May 2009: Montauk, Long Island

Normally, I don't post on graffiti pieces. It's not that I don't like it; that's the exact opposite of the truth.  The fact of the matter is that I simply don't receive that many graffiti submissions. Where I live, the only tags I come in contact with are shitty throw-ups by kids writing "H-Town 4 life." If there's no story, I'm not interested.

I'm not proposing that these are the best pieces ever created, but the story behind my discovering them is awesome. One weekend, Adam and I went out to Montauk to visit his grandparents. During the day, we grabbed bikes and peddled down to the shore. On one of the many sandy trails, we came across some World War II bunkers.
In addition to the base at Camp Hero, these bunkers were once used to guard against naval attacks. Today, they're boarded up and obsolete. However, it's not what's on the outside that counts. Taking a peek indoors revealed a whole new perspective.
To find the graffiti buried inside, I had to perform a special opps mission. (See photo for an indication of the tiny crawlspace). I couldn't see inside the pitch black bunker. Fortunately, my trusty camera flash illuminated the darkness. Amidst the broken bottles and spent spray cans, the tagged walls decorated an otherwise barren landscape.
Over at Camp Hero, we made a friend while exploring the bunkers. As Adam made his way through the brush, I heard something huge come out of the bushes. Apparently, a hawk was resting in the thicket and wasn't pleased about our arrival. It recruited a few more friends and circled the area, but fortunately its posse didn't attack us.
I think I liked these tags because they were so unexpected. In the hills of a Long Island town, there are still streetwise graff heads searching for the perfect bombing location. Anyone out there with Montauk experience? Let me know what's up!