Anyway, for some of the above reasons, I'm happy to note that San Francisco artist Guy Overfelt has a new show up at the Linc Gallery; Lenny Bruce-like, he's publicly obsessing about his encounter with the criminal justice system, and the results are quite amusing.

Oh, you haven't heard of Guy Overfelt? He impressed the local art scene with the 1999 Refusalon show, "Free Beer," a piece of installation art that consisted of -- free beer. The show gained considerable word-of-mouth popularity and turned out that after prolonged exposure, the work even induced a variant of Stendhal Syndrome in gallery patrons, though admittedly, in this case, the effect consisted not so much of fainting as of vomiting.

Another continuing Overfelt project resulted in "Cruzen USA," at the Jack Hanley gallery, starring his 1977 Pontiac Trans Am and a lot of burnt rubber. It was early in the course of producing this work that he was arrested and charged with losing traction.

Currently on display at the Linc are some of Overfelt's "burnout drawings" - - tire marks on paper -- along with works by Vicki Behringer and Walt Stewart, the courtroom artists Overfelt hired to cover his trial. The latter series goes for $3,000 and includes a cartoon by Stewart showing a burly San Quentin inmate asking Overfelt what he's in for. "Wheelies," he replies.

Overfelt is even selling his San Francisco Police Department mug shot, though his coolest piece -- a life-size, inflatable replica of the infamous Trans-Am -- isn't on display. But it is for sale, notes gallery owner Hope Bryson; after all, the creative class includes artists, too.