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Prankster, Joey and 'a box named Fred' come forward
By CHRISTINA JEWETT
© St. Petersburg Times, ST. PETERSBURG -- The case of the cryptic sign has been cracked wide open. On Tuesday, the man behind the sign saying "Congratulations Joey! You are the sole owner of a box named 'Fred' " came forward. Joey, it turns out, is Joey Vitale, part owner of Vitale Brothers Art Works, a graphic art and mural company based in Pinellas Park. He bought "Fred" for $10 from his friend Mark Michaels, an artist with a sense of the surreal. It turns out Fred is a metal box, a piece of art converted from a thrift store find. Fred is covered with stickers of smiley faces, a hand and a cherry bomb. Inside is a history of the box detailing its origins in a broom closet in Wilmington, Del., to its travels with the rock group Poison. The fictional history also lists Fred's superpowers, which include warding off phone solicitors. Joey Vitale bought the box after seeing it listed on a "Mad Art Menu" that Michaels provides to friends who are interested in buying his art. The idea to erect the sign came only a few days after Joey bought Fred. For weeks, the sign has been on a pole at the former Steak 'n Egg Kitchen at Fourth Street N and Fifth Avenue. Michaels thought the sign would be a good way to immortalize Joey's box and to add significance to his creation. Michaels, who works with the Vitale Brothers, erected the sign during broad daylight on somebody else's property. "Things like that are best to do in the day. If you do them at night you look like a criminal," he said. "I walk a fine line as far as using public spaces." Philip Dann, part-owner of the property where the sign stands, was amused to learn of its origins. "Well, good. It's creative, and it's fun," Dann said. "They can keep it there for a while. Tell the young artists hello for me and tell them to get in touch." In March 1999, Michaels planted a 55-gallon barrel in front of the St. Petersburg Times building at the southwest corner of Fourth Street and First Avenue S to raise awareness about an art renaissance in the area. He also raised the awareness of the police and fire departments. They worried that a bomb might be in the barrel, which was decorated with a walking time bomb and the phrase "The End." After scrutiny by city, county and state environmental and law enforcement agents, the barrel was removed. During January 2000, Michaels was charged with 76 violations of the city's graffiti ordinance for a series of posters he painted around the city. He pleaded no contest and wound up getting the $7,884 fine reduced to $200. He loves making headlines almost as much as he enjoys molding ideas into art. To Michaels, the world is an ideal art gallery. "In a gallery, people already expect something different or unusual. It almost neutralizes the artwork," he said. "In public, you catch people offguard a bit. The experience is more powerful." Michaels is working with the Vitale Brothers remodeling Liquid Blue, a nightclub in Clearwater. John Vitale, who called the Neighborhood Times with the tip about Fred, was recently in the news for his offer to paint the "monotube" -- known colloquially as the "ugly pipe" -- at Park Boulevard and 66th Street N. As for Joey and his box named Fred, only time will tell if its "positive vibe" and "wondrous metaphysical properties" will kick in. "Fred is a metaphor for having an idea, object or thing," Michaels said. "If you put faith in anything, you can make it what you want it to be." Recent coverageThe artful dodger (February 2, 2000) Artist wants to beautify ugly pipe (May 2, 2001) Stunt mixes art, anxiety downtown (March 6, 1999)
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
