Graffiti Pier {an adventure}
It's been awhile with the long winter we had that we've done any shooting just for ourselves; & we couldn't have picked a better day for it. David and Bobby met at my place and we headed down to Philly with no expectations; just three of us with our cameras, ready to get our creativity flowing... That's exactly what happened. We parked behind an old factory building ready to go on foot, with no idea of what we'd find on the other side of the trees. -S || A place so full of color. A place bursting with opportunity. While making your way through the giant maze of unfamiliar aromas, feelings, life, and the >>remnants<< of the memories that live there, people seem to pop up everywhere, all venturing through the same maze, yet, they are all there for completely different reasons. Light and shadows dance together among the cement walls. These walls were given a new meaning, a {new purpose}. The huge cement columns that stand tall and strong, in many different intervals were used as a support for an old rail platform that loaded coal onto ships once they had made their way into the security of this pier. Fortunately, because of how massive the structure is, the demolition costs are excessively high, which, in turn, allows it to remain a beautiful piece of art, and a public canvas for anyone who may have the pleasure of stumbling across its existence. Pier 124 has been given a second chance, which has not only reconstructed the meaning behind this once unappreciated pier, but has also given people in our recent, current, and future generations a place to go, to express themselves, to create new memories with people they care about, or people they have just met. Everyday is a new beginning, and there is always something great out there waiting for you, reach for it. {Bobby Tooley}
Enjoy! xo
[a little history... Pier 124 operated as a coal pier for Conrail until 1991, when they moved their coal operation to Baltimore. They still own (the ruins) the chutes, and much of the land surrounding them, but they've let them alone for many years due to high demolition costs; making them an ideal place for street and graffiti artists to practice their craft. -Webb]