For the past 20 years or so, the city of Chicago has been battling graffiti without any kind of great success and some would argue that its efforts have backfired altogether. Instead of mitigating vandalism, their polices are conditioning a more committed type of writer. It’s basically become a training ground where toys drops off quickly while the elite flourish. Read more »
The couple that bombs together, stays together and now that UTAH and ETHER are both out of jail, they decided to combine their sites into one, www.utahether.com, so they can lovingly taunt authorities with their prolific public enhancements together. And they’re timing could have been better. The duo have a new book out called Probation Vacation. It features evidence photos that “until now, have been viewed by only their closest confidants.”
Yesterday in a Manhattan courtroom, “globetrotting graffiti artist” UTAH plead guilty to charges for tagging subway cars and was sentenced to six months in jail. As part of her plea agreement covering cases in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, the Queens-based writer will also pay $10,000 in restitution. Graffiti related charges are still pending against UTAH in Boston, as well against her boyfriend, ETHER, who she was arrested with last August when they returned to the States from a European bombing tour. |NYDN|
Photo by PressPause
Globe-trotting graffiti writer UTAH was in a Queens court yesterday to face charges for tagging trains that could put her in prison for up to 7 years. The Queens-based writer made international headlines last August when Chicago police arrested her at O’Hare airport with her boyfriend ETHER, as they returned to the States from a European bombing tour. Now she’s facing charges in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan where she copped a plea last month, plus Boston where she plead not guilty. Even France wants a piece, though they’ll have to wait their turn.
Photo by Jaroh.
A few weeks ago UTAH and ETHER were arrested while attempting to reenter the country after a multi-country bombing spree in Europe. Apparently both of them had outstanding warrants and that’s how they got busted, not because of any police diligence or any effort of the vandal squad. The Queens Chronicle reported that UTAH was still awaiting extradition as of last week and will face “11 counts of felony criminal mischief and possession of graffiti materials.” When cops descended in to serve a warrant on her apartment earlier this summer, people assumed it was for a real crime: “I thought the police busted a meth lab or something,” said the building’s super, Joseph Diaz, of the raid. “I never thought it was for spray-painting trains.” |QueensChronicle|
Photo: PrivacypolicyCPH08
It’s still not clear specifically which law enforcement agency was specifically responsible for coordinating the arrest of graffiti writers UTAH (DANI) and ETHER, but both had been indicted on vandalism charges for massive property damage in 2005 and 2006. We also learn the NYPD executed a search warrant on UTAH’s apartment earlier this summer—while she was galavanting in Europe—allegedly giving her family a chance to tip her off. A lot of good that did. Although who would have thought the NYPD would be more capable of tracking down graffiti writers better than terrorists? So take heed vandals, next time you go all-global and still have priors in the US, fly into Canada—although we hear she’s wanted there too. |NYP|
(Photo: BruceLabounty802)
UTAH, a prolific female graffiti writers and her less significant other, ETHER were arrested after coming off a three month bombing run in Europe. The all-country, Queens repping vandal was taken into custody after flying into Chicago by what Newsday simply describes as “authorities.” Really? Who were these authorities (federal, state, local?) and why didn’t the suburban oriented newspaper get a little more specific? It’s an arrest for graffiti, not a threat to national security. Same with ETHER who was arrested when he arrived at JFK. The two were reportedly in “New York Police Department’s book of most notorious taggers,” although it’s still unclear if local cops had anything to do with the bust. One of the two mysterious sources described UTAH as the “number one active female tagger, possibly in the country, definitely in New York.” And judging by all her tags on the streets of NYC—including this one right over an abandoned NECKFACE piece—not to mention a sizable collection on flickr (FYI: you’ll have to weed through because of her name) from all over that distinction isn’t too far off the mark. Click below for a small sampling of her handiwork. |Newsday| UPDATE (4/3/09): UTAH goes to court and starts dealing with all the legal drama.
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