Home Scandal and Gossip Artist arrested after planting plastic bag on tree confused for bomb.

Artist arrested after planting plastic bag on tree confused for bomb.

SHARE
Takeshi Miyakawa,
Takeshi Miyakawa. Image via nytimes
Takeshi Miyakawa,
Takeshi Miyakawa. Image via nytimes

A publicity stunt meant to be a tribute to his beloved city, NY, has led to one 50 year old artist this weekend being held against his will for a month long psychic evaluation.

Reports the NYT’s, Takeshi Miyakawa, had stamped a plastic bag with the “I ♥ NY” logo on a plastic bag before fitting it with wires which he used to hinge on a tree on North 6th st, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (yes the irony will soon become apparent bixches).

Unfortunately for the artist who had by then wandered down the street to install another plastic bag on another tree a local resident failing to see the humor or irony (but of course one can only imagine that Mr Miyakawa can see the irony now….) instead called 311 exulting that a dangerous plastic bag was now hanging by a local tree and wanted it off. Not sure what to make of the plastic bag, authorities then sent a bomb squad (naturally) to investigate.

nytimes: When the police arrived at Bedford Avenue and Lorimer Street shortly after 2 a.m., they found Mr. Miyakawa atop a ladder. What was art to Mr. Miyakawa, was, to the authorities, “an assembly consisting of a plastic box containing wires which was connected by a wire to a plastic bag containing a battery suspended from a metal rod,” the complaint said.

Mr. Miyakawa was charged with reckless endangerment and placing “a false bomb or hazardous substance,” among other charges. He was arraigned in court in Brooklyn on Sunday morning, his lawyer, Deborah J. Blum, said.

Art as a bomb? Isn’t that the ultimate irony or compliment an artist could have bestowed upon them? After all, why bother being creative unless you can leave a resonant feeling of imminent danger?

But things got hairy when Mr Miyakawa turned up Sunday morning to visit Judge Martin Murphy who didn’t particularly find the creative zeal in Mr Miyakawa all that appealing. Instead Judge Murphy denied Mr Miyakawa bail and had the artist committed (that’s right folks, your turn is coming up soon too) for a month long evaluation to see if he just happens to be loony wacko tunes.

Offered Deborah J. Blum, the assailant’s attorney: “I believe this was a gross misunderstanding.”

Never mind, next time you see an empty plastic bag whistling idly on the street and as so much as marching up the backside of a tree trunk do as you are told and run for cover and remember to slowly chew all your valium pills so as to keep a straight face when the bomb squad next drop by to save your life.

Isn’t it time you moved to Williamsburg and had a slice of irony too?

“I ♥ NY” logo on a plastic bag
“I ♥ NY” logo on a plastic bag. How Williamsburg survived....
SHARE