Bits: 02.07.09

Shepard Fairey piece installed in Boston this week, via AMNP.

• On his way to do a guest DJ gig for the opening of his Supply and Demand show at ICA Boston, Shepard Fairey was arrested last night. The artist has told the Boston Globe he's been arrested 14 times; he had two outstanding warrants. See the exhibition by Fairey, who was recently interviewed by Charlie Rose, at ICA through August.

• On Wednesday, the AP accused Fairey of copyright infringement for basing his iconic poster of Barack Obama (now part of the National Portrait Gallery's collection) on an image shot by the AP's Manny Garcia in 2006. While Fairey and his lawyers say it's fair use, the AP insists on getting credit and compensation. [via]

• BAGNewsNotes and Northwestern communications professor Robert Hariman ponder the imagery of The Great Unraveling, a term Paul Krugman used for the downward spiral of the economy and its impact on individual lives.

• Dwell looks at deboulonneurs ("unscrewers"), French culturejammers who are resisting the visual pollution of advertising. Marching under the slogan, "Who pays for advertising? We all do!," their aim is to see ad sizes reduced to 50x70cm and then turn big billboards over to artists and community members.

• Regina Hackett is collecting thought bubbles in "heavy metal," neon pink, etc.

• Heard about that NSFW moment during the Super Bowl when some Tuscon-area Comcast viewers went from a Larry Fitzgerald touchdown to a 30-second blip of balls-out porn? The company behind said skin flick feels bad that viewers who might've been enjoying the movie weren't able to finish it: They're offering a $10 discount for anyone who wants to see the whole, ahem, nine yards.

• Digg commenters perform "Bohemian Rhapsody."

• It's been around awhile, but if you haven't seen it, check out the, uh, awesome, "4 Chords" by The Axis of Awesome.