This is just freakin' awesome. James and Karla Murray, the photographers behind Miami Graffiti, the book showcasing our finest street artists, have inspired a nostalgic acid trip of an art installation featuring local graff legend Crome.
For an exhibition still in the works called "MOM & POPism," artist Billi Kid has made huge blowups of photos from the Murrays' book on erstwhile mom-and-pop storefronts in New York. Then he's plastered them on miniature buildings atop the Gawker Media building in Manhattan for graffiti artists to decorate. Among those spray-can impresarios invited: Crome of infamous Miami graffiti duo Crook and Crome and capo of the MSG Cartel, those personas non grata in Hollywood.
Now we're wondering: Can we get something like this in Miami? God knows we've lost some beloved and unique business storefronts to make room for soulless developments. It's been gone for only a year, but who isn't nostalgic for the ugly yellow façade of the Pawn Shop Lounge? After the jump, a few more photos. For more, visit the photographers' website.