Man, that is some crappy stuff. How much of a bust is it for putting up stuff like that? Does he have to do time? Money?

$12,000?!??!one!!omg!?!

That's a lot of money. If people stopped tagging shit up maybe we could afford a bike lane or something.

Or maybe that kind of stuff could be, you know, funded by people that get caught for tagging.

Graf costs portland $2 million a year is all I'm sayin'.

i'm confused. do the police have cause to believe he's responsible for the actual defacing of property (ie spray painting directly onto structures), or is he just accused of hammering boards onto light poles, etc?

if it's the first, i think anybody can answer whether it's right or wrong by imagining looking out your window right now to see some dude spray painting the shit out of your car... and the corresponding feeling you have towards that person.

if it's the second, one more complete waste of our tax dollars (if there's no discernible property damage short of using a claw hammer to pull out a nailed board from a telephone pole).

also, matt, did you know the multnomah county sheriff's office is now putting up booking photos of everybody booked into the justice center in real time?

http://www.mcso.us/PAID/Default.aspx

Thanks, lyle. I did. I've used it to put his photograph up.

"Portland Unite"? WTF does that mean? Anything at all? And how do crudely drawn faces help convey that sentiment? And why are all the faces bleeding from the eyes, anyway? And why are they bleeding in beige?

I think they only charged the guy with "Criminal Mischief" because there's no specific law about "Crimes against Art".

Damn, he looked like he was about to do some bleeding from the eyes after getting busted. Bet he didn't see that coming.

"Portland Unite" was the title of all the JPGs the cops sent me.

Yes, his work is terrible. But essentially, it's painting. And it's not like the telegraph poles of Portland need protecting from any more nails.

What's the law on all of this? It looks like he just put up a wooden piece on poles that had already been papered over by fliers. The $12,000 water tank I understand, just not the poles. Are those poles "paper only"?

I'd imagine this is governed by the city's sign ordinance—you know, the one the Multnomah County District Attorney thinks

may be unconstitutional?

Good. I've been wanting someone to challenge that law for awhile. I hope this is the opportunity.

Here's the city sign code, as it relates to utility poles.

Well then I guess they just got picky about which sign makers they wanted to bust. Can't they spend their time on someone dangerous for a change?

Ha ha! Ass-beard should have read Title 32, Portland City Code. Nutshell - keeps signs off of electric poles. Why? "I'VE JUST LOST 250 POUNDS - ASK ME HOW"! First Amendment rights? It's a basic city code violation. Unless people want to see the day-glo "I'LL BUY YOUR HOME - 1-888-GOHOME-LIMEY" signs plastered all over the place, then yes - the city does have to spend our tax dollars taking these things down, prosecuting some tard and taking $$$ from other services and programs.

But I don't see the city cracking down on the diet sign posters. I'm all for making PDX smart. I'd also like to see it be fair.

But who does the bunny stuff?
Let's get to the important investigative reports.
huggles,
MalcomX Blvd Committee

Just wait till they bring in everybodys Aunt, Gramma, and brother for putting up Garage Sale signs this spring!

The thing that is sad about this is that the cops have better things to do than to incite lawsuits against the city that our tax dollars pay for in the end. I mean this guy's really got something here...and he SHOULD sue the pants off them! It would sure be funny to see Schmautz trying to explain this one on TV!!

wow! this is drop-to-the-ground-and-giggle-till-you-shit-your-
pants-FUNNY! 31 counts of so-called "first degree criminal
mischief" and the cops are out hooting 'n' hollering like it's
the biggest case of the century. A bit of silly overkill is what
it really is, but how do people that can't see anything wrong
when one of their own kills a man by kicking him to death
(and is exonerated as happened to Christopher Humphreys
& Kyle Nice) begin to find the absurdity of this silliness?

Tom, you need to get more involved in "management" of
these clowns you've got at PoPo and Rosie needs to put
her paperback book down and pay attention to what her
charges are doing. 31 counts...ha! ha! ha! ha!

just saw PoPo Matt Miller on KGW's 11:00
evening news...is he bucking for promotion
or wanting a raise in salary? Come on, is
that what this is really all about????

I can't believe this. I think the paintings are cool looking. If you don't like them take them down. How about the millions of fliers? When does an flier become a sign? When does a sign that is not advertising, is not derogitory and is barely atached to wood become illigal? I think this is BS. Let the poor man go, this is Portland!

This douchebag was burning your tax dollars before he was even arrested.

He totally vandalized a tank in Washington Park, YOUR tax bucks will be spent to repaint that, and continue to be spent on all future tanks that are tagged because asshats like him are too cheap to buy canvas.

Just don't think he's a poor artist either. I betcha Ryan Wendell Birkland is the son of Wendell R. Birkland, douchebag defense lawyer to such stellar people such as this child molestin' pastor:
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_101907_news_pastor_sex_abuse_alvarizares.187bbfe62.html
and Bush 2004 campaign contributor in 2004:
http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Birkland&older=yes

Just another rich kid in his 30's living off of daddy's dime.

This doesn't have anything to do with the sign code. The criminal mischief charges simply come down to one person hammering nails in to another person's (or in this case, entity's) property. I realize it's just a power pole, but property is property.

Power poles belong to PGE, not the city, and PGE chose to press charges, not the city. So please hop off the free speech lawsuit wagon, its not going anywhere.

Personally, having a piece of plywood crudely hung from a power pole seems like a safety issue, art or not.

can we plead for an execution based on just horrible art? *crosses fingers*

The bunny flier person in SE has my love and adoration. Always makes me smile.

Anyone else seen the baby pig's head 8ft in the air on a telephone pole at about 32nd and Belmont?

ouch, atul @ 6. i looked at your blog.

I can see how giving every citizen carte blanche to shoot nail guns into utility poles to hang whatever crap they wanted could lead to long term structural problems. At the very least it's a major maintenance nuisance.

What if thousands of people over the course of a few years nailed shit into your home's hardy plank?

"I'd imagine this is governed by the city's sign ordinance—you know, the one the Multnomah County District Attorney thinks

may be unconstitutional?

Good. I've been wanting someone to challenge that law for awhile. I hope this is the opportunity."

I know that absolutes such as the second amendment have simplistic appeal. The city sign ordinance is challenged all the time by billboard giant Clearwire as unconstitutional. So careful what you wish for...

(Actually the Oregon free speech amendment is pretty cool and has plenty of side effects. Feature article worthy even.)

I'd rather have crappy art on a water tower than have it that drab green. street art, what!

Ah, lively discussion of contemporary issues. This is what generates our ad revenue.

Thanks guys.

No big surprise. The dude is squirelly.

No big surprise. The dude is squirelly.

No big surprise. The dude is squirelly.

I'd like to see PGE press charges against the asshats tacking up those ever-present weight loss / mortgage scam signs.

notice that the poles they're photographing as evidence have the remnants of dozens of old fliers tacked to them. apart from what someone noted as "safety concerns", is tacking plywood up so different than hanging a piece of paper?

Chuck Norris approves Mike Huckabee and Ryan Birkland... check out his real art at stumptownart.com

This is just overkill. Birkland was just trying to promote himself...

Is stapling fliers to telephone poles a crime? No.

Artistic merit aside, in a strong wind (not unheard of around here), I'd much rather be hit in the head by a falling band flyer than one of these plywood works.

Last night I saw the news report where the cop talked about the reasons why and I actually thought that they were pretty good reasons. There were safety concerns for the techs using the poles due to the size of the nails and yeah, if one of those came down it would suck to get hit by it. The size of the nail seemed to be the deciding factor.

After seeing that report I also noted that he was living in some pretty nice digs and owned an art gallery in NW with all of the evidence in the window. His friends said that he did it because he just wanted to leave the art for anyone who wanted it.

Thats when I wanted smack that asshole with one of his ugly ass signs! Give away your art in your gallery jackass! This guy is just a self-glorified tagger with a nice house and a gallery to boot.

No sympathy folks, but I still wish the cops would get tough on a more dangerous crime, like catch some rapists or dangerous drivers or something.

I grew up with him. He is not a tagger. He is a nice guy. He does not need the publicity. His family is f-n loaded. He'll be just fine. search his last name

I grew up with him. He is not a tagger. He is a nice guy. He does not need the publicity. His family is f-n loaded. He'll be just fine. search his last name

"His family is f-n loaded."

Good. So maybe he'll get 96 hours of community service and have to pay back the $12,000. Problem solved, right?

My question then is as follows: Did the tagger that used "MUNC" as a tag have to pay for all the damage he did when he was busted last year? If not, why not?

You guys are all a bunch of shits because you have 1. too much time to write on here. 2. you are all a bunch of assholes that want to come down on some guy that did basically nothing wrong. 3. the cops should get all the drunk drivers, prostitutes, and drug dealers off the streets before wasting their time on a 3-fucking month investigation. You call this investigation? 4. This is not criminal, it is freedom of expression, and I like it better than those clean up or diet signs that are ALWAYS posted and no one ever does anything about that. 5. and art is art, if you don't like it, don't buy it and don't look at it. 6. There are so many ugly people in Portland, I thought it was pleasant to see something different and colorful. 7. whoever said he was a rich kid is wrong. He worked for every dime. 8. why don't you check out his real artwork at http://stumptownart.com/. 9 If you looked at what he sells and what he stands for, you fuckers wouldn't be saying ANY OF THIS SHIT. 9. why don't you get to know someone before you knock them down. you guys all hate yourselves for ripping on someone like this. I feel bad for him right now. Do you think he needs you assholes are ripping him a new one? C'mon, the water tower is ugly, art is beautiful. His art is beautiful. And if you got to know him,,he'd hand you a beer, sit down with you, and talk to you about life...and he's a REAL person, you think about it for a while... or keep on writing on sites like this and sitting in front of your computer bashing on people that don't deserve it. If I had the money, I'd pay his bail. I think all Portland artists should unite and support him, he made a few bad decisions, he may be eccentric, but he is the most talented artist in Portland. Check out his stuff. You better check yourself before you wreck yourself, just wait until he is famous and all of this stuff is written down, sealed and forever. He will be so famous some day, and I'm glad the police are making fools of themselves, they're so damn stupid they can't catch the real criminals...

You all have things mixed up. I am the Urban Art Network. Myself along with another lady are carrying on the torch. It is impossible to please everybody but we try. This is a show for the artists of Portland. The only jurying process that I am aware of, is that any goods sold cannot be machine made and mass produced. Furniture is allowed and I have plenty of frends who on the street that make beautiful furniture. Clothing is allowed just not mass produced things. PNCA has allowed us to close off their block of 13th. The only restrictions that they have given us is to limit their block to "art" as opposed to craft and jewlery. We also allow that whole block to PNCA students free of charge. I am a street artist and I hate all forms of jurying and I feel like the general public is the best form of jurying. For the people that are saying that the show doesn't cater to them and that things havent been fair, I am personally sorry if your feelings have been hurt by some sort of jurying process that I don't know about. I have a lot on my plate and will try harder. The permits have been turned into the city and we are gearing up for another year out on the street. If you feel like there is too much bullshit on First Thursday, come out to Last Thursday on ALBERTA, set up next to me, its a BLAST!!!!!
Peace Portland,

Ryan

This was written by Ryan Wendell Birkland, see, he is not a bad guy. He even coaches a teen ski team group at OES and is a mentor for these kids. Do you think he does it for the money? they have won every freaking league race since he took them on. He cares for them like they were his own kids. He tells me about it all the time. he is a fucking cool dude. Stop bashing, stop hating, and start thinking about shit more, like uh.... the war in Iraq? This is all just a smokescreen, there is bigger shit going on....like let's feed the homeless on the streets, get them off the streets, fight meth abuse. hello? are you all insane? and whoever insinuated that he is a little bit screwy? it takes one to know one buddy... good luck.

thanks "kimberlina" & "artcrazy" for your
comments & observations, which I do fully
agree with...there is far much more impor-
tant shit happening in this city, in this
world and with the PoPo than to take on a
guy for such petty reasons. Let's support
this artist in his struggle with the silly
minions of BIG BROTHER and see to it that
their machinery doesn't eat him up and
spit him out an altogether different per-
son than what he is already. Peace!

This art may have seen more appreciation had the artist's depiction of retarded subjects been limited to a charcoal scrawl on the side of an outbuilding at OES.
No harm no Foul. Right?
Dude brings a little Wall Street angst to the citydwellers and all hell breaks loose. F'n bitzes!

...

$12,000 to paint a water tank?

To all of the supporters of the gallery owner's art:

Send us your addresses and an open letter to allow us to paint whatever we like upon your property. Yep, your cars, your house, your mailbox, etc.

Still sound fair? Does to me. Put up or shut up. Even if you do put up, it still doesn't make others feel like the same liberty should be given to anyone else to do the same without their permission.(cough,cough, $12K, public property, cough, vandalism, cough, tagging bitches)

You're right though; there are more important issues.

i know this guy. even though he has a gallery and coordenates the 13 ave. thing on first thursady, lives the artist lifestyle....he can't paint at all. completely a wanna be artist.

may be the greatest guy on earth

may be 'f-ing loaded'

paints like a retarded 2 year old, get that shit off my street poles pls.

Damn there are some haters in this town. Nothing better to do than hate???

Paints like a 2 year old...That was said about Picasso. So much jealous talk from so many mean people.

It doesn't matter if it's ugly or not or what family he's from, what matters is how we in a sensible bastion of civilization handle this sort of thing. A sane city would make this guy paint over his own stuff on the water tower and fill in the nail holes in the poles (thereby undoing the alleged damage). Maybe some more community service or a year of probation if something punitive yet appropriate to the offense is seen as necessary to deter him from making more unauthorized signs. Nail the weight loss a$$holes too though, or be hypocritical. Problem solved.

I congradulate you Americans. Your inability to think allows for the communist police state that you wallow around in. The lights come on and you jump like the startled fat pigs that most of you are. 31 FUC%$#G Felonies????? Everyone go back to your cubicles, drink up your Starbucks and diet Coke, keep watching your government sponsored boob-tubes. This is obviously the hardest working artist that I have ever heard of. I thought that all artist were lazy pot heads? This guy is painting all day, working in his gallery and putting up signs all night?
Portland is full of a bunch of hipster haters! Welcome to Mc Donalds here is your gun now go and do the world a favor and shoot yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I congradulate you Americans. Your inability to think allows for the communist police state that you wallow around in. The lights come on and you jump like the startled fat pigs that most of you are. 31 FUC%$#G Felonies????? Everyone go back to your cubicles, drink up your Starbucks and diet Coke, keep watching your government sponsored boob-tubes. This is obviously the hardest working artist that I have ever heard of. I thought that all artist were lazy pot heads? This guy is painting all day, working in his gallery and putting up signs all night?
Portland is full of a bunch of hipster haters! Welcome to Mc Donalds here is your gun now go and do the world a favor and shoot yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I congradulate you Americans. Your inability to think allows for the communist police state that you wallow around in. The lights come on and you jump like the startled fat pigs that most of you are. 31 FUC%$#G Felonies????? Everyone go back to your cubicles, drink up your Starbucks and diet Coke, keep watching your government sponsored boob-tubes. This is obviously the hardest working artist that I have ever heard of. I thought that all artist were lazy pot heads? This guy is painting all day, working in his gallery and putting up signs all night?
Portland is full of a bunch of hipster haters! Welcome to Mc Donalds here is your gun now go and do the world a favor and shoot yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!