So there I was in Manhattan yesterday morning, walking north on Fifth Avenue toward the SCI FI Channel offices at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. I was in town for my usual bimonthly meeting. As I passed the steps of the main branch of the New York Public Library, I saw a painting leaning against the base of one of the two world-famous sculptures of lions which stand guard out front.

I paused to admire the artwork, and as I was doing so, I slowly realized that there was something odd going on—its owner was nowhere to be seen.

I looked around, figuring that I’d find the artist nearby. Or if not the artist, then at least someone who was trying to sell it, as I often come across people hawking paintings and prints on the streets of New York. But I couldn’t see anyone whose posture or eye contact made claim to the painting.

I was intrigued. Perhaps, I thought, the artist is hiding somewhere nearby to judge how people will interact with his paintings. So I studied it further, fully expecting someone to step up beside me after I’d admired it long enough and reveal himself or herself as the creator. But no one appeared.

I could see no signature, simply a letter K at its lower right corner. So I turned over the painting in the hope that I could discover a clue to its origins.

As you can see, the back of the painting was signed at the lower left,and revealed what was apparently the name of the painting—”Love Block.” But more importantly—since the signature wasn’t fully readable—I also found the url for the artist’s flickr page.

Luckily, since I was armed with my Blackberry, I was able to thumb in that address on the spot, which took me to a gallery of the artist’s other paintings. But there was still no clue as to who Kael Cabral was, or why his painting was being exhibited unattended on the street. So I Googled him, hoping for more information, and found his Web page which—while showing off some interesting animation work he apparently does professionally—gave no further information as to why I’d encountered this curious painting near one of New York’s most traveled intersections.

Was this an artistic experiment? Was Kael Cabral hiding somewhere nearby to see whether anyone would, in the bustling rush hour streets, bother to stop to wonder at the painting? Or was this an even larger experiment, and some scientist was waiting to see whether someone would take the painting? Perhaps they wanted to discover how long it would last out there on the mean streets undisturbed. I had no idea what was going on, but as time passed and no one stepped up beside me to either claim the painting or even study it with me, I made up my mind …

I would take it.

Decades ago, back when I still lived in New York, I would occasionally see large drawings down in the subway done in white chalk on the black paper that would sometimes appear on the walls where new advertising posters were destined to be put up. I’d admire them, having no idea who had drawn them. If I’m remembering correctly, no one in New York knew who’d drawn them at first. But I liked them, and I once thought of bringing a box cutter with me so I could slice one off the wall.

I never got around to that, and always regretted it, especially once it was finally revealed that these were the work of the amazing artist Keith Haring, who was soon to become famous. I wasn’t going to repeat that lapse. This time, I decided I would respect my acquisitive impulse, and also in some strange way honor the memory of Keith Haring.

I picked the painting up and put it down several more times, giving the artist further chances to appear. When he didn’t, I typed out an e-mail to him, using an address I also found online.

I wrote:

I saw your painting in front of the NY Public Library, alone and sad. So I’m taking it with me to keep it warm. I think that’s what you want me to do. If I’m wrong, let me know, and I’ll put it back.

Sending that e-mail and making a personal connection seemed like the right thing to do. Also, I figured that it covered me just in case this wasn’t an attempt by an artist to break the barrier with his audience but instead some bizarre reality TV show, and police were going to jump out and accuse me of theft.

“Look,” I could say to them, waving my Blackberry, “I told the artist I’d return it if he asked!” I really didn’t think that was what was going on … but you never know.

So I took the painting and prepared to walk off. But I thought I should have an image to commemorate the moment when the artist made contact with his audience, and so I stopped a few tourists and had them snap this picture. What those Germans made of me, and what reason they ascribed to why I was having a photo taken while I was holding that painting in front of the main branch of the New York Public Library, I’ll never know. But they did seem puzzled.

As I continued walking north on Fifth Avenue, and was stopped by the red light nearby at the corner of 42nd Street, I still expected the artist to run up to me to explain his intentions. But no one ever did. Once at the office, I showed the painting around and told the story of what had happened, how I’d either just stolen a painting and would soon be arrested or was involved in an intriguing piece of performance art.

Upon further examination of the artist’s flickr page, I saw that one of his sets was labeled “street,” which would seem to indicate that he often abandoned his paintings. As I looked further, I even found the actual painting I had just taken! According to the date of the image there, the photo had been posted August 28, and seemed to have been shot exactly where I’d found it. I couldn’t believe that the painting had spent a month on the street without finding an owner. What was going on?

Some of my curiosity was soon answered when, while I was having lunch, I received the following e-mail from the artist:

Keep to you 🙂
It’s a present

So the artist had hoped his painting would find a home! But what did it all mean? Does Kael Cabral make a habit of abandoning his work on the street until the paintings are picked up by those who might appreciate them? I have no idea, but I intend to figure it all out. And once I do, I’ll share it here!