My final post in this Miami series, is about my foray into the Miami art scene. In a little over 20 years, Miami's population has grown by more than 20%, and with it, so has the city's art and culture scene. With so much to see, and limited time, I knew I would only be able to scratch the surface. I started my Miami art experience in a neighborhood that has been totally transformed by, what else, but art.
Wynwood
Today, the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami is known as an art lovers paradise with its galleries, neighborhood installations (like the one above) and open-air, street art museum. That wasn't always the case however. Following an economic depression in the early 2000's, this neighborhood was laden with abandoned warehouses, vacant buildings and shuttered factories.
That was until street artists began to douse the empty walls with paint, creating vibrant murals on their "canvases," where there once was emptiness. With that, the Wynwood Arts District was born, as was Wynwood Walls, an outdoor museum that transformed a community.
The museum covers more than 80,000 square feet, where artists from around the globe come to emblazon their talent on formerly, abandoned warehouse walls. This piece is by Dan Kitchener, a British artist who recreates urban scenes.
I found his talent for capturing rain-soaked intersections, flickering streetlights and the general grittiness of life in a metropolis, captivating.
This piece by Los Angeles-born painter, Kenny Sharf also captured my attention. A friend of legend Andy Warhol among others, Sharf's playful paintings, with overlapping faces, kept me guessing.
Dasic Fernandez is the artist who created the pieces both above and below. His depth evoked palpable emotion from me (something I am not generally prone to). This Chilean-born artist is now based in New York.
Trust, 2022
His art is displayed in countries across the world including Brazil, Saudi Arabia and right here, at Wynwood Walls, in the United States. The piece above is entitled "Trust" and while viewing it, I could sense the woman in the painting choosing just that. I can't even imagine having the talent to paint something that conveys that, or any, emotion.
The next two pieces are by American artist, Frank Shepard Fairey. Does his work look familiar? It did to me. The style might conjure images of the "Hope" poster he created for Barack Obama's 2008, U.S., presidential campaign. That iconic poster features a "three quarters view" (gazing upward and to the side) image of Obama, a pose also adopted by JFK in one of his famous portraits.
Fairey's work can also be found at The Smithsonian. Not too shabby. The picture above is part of 30, hand-painted pieces that mark highlights over the span of Fairey's 30-year career.
In addition to paintings, Wynwood Walls also displays sculptures. The one above, which pulled my attention, was created in 2021 by U.S. artist, Kai.
This sculpture, as well as the next, was created by Arturo Bordalo, who is from Portugal and goes by the name Bordalo II, to pay tribute to his grandfather.
Bordalo II specializes in constructing large installations, which he makes using pieces of recycled trash. Through his art, he aims to call attention to society's unbridled production and consumption, which results in the generation of excessive trash.
Amilcar Cabral by Vhils
This piece is created by Vhils, which is the tag name of Portuguese graffiti and street artist, Alexandre Manuel Dias Farto. This is a portrait he created of Cabral, the leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde.
I initially thought this was one, large painting. Upon closer look, it is actually a collage or mosaic made of multiple pieces of cloth, artistically brought together to form the portrait of the assassinated, liberation leader.
Chamanes y Guerreras
And finally, I saw this painting, created by Spanish artist, Okuda San Miguel. San Miguel's distinctive style incorporates brightly colored, geometric patterns, to create striking pieces like this one that he made in 2022.
So inspired was I by all the street art I encountered in the Wynwood neighborhood, I decided to try my hand at it while at Wynwood Walls, where there is an area carved out for visitors to experiment with spray paint.
I grabbed a few cans and got to work.
That little island, surrounded by water, with the disproportionately large palm tree, and the sun shining overhead, is my "masterpiece." Sigh ... I don't think street art is in my future. Nevertheless, it was fun to try.
Wolfsonian
During my visit, I also visited the Wolfsonian Museum, as recommended by a local. According to their website, the museum "explores the inventive and provocative character of the modern world ... [to] reveal how the past influences the present and shapes the future."
The first thing I saw upon entering, is this gorgeous, Art Deco façade. For more on this style, see my post about South Beach. In addition to this impressive piece, below are some other exhibits that I was fond of.
6th Avenue El
This carved panel by Peter Berent, depicts the elevated railroad line in New York City, which was closed in 1938 and razed in 1939. By painting from this vantage point, Berent meant to draw the viewer's eye to the unemployment line outside the agency below.
Wintermorgen im Gufstahlwerk
This piece was created by Fritz Gartner in 1912. It depicts an idealistic and glamorized perspective of a German, steel mill during the Industrial Revolution.
The City
Artist, Virginia Berresford painted this piece at the height of the Great Depression. The defoliated trees and the despondent man in the foreground present a crisp contrast to the faint city in the background.
Fumo
Fumo, which means "smoke' in Spanish, was painted by Alberto Helios Gagliardo in 1922. The heaps of human remains set ablaze, are his commentary on the tragedy of World War I.
Edison, Bipolor Dynamo
This generator, created in 1887, converted mechanical power into electricity. It, like all the other exhibits in the museum, served as a representation of the unprecedented era of change leading up to the 20th century, and were part of an exhibition entitled "The Big World - Alternative Landscapes in the Modern Era."
Architects and designers, Funk and Wilcox, created these stately elevator doors, made of bronze and iron, between 1929 - 1930.
American Art Piano
This stunning piano was the collaboration of painter, Joseph Henry Gest, sculptor, Clement J. Barnhorn and piano manufacturer, Baldwin Piano Company. Together, they carved and painted the instrument and the pastoral landscape.
The piano won Grand Prix at both the Paris Exposition Universelle and the St. Louis World's Fair. I am curious to know which, if any, pianists were blessed with the good fortune to play on this masterpiece.
And on that note (pun, absolutely intended), I am concluding this series about my trip to Miami, Florida. I hope to be back soon and experience more of this city's beautiful art, culture, food, beaches and more.
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