tagged public and private spaces without permission. He's well aware of the tension and said it was considered a coup to get to make work that at times might be at odds with other aspects of a company's profile.

Maria Miller, spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, said her office has not made a decision on whether to file charges because police still are investigating the issue.

Worthy, the county prosecutor, has prosecuted around six graffiti cases, and most individuals were charged with destruction of property, Miller said. Those charges can either come in the form of a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the value of the property and the suspect's prior record.

A person could serve anywhere from 93 days in jail to years in prison, Miller said.

"But once we get into the felonies, that's determined by the guideline," she said.

Contributing: Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press