I’ve been waiting to photograph this spot for over a year. I got it done today. Happy New Year.
Reykjavik Graffiti
I captured this photo in downtown Reykjavik at around midnight last summer. I took one night and walked around the harbor and downtown area taking as many photos as I could. The place was completely empty.
Reykjavik Graffiti
On one of our evenings in Reykjavik, I spent a couple hours wandering around photographing the city. I was trying to capture a bunch of iconic spots and happened upon this mural. I love it.
Abandonment Fine Art
This photo is from our Shutter Rush weekend in Gary Indiana. This spot was inside the abandoned Methodist Church in the downtown area. This artist actually creates similar murals in abandoned sites all over the Midwest. You can she her work on IG @poetrybyboots
Colony Hotel
Not much I can say about this photo that you can’t see for yourself. This is, of course, a great example of South Beach Art Deco architecture during the pandemic.
I'm Not Okay
I’m posting this photo today, because it reflects how I feel right now…. I think I’m just getting tired and it’s been a long year for all of us. I’ll be better tomorrow.
By the way, I captured this photo in August when the Shutter Rush Team (Jason, Blair and I) explored an abandoned performing arts theater in Pittsburgh. The footage from that weekend explore will be in the next Shutter Rush film (currently in production). The first two documentary films are currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Detroit's Eastern Market
I know that others like great graffiti art like I do, but we’re probably in the minority across the population. Of course, everyone hates bad graffiti, basic “tags” or just people tagging any random building, wall, etc... But great graffiti is as good as fine art, just on a larger scale in a public location. So, if you like that type of thing, Detroit’s Eastern Market and Miami’s Wynwood Walls are amazing spots for this. This photo is from the Eastern Market area of Detroit. They host an international graffiti festival every year where they feature some of the world’s best. This specific painting would probably fall into the Pop Culture art category, similar to Peter Max and others who work in this art genre. Sorry I don’t know the name of the artist who completed this painting.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Gary's Graffiti
I was lucky and got to visit Gary Indiana recently with a great group of photographers (Blair, Jason, Jake, Mike and Bob). You might ask, why visit Gary Indiana??? We went to capture the beauty of their numerous abandoned buildings and film our experience for the next edition of “Shutter Rush”, which is now entering post-production. I don’t know the release date yet, but I’m looking forward to watching the final product.
By the way, I captured this photo inside the abandoned Post Office. I love really good graffiti and I appreciate the talent it takes to create art like this. I’m not exactly sure what it says, but I loved how the light comes down through the roof lighting the art.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Graffiti Alley
Here is another Baltimore photo for you on back to back nights. This is from the famous Graffiti Alley in West Baltimore. We (Jason, Jake and I) hung out here for a while capturing photos, video, drone footage and steel wool shots. At this location, we met a large group of young men who kept saying they were “100% Bangers” whatever that meant. Jake got wrapped up into photographing them all, like a mini photo shoot.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Bando Art
I can’t remember which Detroit building this was in…. I should start keeping better track of these things. Anyway, I liked this graffiti mural within this facility.
To view a larger version, click HERE
High Line
If you ever get to NYC, check out the Highline. They took an elevated train track that runs for a few miles through Manhattan and converted it into an elevated city park called the Highline. This is one of the Highline green spaces with a pretty cool building next to it. Not exactly what you’d expect in Manhattan.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Trey and I
A few months ago, Blair and I went to an Art Talk put on by Trey Ratcliff in downtown Pittsburgh. There were less than 15 people in the audience, which was the limit for the event, making it was very personal. We got to ask all kinds of questions and interact with him. Following the talk, he hung out with us for about an hour.
James Bullough
I took this photo during my last trip to Detroit in the Eastern Market area of the city. They have a ton of amazing murals in this area that are done as part of their annual graffiti festival. This area is worth a visit if you appreciate good street art.
This mural was done by James Bullough. Bullough is an American born artist who lives and works in Berlin Germany. The sun was a little to harsh when I took this photo, but I didn’t have benefit of waiting until the light changed.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Detroit Art
I found this mural inside an abandoned church in Detroit. It’s not what I would paint or where I would paint it, assuming I could paint, but I can appreciate the artist’s skill. I don’t know this for sure, but I assume this painting is personal to the artist, which makes it even better from my perspective. So I’ll just call it what it is…. Great art completed in an unusual place.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Don’t forget to check out my photo galleries. I update and add to them often.
Art In Abandoned Places
One of the things I love about abandoned buildings is the great works of art that individuals have left behind. Most people don’t think of graffiti as art. But it is!! I don’t always like the location of graffiti…..for example I don’t like to see graffiti on buildings that are in use or on public structures like bridges. And I don’t always like “tags” or junk graffiti, just like I don’t like stick figure drawings. But a well-done graffiti painting can be amazing and is art. Make no mistake…..it’s art!
So the next time you’re thinking about going to a gallery or museum to see some art, concern an abandoned building instead. Believe me when I say, you’ll find art in these places.
By the way, I took this photo inside the abandoned Fisher Body Plant in Detroit Michigan.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Don’t forget to check out my photo galleries. I recently updated them.
Fisher Body Plant
Blind Whino
Prior to my travels, I always scout the location in advance to create my “shot list”. I’d rather do my research in advance looking for great locations, photo ops, and opportunities vs. waiting until I arrive and hope I capture some good stuff. So when I was scouting Washington DC before my latest trip to our nation’s capital, I found out about this spot. The Blind Whino is a former church (Friendship Baptist Church), which has been converted into an Arts Club. They have lots of space dedicated to community-based arts programming. They also have multiple rooms to host events and activities. They even do some organic, urban farming on site.
It isn’t exactly what you expect to find in Washington DC just a few miles from the Capital building. It’s unique, unusual and artsy. Of course, I loved it.
You can see more about it on there website: https://www.swartsclub.org/home
To view a larger version, click HERE
Don’t forget to check out my photo galleries. I recently updated them.
Front
Side View
Side and back view
For Our Children
When MJ and I were in Charlotte, we had some free time to walk around the downtown area. We found this mural and it called to me. I don’t know who Rasul Ullah is. Did he paint the mural or is that his quote? I don’t know, but I liked the mural.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Don’t forget to check out my photo galleries. I recently updated them.
Trevi
I took a ton of photos of the Trevi Fountain, during our short visit to this great site. Unfortunately, I didn’t get many great photos. I struggled to get good composition with the tourist basically standing shoulder to shoulder in the area around the fountain. It was tough to find an angle without people in the way or even get to the spot I wanted.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Don’t forget to check out my photo galleries. I recently updated them.
Elephant Octopus
The Wynwood Walls area of Miami is so cool. As you know from my past picture of this area, the city converted this abandoned area into an artist display exhibit. There are now a ton of amazing murals created by the best graffiti artists in the world. They rotate topnotch artists so that it is always changing. If you visit it again down the road, the murals (graffiti) will be changed.
To view a larger version, click HERE
Wynwood Walls
Wynwood Fans
Today’s post is another photo from the Wynwood Walls area of Miami. I love this area of the city. The artwork is amazing and the creative use of old abandoned facilities is cool. This space is an art exhibit using old fans and color.
To view a larger version, click here: https://500px.com/photo/195430011/wynwood-fans-by-brook-ward?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=3695440
Art Exhibit in the Wynwood Walls area of Miami