Photography seems to be in Alesandro Abate’s blood. Besides being a technically brilliant photographer in many genres, Sandro's vision and outright passion for street art is what makes his work so unique and inspiring. Sandro has helped shape Wynwood’s image and identity over the past several years as one of its locals.
Sandro has been in love with Florida’s wilder side since he first came to Miami in 1979 to study marine biology at the University of Miami. One of his favorite places to shoot is Everglades National Park, and with the dawn of good high-resolution digital photograph, he’s been able to experiment with a variety of shooting techniques and equipment. “My dad was a photographer when I was growing up. I spent a lot of time watching him work and photography has always been part of my life. So has nature, and I knew from an early age that I wanted to work with both nature and photography. Here, in Florida, the wonders of the wild are all around us. I am happy to be able to capture some of the beauty that is out there waiting to be discovered.
Since 2012, Sandro’s been coming to Wynwood almost daily (yes, as in everyday) to photograph Miami’s beloved arts district. He recalls first getting bitten by the “Wynwood bug” during art walk a few months before Art Basel, when the pre-Basel buzz was already kicking in. Fresh murals were being worked on, street after street, It was exciting to see how the final piece was made.”
Sandro’s photography captures that essence, those specific creative moments which he considers very special. And he’s right, witnessing an artist create artwork is different than just admiring the final product. Being present is almost intimate. It’s an invitation to participate by watching the artist bring their vision to life. It creates a bond between viewer, the work and artist that otherwise might be lost.