http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/04/street-artist-space-invader-believed-detained-in-la-vandalism-case.html

sad times for the Invader..

F($@@# the police.

I love his work, but it is vandalism.
He put a few pieces up before in locations I thought was lame.
Best one was a piece on the PCH going to malibu.

Better arrest them than go after gangmembers or corrupt politician eh'

wrong place, wrong time..

looks like he has MBW to still thank for exploiting his name.

nice job douche. your prints (you didnt make yourself) aren't worth raw sewage imo either...

I'd prefer to see graffiti prosecuted than the DOJ chasing down the legal med marijuana places in CA even though Obama promised that he wouldn't let that continue. Or the shutting down of poker websites so that states can open their own. Or.. etc.

It's weird that people keep defending him by saying "but it's ART!!!".
Of course it is. It's also illegally placed on public and private spaces. I've never been a fan of that.

atleast his stuff was interesting. Hell, I'd rather look at some tags or throwups than some shitty ads for cell phones or something.

he's not in jail or anything. they were both released, and i imagine they are back in Paris at this point.

yeah those people who complain that it isn't art would be the first people to have one of his pieces removed and put up for auction as soon as they realize what it's worth.

blah blah blah.

gambling and drugs over self expression? only on skullbrain

oh yeah LAPD...still trying to find the people who beat the dude at Dodger stadium too...gotta prioritize right?

(I'll also add that I never said the self expression is legal..in my opinion, the work he does is art though)

Self expression in this case effects others and their property.

Your freedoms are being eroded.

The problem is you can't prosecute all the gang kids throwing up ugly tags and then draw some line that says "this is art" so don't prosecute.
As I said I love his work. He had hit a few spots in LA that were lame and covered other work "legit" work though.

I personally love ugly gang tags, it's the urban equivalent of pissing on the fire hydrant. The gangsters disciples Shit was the best, with the star of david and random pitchforks... I like stupid shit though so maybe I'm not the best judge of "What's Art" To me whether they know it or not, those kids throwing up tags are creating art. Not singularly, but as a whole.

P.S. I'm not an artist, I just sculpt, draw, paint, and throw up ugly tags.