A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
One of the pieces of graffiti found on a utility pole Northwest 21st Avenue led to the arrest of a 31-year-old Portland man.
Courtesy / Portland Police Bureau
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A prolific 31-year-old tagger was arrested Thursday, Jan. 31, and hit with nearly three dozen criminal mischief charges in connection with graffiti nailed to utility poles across the city.
Ryan Wendell Birkland was arrested by officers from Portland Police Bureau’s Central Precinct Neighborhood Response Team.
The graffiti began showing up on Portland General Electric poles several months ago. A similar style of graffiti resulted in $12,000 worth of damages to the Sherwood Field Water Tank in Washington Park.
During the investigation, Officer Matt Miller, the bureau’s graffiti investigator, received several tips about the graffiti that lead officers to Gallery 19, 1339 N.W. 19th Ave. Similar graffiti could be seen through the gallery’s windows on display inside the building.
According to police, Birkland is believed to be the owner of the gallery as well as the person responsible for the string of graffiti.
Since the damage done to the water tower was over the $750 cap for misdemeanor crimes, and the graffiti displayed on the poles are public utilities, which is a felony, Birkland will be charged with 31 total felony charges of criminal mischief.
Having watched the problem grow over the last 40 years of living in the Metro area, I can honestly & without hesitation say I hope they hang (figuratively) him high!!!
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 08:23 AM
Maybe the dude was just bored and felt like the art gallery was a dud. Hopefully he will have to do community service.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 08:29 AM
$12,000 of damage, I hope he does extended jail time.
Unfortunately, I feel a severe hand slapping coming on! That'll teach him a lesson~!
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 08:48 AM
People who do this crap need to get a life.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 08:51 AM
Grow up!He thinks his garbage drawings look real pretty. His shop must be doing poorly that he has allot of time to vandalize. Hope they close his shop and now he will have plenty of time to clean the city and think about how stupid he is. What a LOSER!
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 09:10 AM
I think we need to take a step back and recognize - who defines art and where should it be displayed. Perhaps a public utility pole is not the best location, but stirring thought and provoking discussion is the forefront of artistic expression. Portland provides an interesting canvas for artists to share their views and stir public opinion. I have a difficult time sanctioning jail for such an act as described. Seriously folks, jail for a young artist? Come on, this is Portland, and arts fuel this city!
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 09:27 AM
He need's to be tazed on the "gouch",maybe that will get his attention....
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 09:54 AM
Jenny,
Do you mind if I come paint your car? I'm a starving artist. How about the side of your house?
He's going to be a felon, thats a mark for life but he probably doesn't have much to lose.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 09:55 AM
Before I wholesale locked him up, I'd investigate if he would be a good candidate for doing something constructive with his punishment.
If it is a first offense, maybe he could redirect his energies to providing art in some of the local public schools whose art programs have been cut? Facing 31 counts, he could do 31 workshops for children- under supervision, of course- and if he follows through consider reducing the charges to misdemeanors. If he is not deemed to be too dangerous to do so, it would serve the community, give him a better outlet, fill some of his spare time, and would give some children the opportunity to have a little bit of art in school.
If no schools wanted him, I think putting him on graffiti clean-up detail would be good for him. Cleaning up 31 locations seems like a good starting point to me.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Graffiti clean-up sounds like a great idea to me! I realize it is an art form, and often a beautiful art form. However, if you've ever scrubbed it off your fence or vehicle, you know the art appreciation factor quickly wanes...Punish the dude!
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Can you believe JennyB?????
A real airhead.
Maybe she doesn't realize that the poles cost money. Putting up posters with staples makes the wood soft and the posters hold in the water. The post starts to rot and has to be replaced. The cost of the pole and labor is about $3,000 per pole. Multiply that times all the poles in the city and you end up with a significant cost to WHO??? The people who own the pole which is the utilities and city. The costs are then passed on to the rate payers and tax payers.
So maybe your ignorant statement is not thinking past your unrealistic view of life.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 10:57 AM
As an artist myself, I see both sides. Yes, he made some pretty bad choices in the places to display his work. He broke the law straight up and should work it off. But multiple felonys?? Is this what he really should get? Watch out hanging up those band posters or garage sale flyers. You may be next...
KEEP PORTLAND WEIRD!! But don't get caught!
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 11:27 AM
oh my God! MULTIPLE FELONIES for such a prank???? What in
the hell is wrong with you people? Bad potty-training???
Left you with anal-retentive attitudes as you quest to
outdo each other in control-freak petty mindedness, and yet can so easily turn a blind eye to PoPo's murdering of
innocent citizens. Go to the library and get an art book
or any number of documentary movies on graffiti and you'll
learn it's simply an "art thing"...nothing, nothing less!
Education is a great thing as it broadens the mind, as it
expands one's thinking and tempers his silliness! Please
remember it's just an "art thingy" and not capital murder.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 11:40 AM
It's art when you do it on your own property. When you do it on someone else's, you're a criminal. Period.
But of course, since there are no real penalties, the vandals get away with their crimes just like almost everyone else.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Who pay's for all those utility polls? Who pay's for the water tank? If you guessed taxes then I OWN them just as much as the next working person. It's MY property he defaced with ART!!. So was the so-called graffiti destructive to OUR property? Did it offend sombody? Did it mark some gang bang turf? Okay, so they paid some sorry sap city wages to take a hammer, pull some nails and take the paintings Oh, I mean GRAFFITI down and slap a freash coat of paint on the water tank. What a joke. Heaven forbid they catch my kids with the sidewalk chalk and the crazy stuff they draw.. The Man may lable them TERRORIST. Sheesh!
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Give me a break...let's focus on real issues in this city. 31 felonies is simply ridiculous. Meth, heorin, cops killing citizens, homelessness, etc. Once we take care of that stuff, then we can worry about frivilous issues like someone painting a LIGHT POST. It's a light post for crying out loud. NOT the side of a car, NOT the side of a house, but a terribly ugly, grey, and dirty pole. Sheesh!
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Remember the city pasted an ordiance to get stuff on people who does graffiti. Gang members, taggers, etc.. don't do the crime if you can't be the time. Is graffiti on a stop sign a felony
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 01:52 PM
A felony for the picture above huh. Use the claw side of a hammer and pull out the signs. Big deal. I'm suprised that a majority of you don't feal the same way. I hope this "dork" dosn't serve time for this act, but he should pay a fine.
Loosen up peoples, it's only graffiti!
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 02:22 PM
As an employee for a power company, let's share the power company perspective:
1. Yes, linemen still climb poles. They don't always (nor can they always) use bucket trucks.
2. If there is a power outage, you probably want us to do our job as fast as possible so that YOUR power is on.
3. Power outages rarely occur when it's "convenient". It's usually when it's freezing cold or sweltering hot (in other words your furnace or your air conditioner stopped working) or when it's dark outside and now it's pitch dark.
4. Linemen have an inheriently dangerous job to do. The last thing they want to worry about is what they have to pull out off of a power pole before they can climb it. If it's 10:30 PM at night and pouring down rain, and they have to climb the pole, they probably don't want to shimmy up and get caught by some idiot's nail.
5. If that lineman gets stuck on the nail and cuts his skin, that means that lineman gets to go to the hospital and YOUR power is going to stay off until another lineman can be woken up by his pager, report to a line crew garage, get his equipment and his truck, and show up.
So, it's up to you, Portland. If you want to allow this "art", then don't for one second bitch and whine and make a complaint to the Public Utilities Commission that we took too long to restore your power. If your power is out for 48 hours because we couldn't safely access our equipment, deal with it.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 02:45 PM
Let's see your daddy get off this one....POS.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 02:46 PM
"...but stirring thought and provoking discussion is the forefront of artistic expression."
The words of a liberal idiot.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 02:56 PM
I can't believe the generation that is in power right now. 31 felonies? For art - oh, sorry, graffiti. Are they blind? What about all the concert posters and sale posters covering every single post on 23rd and beyond.
Cities and their inhabitants survive and grow on culture - not in draconian law. I can't wait for the current generation in power to just leave our world, and MY city, alone.
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 03:18 PM
just saw PPB's Matt Miller on KGW's 11 PM newscast
with a few samples of the signage. Miller didn't at all
impress me as being much of an "art critic", nor as one
who'd have a clue as to what art really is anyway. He
came across as one the typical "duh! boys" that gives
credence to Rosie Sizer's complaints of them having a
lot of recruitment difficulties. I should say...
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 03:20 PM
The graffiti on the water tank should be treated differently than the signs tacked up on utility poles. Prosecute on the water tank damage, yes, but why single him out on the signs tacked up on utility poles when people all over our weird city tack up signs as a matter of course, without any consequences. While the utility pole climber is correct about the hazards associated with hitting a nail while climbing, it looks like his nails could be more easily removed along with the signs than the staples used by other, sometimes commercial posters, who could easily be identified and prosecuted, yet are not. Let's keep enforcement of the laws equitable for all. Hopefully, either the DA or a jury will be able to tell the difference between the two acts.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 12:45 AM
"Cities and their inhabitants survive and grow on culture - not in draconian law."
Jacksontown,
I think we found another one of those 'liberal' idiots.
If you leftists think that ignoring the law is OK whenever you decide it is, you better spend some quality time thinking about what that means.
What if I decided to ignore the law that says if I catch a tagger, I can't kick his spraycan up his ***?
See how this whole society thing works? We set up rules and we agree to live by them...not just the ones that my leftist twit mind agrees with.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 12:45 AM
I do not think so. There is no destruction of property in this pole mounted art work.
If anything, the guy should be fined for pasting art without a permit.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 02:40 AM
I agree with "tim." there are more pressing issues in the city than this. I dont't really even care for "art" but with child molesters, tweakers and downer cow meat for lunch, I think we have other things we should be worrying about. Whatever the punishment is for hanging signs on utility poles--garage sale, lost dog--he should receive the same. I highly doubt it is a felony. The water tank was truly vandalism. If that constitutes a felony, fine. But that would be one felony and 30 citations for whatever sign-on-pole law there is. He should also pay the city's time for removing the signs and painting the tank. As for taxpayer poles being structurally jepordized, there are much larger nails permanently pounded into the sides of those creosote-treated poles. He is lucky though, this is Portland and often when a cop can't find something to charge an unarmed individual with, they shoot them in the chest. At least this time they piled on erroneous felonies instead.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 02:59 AM
I just returned from a drive (yes, in a car) down NW 21st Av and I was amazed at the number of PGE poles with not only the dozens of paper sign ads on them, but guess what, City of Portland and Tri Met signs are permanently affixed to these poles. Lots of Parking signs, stop signs, and the like and lots of TriMet route signs and bus stop signs. In another place, the City was using a PGE pole as a street sign. How is this so different from the "artist" putting his sign up? Monkey see, monkey do. I hope he gets a good public defender.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 04:48 AM
Guess what 'portland loves art...' Seldom do utility workers climb poles anymore, they almost always use bucket trucks. Your lame argument that a nail might scratch the poor worker as he is climbing the pole is ridiculous. He also might trip on the curb or stumble on a rock while walking to the pole..... And I am certain if they did actually climb the pole, they would be in heavy clothing/gloves so a nail probably wouldnt even be noticed. Nice try, but your argument fails miserably.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 06:07 AM
Full Of Something for sure,
"Seldom", isn't the same as 'never'. "Probably wouldn't be noticed" is a ways away from 'wouldn't be noticed'. Nice try but YOUR argument just went out the window. To be honest, even calling it an 'argument' is giving it way too much credit.
The silly defenses of one of PDX's little artistic weirdos is really pretty funny to read.
If you guys are so enamored of this guys 'art', why aren't you over their buying some of his 'works'?
Seems that if he was actually moving any of his 'art', he wouldn't need to be out putting the stuff up like some silly kid.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 06:38 AM
What does putting up art "like some silly kid" have to do with moving his art? Why do you imply that he must be on hard times simply because he was inspired to do something that your thought process doesn't seem to understand? I guess because in your world giving something a price tag is the only way to justify it.
And why assume that we haven't been over there to buy his art? Perhaps we have. And we LOVE IT.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 06:58 AM
Amy, get over yourself.
The bottom line is, those of us who live in the neighborhood do not like or appreciate his form of "art." If he's trying to advertise, then he should purchase a billboard and do it that way, not vandalizing public property.
He's welcome to be inspired. But the rest of us are entitled to living in a world free of vandalism.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 07:17 AM
The reason it's harder to catch these taggers can be traced right back to the Mayor's office. There is ONE person working at the Graffitti Abatement office. She basically takes the info down and that's that - it really isn't pursued any further.
Mayor Potter refused to bring additional resources to tackle graffitti. Dontcha know, it's "art!"
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 07:22 AM
Good for you, Amy. You bought some of his 'art'. I guess you were able to justify putting a price tag on it after all, huh? I don't know how, as his 'art' looks like someone gave a paintbrush to an ape...with poor motor skills. But hey, it is your money...or maybe your dad's.
So, if I don't like having this 'artist' breaking the law to display his 'art', I simply don't understand the inspiration behind it? My thought process is somehow lacking?
Are you for real? Grow up, Amy.
Adult members of society don't get to pick and choose which laws we want to follow. If we could, I suspect the next leftist rally in PDX would be way more 'interesting' for the participants.
Is that OK with you? Can I pick a couple of society's rules I don't like and have my own little fun? All in the interest of 'art, of course.
Amy, you and the rest of these psuedo-artistic airheads need to spend some time growing up. Spend some of your own money repairing damage done by people who think that what they want to do is allowed as long 'as it doesn't hurt anybody'. Spend some of your time painting over the graffitti on a fence at your kid's sports field so they can't read the 'art'.
On second thought, don't have kids....there are enough 'drownings' in the PDX gene pool as it is.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 07:36 AM
Sylvia, I live in the neighborhood, too, and you're wrong, some of us - many of us - do like it.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 07:37 AM
REMINDS ME OF TURK 182. I WONDER WHAT HIS TRUE MESSAGE IS...
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 07:54 AM
Amy,
Read carefully and for comprehension.
It does not matter if it is 'some' of you, 'many' of you, or for that matter, all of you who like it.
According to current law, it is illegal to do what the 'artist' did. Simple concept. Surprising you struggle with it.
That is how society works. And why society barely works in Li'l Beirut on the Willamette.
Please return to your previously scheduled high-minded, 'artistic' drivel.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 08:02 AM
I grew up with Ryan and I was shocked to see him in the headlines. He is not a tagger. Great publicity stunt!!!!
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 09:09 AM
The irony to this is Ryan and his father donate many hours of community service to the Portland Police Bureau. I was at his wedding last year of which many cops attended. He also donates his time weekly to teach kids how to ski at OES. Bottom line, he is a great guy that took a stunt a little to far, that didn't hurt anyone. Sure he'll pay for it but people need to chill out. There are more important things to worry about in the world!
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Chris you bring up the "law" issue multiple times, in addition to slamming "leftists" in nearly all of your commentaries with the assumption that the "right" is all about law and order. What about the judge in Florida who refused to take down the statue of the 10 commandments in his courtroom after it was ruled unconstitutional for that statue to be there? Regardless of how you feel about that Florida incident, the law is not always right or constitutional and perhaps the law in this "graffiti" case is unconstitutional as well. Is 31 FELONY charges really appropriate for the 31 crappy paintings he put up? The water tower incident is a different story entirely, he allegedly altered the state of the tower and should pay to bring it back to its original condition. After doing some background on Ryan, it looks like this is all setting up to be a big courtroom battle, which should set the law straight. His dad is a very successful Portland defense attorney.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 10:09 AM
I would agree that hanging signs or (art?) on utility poles is a long stretch from crime. Disfiguring and vandelizing private property is another story. I also agree that we cant let the city or law makers define ART.
I saw this loser on the news last night and it was very obvious that he is just a loser that doesn't have a clue about art or anything else. A 31 year old going on 12. You know the kind. They all look the same, wear their hat backwards, have that faraway look in their sunken eyes and maintain a false sence of importence about playing out this drama of being something they are not. As an artist and musician I have to say I have to say I am disgusted by these posers. They show up at jam sessions with their cheep guitars and can't play and they hang out at galleries where the pretend to be some kind of conceptual artist.
BS !!! This guy is just a punk and they need to put him up in the crow-ar hotel with BaBa for a couple of weeks.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 11:19 AM
hi to everyone involved in this post,
I just wanted you to take a minute to re-read what you and others have written above. Frankly I didn't know such offensive and horrible words could be written by Portlanders to other Portlanders, that's the real thing that makes me sad in what I have read. I commend you for having an opinion in all of this, but there is a limit, I'm sorry.
As for Ryan, when you re-read your comments I hope you have a good long meditation on what you said about him. I hope you realize he is a real person, a really great one to boot. He's a top-notch ski coach and a creative and great guy, and on top of everything a human being. I hope that you consider that the next time you want to diss another Portlander.
I'm sorry if my post offends any of you, just please think about the way you address others.
Peace
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 01:29 PM
The tagger is thirty-one years old! This is not a typical prank by an immature teenager. Unfortunately this adult hustler decided to rev up interest in his "art" with illegal actions that were intended to irritate and inflame. If we excuse this man because some folks think of it as art... we must also legally excuse the gang members who also think of their unwelcome garbage as art.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 02:09 PM
lol, I see expressionism isn't the most respected art form here.
someone wrote this:
"The bottom line is, those of us who live in the neighborhood do not like or appreciate his form of "art." If he's trying to advertise, then he should purchase a billboard and do it that way, not vandalizing public property."
Porque, dios mio, do we need to cover this? hey, I don't like your "billboards", they'e an eyesore. they only make me waste money on products i dont need.
well anyway,
here's another:
"I think we found another one of those 'liberal' idiots.
If you leftists think that ignoring the law is OK whenever you decide it is, you better spend some quality time thinking about what that means.
What if I decided to ignore the law that says if I catch a tagger, I can't kick his spraycan up his ***?
See how this whole society thing works? We set up rules and we agree to live by them...not just the ones that my leftist twit mind agrees with."
and that is why conservatives will then cry about their rights and run over to Ron Paul for cover (which at least has some integrity).
hey, Peace guys, learn to love a little. sure he has beard, but that doesn't make him wild, it only makes him a guy with a beard.
(email verified)
Fri, Feb 01, 2008 at 04:41 PM
David,
The reason that you cannot kick a taggers ass if you catch him is that you could never catch a tagger. You are just a computer tough guy.
(email verified)
Sat, Feb 02, 2008 at 01:40 PM
It looks to me, he needs to take some kind of a art class. This guy has no idea of what art is! Painting black folks and hanging them on light posts? Is he a white guy? running around in a white sheet? Looks like a hate crime to me. I think he needs mental help.
Now if this was real art, I do not think he would be in jail. Point, it has no art value ($). unless you are three. or part of a hate group.
(email verified)
Sat, Feb 02, 2008 at 03:40 PM
My God, what a lot of high pitched chatter over a pretentious, insignificant, loser posing as an artist.
This guy is the kind of punk thats always playing at being something he's not. You know the kind. They show up at jam sessions wearing all the gear (backward cap, etc.) with their cheep guitars and can't play a lick.
They hang around coffee shops and galleries and talk about conceptual art but can;t tell you the name of any
recognized artist or about any painting style.
This guys not a real criminal though. He's just a loser. 31 going on 12.
(email verified)
Sun, Feb 03, 2008 at 06:15 AM
Amy,
Are you a property owner in the Nob Hill area then? The reason I ask is because I have yet to meet a property owning neighbor of mine who likes graffitti on their house, on the their shop, on their fence. Usually, it's non-sensical spray paint or marker and some stupid phrase or name that no one but the tagger and his close circle understand. It's ugly, it costs lots of money to clean it up, and it's a crime.
If you live in this neighborhood and like looking at it, good for you. But honestly, you are in a VERY small minority, and not very well represented in the Northwest District Neighborhood Association. We spend lots of time and meetings racking our brains as to how to stop the practice, and not how to appreciate it. Perhaps you'd like to come and join us next time to explain the value of this "art."
(email verified)
Mon, Feb 04, 2008 at 02:13 AM
This guy is Portland's best artist. And he is a Marine Corps Veteran. To call him petty names only makes you look bad. I have talked to him and he was very polite and answered all of my questions. We live in a fat bloated McDonalds generation and this guy is a breath of fresh air. Ok, time is up...go back to your cubicles and drink your corn syrup.
(email verified)
Mon, Feb 04, 2008 at 03:26 PM
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Re: Portland man arrested on 31 counts of graffiti-related criminal mischief
Wow, I wonder if they'll bust jobdango.com next for all the illegal street signs they've posted.
"Ho Hum"
(email verified)
Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 08:19 AM