The war between street artists and the law shows no sign of abating. If anything, it's intensifying. The vandal squad's genuine love of catching writers is a well known phenomenon in the graffiti world. Likewise, any artist with his heart in the right place will tell you that without the illegal aspect, it just wouldn't be the same. It seems even as security measures grow tighter and legal consequences more punishing, the movement is bigger than it's ever been.
Complex's 50 Biggest Street Art Arrests covers some of the more prolific, landmark, absurd, or just unlucky cases in the ongoing battle between street artists and the law. It contains only arrests and information widely reported in the news media, or from published interviews with the artists themselves. No government names or mug shots have been used. In cases where outcomes are unknown, charges are merely accusations. Every arrest here goes deeper than what has been reported in the media: please think carefully before making "corrections" in the comments.
The 50 Biggest Street Art Arrests