Glaser on Fairey
I’m honestly not sure how I feel about the whole possible lawsuit against Shepard Fairey’s poster (which turns out, now, that he’s filing a lawsuit against them), but it’s interesting to hear other designers discuss the drama. Designer of the incredibly famous “I ♥ NY” logo, Milton Glaser, gave his opinion:

For myself—this is subjective—I find the relationship between Fairey’s work and his sources discomforting. Nothing substantial has been added. In my own case, when I did the Dylan poster, I acknowledged using Duchamp’s profile as an influence. I think unless you’re modifying it and making it your own, you’re on very tenuous ground. It’s a dangerous example for students, if they see that appropriating people’s work is the path to success. Simply reproducing the work of others robs you of your imagination and form-making abilities. You’re not developing the muscularity you need to invent your own ideas.

Via Boing Boing