LOS ANGELES, CA.- When artists get mad they respond with what they do best -- art. deviantART.com, home to the largest group of artists in the world, will barrage New York officials with photos of subways and other methods of mass transit next week as the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority ponders rules banning photography on public transit.

"We cannot stand by while there is such a blatant strike on artistic freedom," said deviantART.com CEO Angelo Sotira, 23. "While deviantART sympathizes with the desire to improve security in New York, this attempt is totally misguided and unfairly targets artists. Will they try to ban photography in Times Square? It's a slippery slope. When will it stop?"

Photography comprises the largest group of artists participating on deviantART.com, which currently hosts artwork by over 1.1 million artists across the globe. The reaction of the online community to the proposed ban has been unified -- alarm, disgust, anger and disappointment -- and has been channeled by the website's executive staff into the Global Subway Photography Contest. The contest, launched less than a month ago, encouraged deviantART photographers to get into mass transit and submit photos for delivery to New York authorities. Thousands of photos have already been submitted for the silent protest.

"Our subways are an important part of urban culture, and this contest celebrates that fact. We wanted to bring artists from around the world together to express their love for these underground marvels in the way they're best able," declared Eric Kolb, deviantART.com Director of Artist Relations. "These photos serve as a clear and unambiguous indication that there is a great deal to be lost if the MTA adopts these rules banning photography and video photography."