By Andrew Kaufman aka AK FOTO
Andrew@AndrewKaufman.net
Photography is the most permanent longest lasting proof of street art. There is no way to preserve street art except to photograph it before it fades, is toyed with, buffed or written over. Street art, by its very nature is a fluid art form, constantly evolving because of the landscape, materials, politics, weather etc.
It is through photography that street
art can be conveyed to the world. Images of the artists and their works
are reproduced and disseminated through books, magazines and the internet.
In the fall of 2012 with Art Basel Miami Beach
quickly approaching I decided to ensconce myself in the street art scene of
Wynwood to tell the story. An area once known as "El Barrio" and now
gentrified into the Wynwood Art District, every year in late November artists
from around the world descend on the streets of Wynwood to remake the facade of
almost every building, overhead door and nook or cranny where paint could be
applied.
I'M IN MIAMI BITCH! is a full color 6x9" 216
soft-cover art book that candidly captures the street art scene in the Wynwood
area of Miami. This photo-journal was exclusively photographed by Andrew
Kaufman. The foreword is by American painter Kenny Scharf and Q&A with graffiti artist BooksIIII Bischof.
View the latest incarnation of I'M IN MIAMI BITCH! An Installation on Friday January 3rd at Books & Books in Coral Gables 265 Aragon Avenue from 7-9pm. What does that mean? It means you have to come and check it out for yourself!
You can also view the Photographic Exhibition at Frangipani 2516 NW 2nd Avenue in Wynwood. It will be up through January.
Andrew Kaufman