MIAMI — The Miami neighborhood of Wynwood smells like stale weed, paint fumes, and gentrification.
Wynwood
Crimes of the Art
On this week’s art crime blotter: college art thief fails, Romanian minister gets Picasso bribes, and Versace rips off a designer’s shirt.
Miami Graffiti Artist in Critical Condition After Cop Runs Him Over
Delbert Rodriguez Gutierrez, a 21-year-old Miami graffiti artist known for his “DEMZ” tag, is in critical condition after City of Miami Police detective Michael Cadavid hit him with his unmarked car in the early morning hours on December 5.
The Wonderful Global Walls of Wynwood, Miami
Thanks to the efforts of organizations such as Primary Flight and Wynwood Walls, the Wynwood district in Miami is undergoing a radical transformation through art.
Wynwood’s Other Walls
Walking or driving around Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, you’re immediately struck by the great volume of art all around, most noticeably on the wall. Some of the work is illegal but others are sanctioned through the efforts of Primary Flight, an organization which descibes itself as “Miami’s original open air museum and street level mural installation that takes place annually throughout the Wynwood Arts District and the Miami Design District.”
One gallerist told me that one “host” of a Primary Flight mural from last year loves his so much he was talking about graffiti coating it to ensure it longevity. What was remarkable about these murals, many of which were from last year, is that they look pretty much as good as the first day they were painted. Why?