Japanese pop artist, Nara Yoshitomo in New York jail

[canman]

I just heard this story that famous artist(maybe) Yoshitomo Nara, got busted for graffiti in New York just before his big opening. But also he was charged with 3 other counts, including resisting arrest. I'm not sure if he was trying to get publicity for his exhibition or what.
People up here in Aomori are in fits about this, since he is a hometown boy, and was commissioned to create a large piece for the new Aomori prefectural art gallery. The piece is called Aomori Ken, and it is a huge dog like figure.
Here is a link to the picture.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ripplet/2943418855/

[Cyka UchuuJin]

I just heard this story that famous artist(maybe) Yoshitomo Nara, got busted for graffiti in New York just before his big opening. But also he was charged with 3 other counts, including resisting arrest. I'm not sure if he was trying to get publicity for his exhibition or what.
People up here in Aomori are in fits about this, since he is a hometown boy, and was commissioned to create a large piece for the new Aomori prefectural art gallery. The piece is called Aomori Ken, and it is a huge dog like figure.
Here is a link to the picture.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ripplet/2943418855/

why are they in fits about it? do they think he should have been given special treatment because he's a 'celebrity'?

[canman]

No they are scandalized that the hometown boy was arrested doing something stupid. Hey, we are up in the far north inaka, so they don't like any kind of embarrassment being heaped upon them.

[BO-SENSEI]

Honestly, what the hell was he thinking, as a public figure in a foreign country, he is supposed to respectfully respresent where he is from. Imagine a celebrity from your part of your country going to some other country and getting caught for doing something illegal and stupid.

[omae mona]

Honestly, what the hell was he thinking, as a public figure in a foreign country, he is supposed to respectfully respresent where he is from. Imagine a celebrity from your part of your country going to some other country and getting caught for doing something illegal and stupid.

No need to use your imagination!

• Cantopop singers
• Soccer players
• Opera singers
• Rugby players
• Chefs
• Non-human lawbreakers

[Cyka UchuuJin]

Honestly, what the hell was he thinking, as a public figure in a foreign country, he is supposed to respectfully respresent where he is from. Imagine a celebrity from your part of your country going to some other country and getting caught for doing something illegal and stupid.

imagine if someone from america was caught graffiting here!! scandal all around!

[Mike Oxlong]

Graffiti happens...

[Bucky]

Staff at the gallery declined comment yesterday, but a Japanese television crew doing a piece on Nara said the arrest would only give the artist more street cred at home. "He's going to get big notoriety for this here and in Japan," a crew member said.

Sounds like some think it will only add to his rep:bowdown:

[prolly]

looks like he's trying to pull a shepard fairey: http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/30328/fairey-arrested-outside-ica/

[Mulboyne]

New York Post: GRAFFITI CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST YOSHITOMO NARA

A popular Japanese artist who was busted earlier this year for drunkenly drawing on the wall of an East Village subway station has been given a clean slate. Yoshitomo Nara, a multimillionaire pop artist, was arrested in February when cops spotted him drawing a smiley face on the wall of the First Avenue L-train stop with a marker in the wee hours of the morning. The art sensation, whose works of doe-eyed cartoonish children have sold for as much as $1.5 million, was given an adjournment in contemplation after being charged with making graffiti and criminal mischief and spending the night in jail. That meant if he kept his nose clean for six months, the charges would be dropped - which they were yesterday. "This case in now officially over," said his lawyer, Guy Oksenhendler. "He can get back to wowing the art world with his great art."

The incident happened on the eve of the opening for an exhibit of his work at the Marianne Boesky Gallery in Chelsea. The 49-year-old, who lives in Tochigi, Japan, called the arrest "a nice experience in my life," in which he got to meet people he would not otherwise have encountered. "Like in the movies," he told Art in America magazine. The always cash-strapped Transit Authority missed an opportunity to make some money off the incident - their efficient employees wiped the graffiti off the wall. It's been estimated the brick it was on could have been sold for an estimated $10,000.