Sticker Combo, Florida Style

Orlando has a street style of its own.  Like this sticker combo popping up on the back of an old school truck cab.

Lots of action from all kinds of random assorted stickers.  Some fun imagery in there from the likes of Mighty Mongo, Stone Eagles, Die Rebel Scum, The Send Offs, Sons of Hippies, Feral Babies and many more.

Orlando has More Attitude than Los Angeles

As we have said before, in terms of sheer volume, Orlando is nowhere near the level of street art and graffiti that is happening in Los Angeles.

However, even though Orlando might not be as busy, the street art that does get up in Orlando packs more attitude than what is seen around LA.  The O-town street art seems to come from a more pure place where the angry and disenfranchised just want to make a sticker to get their voice heard, not to get famous.  This street art, with images as trashing all religions or having 'no friends' are stronger than the ideas generally seen on the streets of LA.

Dig it Orlando.  Sometimes smaller is better.  Keep up the attitude.  And thank you for not littering your mind~

Bright Colors in Florida

Love the bright colors around Florida.  Like with this hyper-color camouflage mural from Andrew Spear on Mills.

Fucking Hipsters

Hipster hate in Orlando, Florida.

Apparently, people hate hipsters everywhere.

Yet, it seems that no one knows quite exactly what a hipster is.

In Orlando, The City Makes Its Own Sticker Combos

Each city always has peculiarities that make it unique.

One of the most interesting things about Orlando is how the city actively maintains the assorted street signs throughout the city.  Each time the sign gets serviced, a city worker will leave a sticker saying that it has been cleaned.   But over time the stickers build up, and after a few years all the signs become cluttered with the collection of city sticker combos.

Fascinating how the goal is to keep the signs free from graffiti and blight, but the method used creates the same effect.  Most casual observers would probably agree that these sticker combos from the city are more unsightly than the art they aim to get rid of.

Also notice the beautiful Spanish Moss hanging down from the trees in all the photos, another unique component of Orlando and select cities in the South.

I Preform My Emotions Instead of Feeling Them

A taped up piece of paper saying 'I have a sneaking I preform my emotions instead of feeling them'.

Dig the street poetry.  As does Ryn, who chimes in in agreement.

On 17-92 in Orlando, Florida.

The Merging of Mutha Fucking Rock n' Roll & Street Arts

Orlando is M&F's home town.  However, during most of the Orlando years M&F was far more caught up in mutha fuckin' rock n' roll than street art.  Our favorite local club was Will's Pub, and M&F would love to indulge in Will's cheap draft beer while attending multiple concerts each week.

Last we had heard the original Will's Pub had closed down, but M&F was thrilled to hear that Will's Pub had opened a new location just a few blocks down from where it used to be.  The new Will's Pub has all the dive charm of the old bar, and from the random musical acts we saw during our night in town demonstrate that Will's is still the best place to rock out in O-town.  And, of course, it still boasts a delicious array of cheap draft beer.  (M&F highly recommends the Orange Blossom Pilsner!)

But perhaps the coolest thing about M&F's visiting the new Will's Pub location was to see the way that Rock n' Roll and Street Art have merged perfectly.  Will's Pub is laden with all kinds of street art, but the relationship is beautifully demonstrated by this large framed piece hanging on the walls of Will's--and full of nothing but a massive sticker combo.

Hell yeah.  Dig it.  Slaps from A Bot, Los Nadie, Don't Cry Its Friday, Boys No Good, Down with the Reptilian Agenda, Gnarlos, Ragbird, BLS, ATTN SYSTM and many, many more.

Stay Up and Keep Rockin'~

Orlando Street Art is Hardcore

Orlando street art is not as prolific as Los Angeles, but what there is packs attitude and hits hardcore.

Like here.  This is actually an unsanctioned wheat paste getting up not outside on the streets, but inside a bathroom at a bar.

Riding next to a drawing and tag saying 'Your days of plenty are numbered'.  True.  That sentiment should become America's Anthem.

Spotted at Orlando's best dive bar, Will's Pub.

Still Rockin' Like Dick Metal!

This mural wall in Orlando, Florida had some of the best turnover for art while M&F used to live here.  The art seemed to change almost weekly, and M&F used to go out of our way to try and swing by and capture pics of the changing art.

This was before digital cameras, back when you had to take the roll of film to the drugstore to get developed.  It was before we had any intention of ever doing something with the pics themselves.  We just dug the art, and even from an early stage, felt a duty to document the art before its gone.

Good to see that this spot is still rockin out.  As the tag on the gas masked character says, like Dick Metal!

Pieces from Chris Tobar, Mr. Smet from the Envy Us Crew, Klues(?) and Tner(?).

Dig it.  Stay up!~

Crummy Gummy in Orlando, Florida

Crummy Gummy is a street artist who has visited Los Angeles and put art up here.

Crummy get's around, but Crummy Gummy's home town is Orlando, Florida.  And here is a home town sticker from Crummy getting poled in front of a church in O-town.

Public Art Murals in Orlando, Florida

Orlando has a healthy selection of public art murals on buildings throughout the city.

Not sure if the murals are permitted or not, but legal or what they are happening.

Art On Electrical Boxes in Orlando, Florida

In Los Angeles, electrical boxes serve as street level billboards for street artists.

In Orlando, the boxes are either kept buffed, or decorated with art.  The boxes that are decorated are not bombed with ongoing and changing art pieces.  Rather, the boxes that have art have been painted, each one as an art piece that stands on its own.

Some, like this one above, have incorporated the address and name of the building behind it to avoid getting buffed.

Click the jump for more assorted pics of electrical boxes in Orlando, Florida.  Also notice the tag and charter from Spit and the Skam/Dust/MQ stickers getting poled nearby.

Miami Freeway Graffiti

HUGE pictorial capturing graffiti along the I-95 freeway in Miami.

These shots were all taken out of a moving car traveling at maximum freeway speeds.  If the car had been stuck in traffic, there was much more to be seen because Miami is slammed with graffiti.

Slice of LA in Miami

Here is a wall that might could be found in Los Angeles since it features two LA based artists, Shepard Fairey and Bamp.

But this wall is not in LA.  This is in Miami, and another example of how the street artists from LA dominate the streets of Miami.

Dig it.  Stay up!~

Livin' in LA - Vacation in Florida?

The entire reason that M&F initiated the ongoing series Livin' in LA - Vacation in LA was to showcase all the awesome spots within driving distance of Los Angeles.  M&F didn't intend for the series to branch out further, but after 2+ years of blissful life on the left coast, M&F finally set foot on soil outside of California.  Here is the first outside of California feature, while M&F takes a vacation to our home state of Florida.

Florida is M&F's home state, and Miami is the area that fist sparked our insatiable love for the street art genre.  There will be more upcoming features detailing the influential places, artists, and periods in M&F's development.

On a personal level, it is a fascinating experience returning to Miami while experiencing a decade of  growth from being a humble fan to having personal relationships with many of the biggest artists in the world.  Now, it is not just the art, but also the personality.  This can be a good thing and a bad thing, and it is difficult to articulate, but it is a strange feeling returning with an expanded mind set to the place where it all started for M&F.

As for the street scene, Miami is still a hungry place with an insatiable graffiti scene.  It is kind of like Los Angeles where there is a big graffiti scene that extends to all areas of the city.  And, like Los Angeles has the Melrose and Fairfax area art district where the locals along with the biggest artists in the world come to showcase their stuff, Miami has the Wynwood district which lights up every December with new art during Art Basel.  The funny thing was, visiting the Wynwood Arts District in Miami was like an East Coast Los Angeles.  It felt like home away from home as the area was packed with art from LA artists.  Quite seriously, LA runs Miami and there was more art from LA artists in Miami than artists from all other corners of the world, combined.  It just goes to show how strong the LA street art scene is, even beyond LA.  More on that, and the pictures to prove how LA runs Miami yet to come . . .

M&F took a 10 day vacation to Florida and the Bahamas.  Leaving Los Angles for Miami felt kind of like cheating on your current lover by hooking up with your ex-girlfriend.  And even if your ex girlfriend has grown up to be one of the sexiest street art hot spots in the world, once you hook up with her again, you remember how crazy she is.  And, you realize how lucky you are to have such an awesome girlfriend.  If anything, M&F returned to Los Angeles even more in love with LA than ever~

Check out some general shots of Miami down below, and stay tuned for more features bridging Los Angeles and Miami~

^Biscayne Boulevard is one of the main streets in Miami, and a area that M&F used to haunt.

^The American Airlines Arena in Miami.  Where the Heat play, and sitting at a beautiful location right on Biscayne Bay.

^Picture of the cruise ships lining up at the Port of Miami.  Taken from the 5th street bridge.

^A rooftop view of the Miami Beach Skyline.  Love the blue building.

^The view of downtown Miami.  This shot is taken from a cruise ship looking back at land.

^Lots of people say that Miami has a whole nother world on the water.  Here is a pic of the Miami skyline from Biscayne Bay.

^Sunrise in Miami over smooth beautiful water.

^View from the cruise boat pulling back into dock at the Port of Miami.

^This picture shows the road to Star Island in Miami.  This area is one of the most expensive and prestigious locations in Miami.  Star Island is home to big name stars like Madonna, Gloria Estafan and Will Smith.  Also dig the mirrored reflection of palm trees in the pic.

^Miami is an extremely flat place.  The only way to get a view is to be on something that has been built higher because the natural terrain is so flat that there are literally no hills or mountains in South Florida.

^The water tower from the city of Hollywood, Florida.

^Eh, a pic from the airport for fun.

^Miami - Palm trees and ocean~

^Here is a multi-million dollar home on the Miami Beach Canal.

^A look up the Miami Beach Canal.

^Last shot of the freeway leaving the city of Miami.