DeKalb says yard displays are ‘illegal’

Popular artist fights county over definition of art.

Kyle “BlackCatTips” Brooks, a DeKalb County artist whose work is displayed across Atlanta, is in a disagreement with code enforcers about art at his home.

After a complaint, Brooks was cited for art installations on his Klondike Road lawn outside Lithonia, which he feels could be motivated by distaste for his art.

Brooks, who has painted murals around Atlanta and done pieces for SweetWater Brewing Co. and local restaurants, claims a DeKalb code enforcement officer said some of the works on his lawn weren’t “art.”

“That’d be like going to an architect and saying, that’s not a building,” Brooks told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday. “(But) I’m respectful of his office. I don’t have anything bad against him.”

Mostly, Brooks said he’s upset to be cited without a warning.

County officials didn’t respond to an email regarding Brooks’ claim about the employee’s statement on art. But they made it clear the citations aren’t for the content of Brooks’ pieces. Rather, the works might be in violation of DeKalb’s sign ordinances.

Brooks’ signs wouldn’t be seen to have questionable content anyway: One says “big happy,” another says “over under, below above,” and the third changes as he gets new ideas.

But on residential property, the county said the code prohibits putting up a sign without a permit. Signs also must be no larger than 24 square feet and no more than 4 feet above the ground. Some of Brooks’ pieces appear to exceed those measurements.

Brooks is headed to court on May 23.

“His court date is not punitive,” the county’s statement said. “Rather, a decision will be made by the judge whether the pieces on his property fit the definition of a sign or not.”

Brooks, whose family has been in south DeKalb for some 150 years, said he’d rather not have to go to court to sort it out.

CONTRIBUTED Kyle “BlackCatTips” Brooks in his yard outside Lithonia.