It’s kind of hard to tell, but this used to be a block of apartments in Downtown, about a stone’s throw away from what is now Art Square. As with a lot of these buildings in or near the Boroughs, they’ve been boarded up and turned over to the scene, which has made for some astounding results. For street art enthusiasts, there are some of the most prominent writers and taggers from the last 10+ years who have left their mark on this small section of town.
The night after these were taken, I was lucky enough to meet one of the artists from Döc at an event. He’d flown in from New York (“I go where the walls take me”) specifically to come work with some of the other artists. We talked about how important it was for someone to be documenting what goes up, because when the city paints over it, it’s like it never existed. A few other writers heard us, came over to introduce themselves, agreed with what he had to say, and expressed how necessary it was that the work was recorded for others to enjoy.
The experience was quite humbling—every now and again it’s nice to be reminded that while they may pick a non-traditional canvas, they’re still artists, and ultimately, still human beings who pride themselves on their work just like any other gallery virtuoso.
Las Vegas, NV, USA. 11/01/2012.