Boom!

Alleys & Ruins no. 153, Boom! (2020, Miami, FL, 8pm)

My latest image was shot so very long ago... life was different then, simpler, less twilighty. It was way, way, waaay back - a whole month ago! in Feb 2020, before the pandemic - I was in Florida doing art shows and scouting locations to shoot, when I found this amazing abandoned building on the outskirts of the Wynwood district in Miami. A couple grafitti artists, trek6 and ishmael, had turned it into a giant boombox! I knew light painting their work would make it glow and come to life in a beautiful and different way. The Wynwood neighborhood in Miami might be the coolest place to visit in the city - most of the buildings are covered with stunning murals. But its a bit of an island, surrounded by rough neighborhoods, so the location went from happy touristy, to sketchy very quickly as we worked into the night.

Set up, my lights powered up and ready, waiting for the sun to go down

Before the current Boombox design, two other versions existed!  

The first boombox, the cartoon version below, was painted by Argentinian artist Sonni in 2010. Eventually it was painted over (Murals in Wynwood last around one year). 

Another artist, Trek6 had loved the boombox concept – an ode to Miami’s music scene - and couldn't get the original mural out of his head. So in 2012, he and artist friend Chor Boogie agreed to collaborate and paint version 2, above, complete with a handle and antenna!

This version seems to have lasted 6 years, an eternity for these wall murals.

Two years ago Trek6 again, with a new collaborator, created the 3rd version (my favorite), which I was lucky enough to stumble upon.

Will there be a fourth?? I'll be checking :)