Miami Graffiti Photographers Inspire NYC Exhibit We Wish They Would Do Here

By Gus Garcia-Roberts in StreetWorks

Thu., Aug. 6 2009 @ 8:45AM

JamesandKarlaMurray.com

Crome did the magician with the fish balloon. Cycle did the rest.

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.