Tag: Asbury Lanes

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I searched to find out the story behind the artwork that adorns all four outer walls of this building.

I searched for the story behind the artwork adorning the outer walls of the old Asbury Lanes building on the Asbury Park boardwalk. Here's what I learned.

American pop artist Shepard Fairey is known for his guerrilla “Obey” sticker campaign, which melded contemporary street art and guerrilla marketing into a phenomenon that put him on the artistic map. Shepard is also an activist and founder of OBEY Clothing. I also learned that Fairey designed the Barack Obama "Hope" poster for the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Sunday 24 April 2022 · Minolta XD-11 · MD ROKKOR-X 45mm F2 · ISO 100

According to Wikipedia.

His "Obey" Campaign is from the John Carpenter movie They Live which starred pro wrestler, Roddy Piper, taking a number of its slogans, including the "Obey" slogan, as well as the "This Is Your God" slogan. Fairey has spun off the OBEY clothing line from the original sticker campaign.

Obey · Sunday 24 April 2022 · Minolta XD-11 · MD ROKKOR-X 45mm F2 · ISO 100

Fairey’s art, some of which are from album covers, is on display outside the old Asbury Lanes building on the Asbury Park boardwalk. The art installation was part of the music and art festival organised by All Tomorrow’s Parties. The festival collaborated with the Jonathan LeVine Gallery, which commissioned Fairey to create these murals. In September 2011, he unveiled several murals and a gallery show called “Revolutions”.

All Tomorrow's Parties is a London-based organisation that has promoted festivals in the U.K., the United States and Australia since 1999. All Tomorrow's Parties is also the name of a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, The Velvet Underground & Nico. I don’t know if there is a connection.

Sunday 24 April 2022 · Minolta XD-11 · MD ROKKOR-X 45mm F2 · ISO 100

On the day I exposed these frames of Kodak Pro Image 100, the long side of the building facing the ocean was boarded up. I’m unsure why, but I suspect it protected the art. I remembered that I had photographed some of the artwork on my first and later visits to the Asbury Park Boardwalk. As it turns out, my first visit to Asbury Park was in November 2011, a few weeks after the Revolutions festival.

people walking on boardwalk, Asbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Lanes | Sunday 13 November 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8

All images (except for the Nikon) were scanned from Kodak Pro Image 100 35mm film negatives using an Epson Perfection V600 scanner, VueScan software and the Negative Lab Pro plugin for Adobe Lightroom.

Sunday 24 April 2022 · Minolta XD-11 · MD ROKKOR-X 45mm F2 · ISO 100

Google+ Photographers Group Asbury Park Photo Walk

Today I met up on the Asbury Park Boardwalk with a group of photogs from the Google+ Photographers Group. Some were work friends, and the rest were strangers. The walk was organised by Scott Wyden Kivowitz - who until today I've only "known" online, and Daryl Meek. My friend and I drove down together. We got lost and ended up in Rumson, but we enjoyed the scenic route - lined with expensive shore homes - to Asbury Avenue.

Sunday 13 November 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8

The windy air was crisp but cool. We caught up with the larger group about a quarter of the way down the boardwalk.

Scott Kivowitz, Asbury Park, New Jersey
Scott Kivowitz (Center) | Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄320 sec at f/8.0 | ISO 200
man on trike
Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄500 sec at f/8.0 | ISO 200
woman on trike
Trike | Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄800 sec at f/5.6 | ISO 200

I saw this older woman sitting with her aide as we walked along. I was reluctant at first, but my desire to get the shot overcame my anxiety. I walked over, introduced myself and asked her permission to take her photograph. She had an exciting story to tell. She was born in Jersey City but moved to Asbury Park with her family when she was two years old. She's now 94 years old. She's been to this very boardwalk almost her entire life. Imagine the stories she could tell about what the boardwalk was like long ago and how much it has changed. I regret I forgot her name.

elderly woman on bench
This woman has lived in Asbury Park her whole life. | Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄500 sec at f/8.0
Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄250 sec at f/8.0

The Wonder Bar is a local nightclub with a storied musical history, associated with such famous local legends as Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Clarence Clemmons, Lance Larson and many others.

Wonder Bar
Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, New Jersey | Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄160 sec at f/11
records
Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄160 sec at f/2.5 | ISO 800

My friend Chris, Prasanna and I had a great time chatting out our photography wish list. We added a fourth person, [John Carig](John Craig), to our smaller group. We talked about our families - we all have kids are varying age groups - before heading into the mall for a bite.

Convention Center, Asbuary Park Boardwalk, Asbury Park, New Jersey
Convention Center, Asbuary Park Boardwalk, Asbury Park, New Jersey | Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄200 sec at f/11

The iPhone Camera+ (with a Clarity filter applied) can produce some very good images. The key is good light. We had a cloudy early morning sky, but the sun shone through.

Asbuary Park Boardwalk | Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Apple iPhone 4 | 3.85 mm | 1/1400 sec at f/2.8 | ISO 80

Asbury Park Mural | Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄60 sec at f/11

The Casino once contained an Ice Skating Rink, hosted Roller Derby and Flea Markets and was used as the setting for the movie "City by the Sea" starring Robert DeNiro.

Inside the old casino. Asbuary Park Boardwalk, Asbury Park, New Jersey | Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄50 sec at f/3.5
Asbury Park Casino
Asbury Park Casino | Sunday 13 November, 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 | 1⁄250 sec at f/6.3

Before we left, we stopped at Sully's for a hot latte. They have an extensive menu, and many items are named after local landmarks. I liked the "The Boss" sandwich description, but our hostess let me know that he eats primarily vegetarian these days.

Sully's | Sunday 13 November 2011 | Nikon D40 | AF-S DX Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8