Digital Graffiti

Photos By Sonja Revels

For one weekend in June, the serene white walls of the residences at Alys Beach were the backdrop for Digital Graffiti. Once darkness fell, the iconic white walls of the austere town was aglow with more than two dozen original art projections.

 Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach is the world’s first outdoor projection art festival. This one-of-a-kind event celebrates the many possibilities found at the intersection of art and architecture. Dozens of digital artists from around the globe were invited to showcase their original work and vie for cash prize awards in a juried art competition. Utilizing the latest technologies, the art is projected throughout the town on its iconic white walls.

“Digital Graffiti brings out the best in projection art from local and international artists. We have artists from Florida, all over North America, and Europe to New Zealand. We definitely had an impressive group of artists representing Digital Graffiti this year,” says Digital Graffiti curator and judge Brett Phares. “You will see work that emphasizes design and shape; you will also see work that is very personal and soulful — these artists have stories to tell.”

Amber Bushnell is an artist from Montana who visited the festival several times in prior years and participated for the first time this year. With a master’s degree in fine art, her passion is the creation of virtual animations. Amber uses the software Mad Mapper to create her unique digital art . In Montana, Amber performs as a VJ – a broad designation for real time visual performance. “When I went to grad school they did not have a program for virtual art , so I started exploring the possibilities, talked to business owners, and found spaces that I could use to project my digital art. I discovered this festival four years ago. It inspired me to develop my own style of digital graffiti . There is a theme throughout what I do. My style is inspired by locations and I have mapped the prominent architecture at Alys Beach for my contribution this year. The works “Layer Pendulum” by Amber Bushnell and “Phylogeny” by Claire Bennett of Toronto, Canada, won the best of show awards.