Miami is mainly known for South Beach and it’s adult-themed paradise which attracts the likes of celebrities, spring breakers, and some of the world’s most talented artists. But on a recent trip to the city, my girlfriend and I stopped by Wynwood Walls to examine some of the most creative graffiti ever made.
The trip was planned as a weekend vacation to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday. The weather was perfect the entire trip. The South Beach strip had everything we’d seen in the movies — countless muscular guidos and beautiful half-naked women stumbling to the beat of echoing club music. To put it simple — Miami was lit.
However, our trip only featured a brief drive and stroll down the strip.
But on our last day, we visited Wynwood Walls in Midtown Miami. From what I gathered, this is just north of the art district of Miami. The area consists of the Wynwood and Edgewater neighborhoods and is also home to one of the greatest art collections in the world.
The Wynwood Walls were conceived by Tony Goldman in 2009. In search of a way to transform the warehouse district of the area, Goldman gained momentum on the idea of the warehouse buildings serving as the canvases for the greatest collection of street art ever seen in one place.
Just like South Beach — these walls are lit.
Lit with color, creativity, and extremely remarkable detail. The walls cover over 80,000 square feet and feature the work of artists from more than 15 countries. Artists that painted the outside walls are shown towards the end of the video, but all the displays highlighted in this piece have one common theme — world class art.
When my girlfriend and I first arrived, the entrance was different from any other museum I’d been to. There was no line. There was no booth to get a ticket or stamp. There were no tour guides unnecessarily standing at the entrance waiting to guide you at an unwanted pace. Once you walked through the entrance, the walls were your oyster.
That being said, admission really is free.
Walking through the collection of walls though, you realize moving from mural to mural makes for a refreshing treat at this place. There is an abundance of pungent creativity that lingers over you. Both inside and out, there is all types of graffiti with all sorts of messages and morals behind their creation.
My favorite piece of work was the mural of the green Captain America baby. I’m not sure of the title or artist, but I should know given how captivating this piece of artwork is. I am a fan of comics. I’m no black Stan Lee, but I do enjoy The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, and every other superhero that seem to be cultivated in this painting.
My second favorite painting is actually shown twice in the video. It’s the gorilla (sorry if the eyes creeped you out)! It wasn’t until putting the video together that I noticed how much detail went into the painting. From the eyes, to the T’Challa looking spikes around its neck. All it took was a closer look, and it quickly became apparent this gorilla painting took unbelievable skill.
All the artwork in this place was inspiring, and ultimately is what led to the making of this video. Even though I did not have my Lumix GH4 with me, my girlfriend and I were able to tag team this video on our iPhones.
So there you have it. Just because you don’t have some fancy, expensive DSLR or professional camera doesn’t mean you can’t put together something pretty cool on your cell phone.
Thanks for watching and reading! Hope y’all enjoyed!
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