Artist arrested for planting marketing figures

Email|Print| Text size – + By the Boston Globe City & Region Desk

January 31, 07 08:16 PM

By Maria Cramer and Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff

The man who sent city and State Police rushing to defuse what they believed were explosive devices around the Boston region was arrested tonight.

Attorney General Martha Coakley scheduled a 9 p.m. press conference to announce the arrrest of Peter Berdovsky, an Arlington artist.

On his personal website, he posted pictures of a small group installing the figures -- little square-shaped men frowning and making an obscene gesture -- on the exterior wall of a hospital, on the awning of a Cambridge bar, at an Urban Outfitters, and a bridge.

On another website, he describes himself as adroit at painting, animation, video and sound design, sculpting and installation art.

Berdvosky's lengthy resume boasts a 2005 bachelor's degree "completed with distinction" at the Massachusetts College of Arts, his second place finish at the 2004 Massachusetts College of Art All School Show, and a merit scholarship he received from MassArt in 2000.

On his website, he also lists several authors who have inspired him, including Douglas Adams and Leo Tolstoy, and included passages that moved him. One sentence from Tolstoy's "Confession" was underlined:

"It became clear to me that art is an ornamentation of life, something that lures us into life. But life had lost its charm for me so how was I to charm others?"