Are you serious? [A rare soap box moment]

Friend Ellis G. on Facebook.

Awhile back I linked to a Current TV pod about street artist Ellis G. (a.k.a. Ellis Gallagher). He does some really cool work where he roams the Brooklyn streets and outlines shadows with chalk.

However, it seems the NYPD does not think Ellis' work is awesome at all. His Facebook status recently informed us fans that he was taken into custody for breaking anti-graffiti laws. This isn't the first time Ellis has been arrested for his art, but I sincerely hope it's the last.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for keeping punks and thugs from deliberately defacing/damaging public and private property. This, however, is completely ridiculous. Chalk is water soluble, and is in no way permanent. The point of Ellis' work is that it's temporary, and subject to fading and changing over time. If the NYPD wants to go after Ellis' for covering Brooklyn in chalk, then they better be prepared to arrest or fine every six year old kid who does the same. Oh wait... apparently they do that already.


Current TV Programming + Chalk = Yet another reason I need to visit NYC (7/5/2009)