Artist behind Obama 'Hope' poster has lost his hope

Shepard Fairey, the American street artist who created the Obama "Hope" poster, says the president never lived up to the word.

The 45-year-old artist, perhaps best known for appearing in Banksy's documentary "Exit Through The Gift Shop" did an interview with Esquire Magazine where he discussed his art and the president.

When asked if Obama lived up to his hope poster, he said, "Not even close."

"Obama has had a really tough time," Fairy explained. "But there have been a lot of things that he's compromised on that I never would have expected."

Fairey added that he's met the president and the he thinks he's a good guy, but believes Obama never really had control of his presidency.

The Obama "Hope" poster was the symbol for the president's 2008 campaign, but then became the subject of a legal dispute in 2009 when Fairey sued the Associated Press after the organization claimed he had infringed on the copyright of their original image. The street artist lost and was sentenced to two years probation and fined $25,000.